with the international mood, especially in the light of the generally acclaimed "progress" made in recent months. That acclaimed "progress" is not supported by the realities inside South Africa, and the Secretary-General's report before us attests to our stand. The continued existence of the basic pillars of apartheid, such as the repressive security regulations, the bantustan homeland question and the persistent violence supported and encouraged by the State police, make it rather difficult to be persuaded that substantial progress has been made sufficient to warrant relaxation of existing sanctions. We meet today to assess the evolution of this process. The basis of our evaluation is, of course, the report which was requested of the Secretary-General by the General Assembly at its special session. The report of the Secretary-General and its various addenda present a detailed and comprehensive picture of developments in South Africa. EMS/7 A/44/PV.97 17 (Mr, gynlygiri, Çhjiirm^n, Spggi^l Committee against Apartheid) On 24 July 1990, the Special Committee against Apartheid, in a statement issued as GA/AP/1988, welcomed the report and agreed with the Secretary-General's assessment that although the process of change in South Africa had started it was still at a preliminary stage. In that statement, the Special Committee indicated that the report "puts an end once and for all to the views that were expressed in some quarters that profound and irreversible changes had already taken place in South Africa". The Special Committee wishes to restate today that profound and irreversible changes have yet to take place. It is well to remember that the Declaration made it clear that the Government of South Africa needed to undertake a series of measures to create a climate for negotiations, namely: to release all political prisoners and detainees unconditionally and refrain from imposing any restrictions on them; to lift all 
**Analysis**
This text appears to be discussing the political situation in South Africa, specifically the progress (or lack thereof) towards ending apartheid and the related sanctions. It seems to be a diplomatic or political statement, likely from an international organization or government.

**Category**
Humanitarian aid and relief, International trade