As early as 1960 local authorities in Britain played a part in the international campaign against apartheid. A United Nations resolution in 1982 recognised this and following a conference held in Sheffield in March 1983 the National Steering Committee on Local Authority Action Against Apartheid (LAAA) was established to act in an advisory and co-ordinating capacity. It encouraged local authorities to adopt anti-apartheid policies including sports and cultural boycotts, disinvestment from the South African economy, purchasing policies avoiding South African goods and raising awareness about apartheid through education. In the 1990s councils were encouraged to develop links with communities in South Africa and the LAAA sent an observer team to the South African elections in 1994.