28 December 2014
23 December 2014
22 December 2014
U.N.: For Caribbean, Pacific dependencies, self-determination is a" fundamental human right" under human rights conventions
Questions of American Samoa, Anguilla, Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Guam, Montserrat, Pitcairn, Saint Helena, the Turks and Caicos Islands and the United States Virgin Islands
General
The General Assembly,
Having considered the questions of the Non-Self-Governing
Territories of American Samoa, Anguilla, Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands,
the Cayman Islands, Guam, Montserrat, Pitcairn, Saint Helena, the Turks and
Caicos Islands and the United States Virgin Islands, hereinafter referred to as
“the Territories”,
Having examined the relevant chapter of the report of the Special
Committee on the Situation with regard to the Implementation of the Declaration
on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples for 2014,[1]
Recalling all resolutions and decisions of the United Nations
relating to those Territories, including, in particular, the resolutions
adopted by the General Assembly at its sixty-eighth session on the individual
Territories covered by the present resolutions,
Recognizing that all available options for self-determination of
the Territories are valid as long as they are in accordance with the freely
expressed wishes of the peoples concerned and in conformity with the clearly
defined principles contained in General Assembly resolutions 1514 (XV) of 14
December 1960, 1541 (XV) of 15 December 1960 and other resolutions of the
Assembly,
Recalling its resolution 1541 (XV), containing the principles that
should guide Member States in determining whether or not an obligation exists
to transmit the information called for under Article 73 e of the Charter of the United Nations,
Expressing concern that 54 years after the adoption of the
Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples,[2] there still remain a number
of Non-Self-Governing Territories,
Conscious of the importance of continuing effective implementation
of the Declaration, taking into account the target set by the United Nations to
eradicate colonialism by 2020 and the plans of action for the Second[3] and Third International Decades for the Eradication
of Colonialism,
Recognizing that the specific characteristics and the aspirations
of the peoples of the Territories require flexible, practical and innovative
approaches to the options for self-determination, without any prejudice to
territorial size, geographical location, size of population or natural
resources,
Noting the stated position of the Government of the United Kingdom
of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the stated position of the Government
of the United States of America on the Non-Self-Governing Territories under
their administration,
Noting also the constitutional developments in some
Non-Self-Governing Territories affecting the internal structure of governance
about which the Special Committee has received information,
Convinced that the wishes and aspirations of the peoples of the
Territories should continue to guide the development of their future political
status and that referendums, free and fair elections and other forms of popular
consultation play an important role in ascertaining the wishes and aspirations
of the people,
Convinced also that any negotiations to determine the status of a
Territory must take place with the active involvement and participation of the
people of that Territory, under the auspices of the United Nations, on a
case-by-case basis, and that the views of the peoples of the Non-Self-Governing
Territories in respect of their right to self-determination should be
ascertained,
Noting that a number of Non-Self-Governing Territories have
expressed concern at the procedure followed by some administering Powers,
contrary to the wishes of the Territories themselves, of amending or enacting
legislation for application to the Territories, either through orders in
council, in order to apply to the Territories the international treaty
obligations of the administering Power, or through the unilateral application
of laws and regulations,
Aware of the importance of the international financial services and
tourism sectors for the economies of some of the Non-Self-Governing
Territories,
Noting the continued cooperation of the Non-Self-Governing
Territories at the local and regional levels, including participation in the
work of regional organizations,
Mindful that United Nations visiting and special missions provide
an effective means of ascertaining the situation in the Territories, that some
Territories have not received a United Nations visiting mission for a long time
and that no visiting missions have been sent to some of the Territories, and
considering the possibility of sending further visiting missions to the
Territories at an appropriate time, in consultation with the relevant
administering Powers and in accordance with the relevant resolutions and
decisions of the United Nations on decolonization,
Mindful also that, in order for the Special Committee to enhance
its understanding of the political status of the peoples of the Territories and
to fulfil its mandate effectively, it is important for it to be apprised by the
relevant administering Powers and to receive information from other appropriate
sources, including the representatives of the Territories, concerning the
wishes and aspirations of the peoples of the Territories,
Acknowledging the regular transmission by the administering Powers
to the Secretary-General of information called for under Article 73 e of the Charter,
Aware of the importance both to the Territories and to the Special
Committee of the participation of elected and appointed representatives of the
Territories in the work of the Committee,
Recognizing the need for the Special Committee to ensure that the
appropriate bodies of the United Nations actively pursue a public awareness
campaign aimed at assisting the peoples of the Territories in gaining a better
understanding of the options for self-determination,
Mindful, in that connection, that the holding of regional seminars
in the Caribbean and Pacific regions and at Headquarters, with the active
participation of representatives of the Non-Self-Governing Territories,
provides a helpful means for the Special Committee to fulfil its mandate and
that the regional nature of the seminars, which alternate between the Caribbean
and the Pacific, is a crucial element in the context of a United Nations
programme for ascertaining the political status of the Territories,
Noting the stated positions of the representatives of the
Non-Self-Governing Territories before the Special Committee and at its regional
seminars,
Welcoming the 2014 Pacific regional seminar held by the Special
Committee in Nadi, Fiji, from 21 to 23 May 2014, as a significant and
forward-looking event, which enabled the participants to assess the progress
made in the decolonization process and to review the existing working methods
of the Committee and renew its momentum in implementing its historic task,
Recognizing the importance of the conclusions and recommendations
adopted by the seminar, which are annexed to the report of the Special
Committee[4] and which outline the findings of the seminar,
including, especially, the way forward for the decolonization process within
the context of the proclamation by the General Assembly of the period 2011-2020
as the Third International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism,
Conscious of the particular vulnerability of the Territories to
natural disasters and environmental degradation, and in that connection bearing
in mind the applicability to the Territories of the programmes of action or
outcome documents of all United Nations world conferences and special sessions
of the General Assembly in the economic and social spheres,
Noting with appreciation the contribution to the development of
some Territories by the specialized agencies and other organizations of the
United Nations system, in particular the United Nations Development Programme,
the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean and the Economic
and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, as well as regional
institutions such as the Caribbean Development Bank, the Caribbean Community,
the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States, the Pacific Islands Forum and the
agencies of the Council of Regional Organizations in the Pacific,
Recalling the statement made by the representative of the Economic
Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean at the Caribbean regional
seminar held in Kingstown from 31 May to 2 June 2011 that all six Caribbean
Non-Self-Governing Territories are active associate members of the Commission,
Aware
that the Human Rights
Committee, as part of its mandate under the International Covenant on Civil and
Political Rights,[5] reviews the status of the
self-determination process, including in small island Territories under
examination by the Special Committee,
Recalling the ongoing efforts of the Special Committee in carrying
out a critical review of its work with the aim of making appropriate and
constructive recommendations and decisions to attain its objectives in
accordance with its mandate,
Recognizing that the annual working papers prepared by the
Secretariat on developments in each of the small Territories,[6] as well as the substantive
documentation and information furnished by experts, scholars, non-governmental
organizations and other sources, have provided important inputs to update the
present resolutions,
Recalling the report of the Secretary-General on the Second
International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism,[7]
1. Reaffirms
the inalienable right of the peoples of the Non-Self-Governing Territories to
self-determination, in conformity with the Charter of the United Nations and with
General Assembly resolution 1514 (XV), containing the Declaration on the
Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples;
2. Also
reaffirms that, in the process of decolonization, there is no alternative
to the principle of self-determination, which is also a fundamental human
right, as recognized under the relevant human rights conventions;
3. Further
reaffirms that it is ultimately for the peoples of the Territories
themselves to determine freely their future political status in accordance with
the relevant provisions of
the Charter, the Declaration and the relevant resolutions of the General
Assembly, and in that connection reiterates its long-standing call for the
administering Powers, in cooperation with the territorial Governments and
appropriate bodies of the United Nations system, to develop political education
programmes for the Territories in order to foster an awareness among the people
of their right to self-determination in conformity with the legitimate political status options, based on the principles
clearly defined in Assembly resolution 1541 (XV) and other relevant resolutions
and decisions;
4. Stresses
the importance of the Special Committee on the Situation with regard to the
Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial
Countries and Peoples being apprised of the views and wishes of the peoples of
the Territories and enhancing its understanding of their conditions, including
the nature and scope of the existing political and constitutional arrangements
between the Non-Self-Governing Territories and their respective administering
Powers;
5. Requests
the administering Powers to continue to transmit regularly to the
Secretary-General information called for under Article 73 e of the Charter;
6. Calls
upon the administering Powers to participate in and cooperate fully with
the work of the Special
Committee in order to implement the provisions of Article 73 e of the Charter and the Declaration and
in order to advise the Committee on the implementation of the provisions under
Article 73 b of the Charter on
efforts to promote self-government in the Territories,
and encourages the administering Powers to facilitate visiting and special
missions to the Territories;
7. Reaffirms
the responsibility of the administering Powers under the Charter to promote the
economic and social development and to preserve the cultural identity of the
Territories, and, as a priority, to mitigate the effects of the current global
financial crisis where possible, in consultation with the territorial
Governments concerned, towards the strengthening and diversification of their
respective economies;
8. Requests
the Territories and the administering Powers to take all measures necessary to
protect and conserve the environment of the Territories against any
degradation, and once again requests the specialized agencies concerned to
continue to monitor environmental conditions in the Territories and to provide
assistance to those Territories, consistent with their prevailing rules of
procedure;
9. Welcomes
the participation of the Non-Self-Governing Territories in regional
activities, including the work of regional organizations;
10. Stresses
the importance of implementing the plans of action for the Second3
and Third International Decades for the Eradication of Colonialism, in
particular by expediting the application of the work programme for the
decolonization of each Non-Self-Governing Territory, on a case-by-case basis,
as well as by ensuring that periodic analyses are undertaken of the progress
and extent of the implementation of the Declaration in each Territory, and that
the working papers prepared by the Secretariat on each Territory should fully
reflect developments in those Territories;
11. Urges
Member States to contribute to the efforts of the United Nations to usher in a
world free of colonialism within the context of the International Decades for
the Eradication of Colonialism, and calls upon them to continue to give their
full support to the Special Committee in its endeavours towards that noble
goal;
12. Stresses
the importance of the various constitutional exercises in the respective
Territories administered by the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern
Ireland and the United States of America, and led by the territorial
Governments, designed to address internal constitutional structures within the
present territorial arrangements, and decides to follow closely the
developments concerning the future political status of those Territories;
13. Requests
the Secretary-General to continue to report to the General Assembly on a
regular basis on the implementation of decolonization resolutions adopted since
the declaration of the Third International Decade for the Eradication of
Colonialism;
14. Reiterates
its request that the Human Rights Committee collaborate with the Special
Committee, within the framework of its mandate on the right to
self-determination as contained in the International Covenant on Civil and
Political Rights,5
with the aim of exchanging information, given that the Human Rights Committee
is mandated to review the situation, including political and constitutional
developments, in many of the Non-Self-Governing Territories that are within the
purview of the Committee;
15. Requests
the Special Committee to continue to collaborate with the Economic and
Social Council and its relevant subsidiary intergovernmental bodies, within the
framework of their respective mandates, with the aim of exchanging information
on developments in those Non-Self-Governing Territories which are reviewed by
those bodies;
16. Also
requests the Special Committee to continue to examine the question of the
Non-Self-Governing Territories and to report thereon to the General Assembly at
its seventieth session and on the implementation of the present resolutions.
[1] Official Records of the General Assembly, Sixty-ninth Session,
Supplement No. 23 (A/69/23), chap. X.
[3] A/56/61, annex.
[4] Official Records of the General Assembly, Sixty-ninth Session,
Supplement No. 23 (A/69/23).
[6] A/AC.109/2014/3-11, 13 and 14.
[7] A/65/330 and Add.1.
18 December 2014
Autonomy is the overwhelming choice of voters in Sint Eustatius political status referendum
| Special to Overseas Territories Review By C.L. de Otero Associate Editor
(Oranjestad, Dec. 17) The political status option of Autonomy was the overwhelming victor among four choices in the December 17 constitutional referendum in Sint Eustatius, according to preliminary results revealed hours after the polls closed at 9:00 PM.
The winning option of "Autonomy within the Kingdom" (of the Netherlands) virtually doubled the number of votes for the status quo option of “Public Entity” which is a form of partial integration with clear democratic deficiencies according to experts.
 |
| STATIATOURISM.COM
The voter turnout, estimated at almost 46 per cent, was below the threshold of 60 per cent required in the Island Council Referendum Ordinance. But since the exercise was non-binding, it is unclear whether this percentage would matter in the face of wide support for the Autonomy option.
The possible disenfranchisement of an undetermined number of persons was seen by many as a factor in the turnout, with a number of potential voters being turned away at the polls by election officials who required voting cards before persons could be permitted inside the polling station to cast their ballot. It had been widely announced leading up to the referendum that voters would be able to use their proper identification without the need for the voting card, but voters were turned back in significant numbers, nevertheless. There were indications that most of those turned away were supporters of the Autonomy option.
There were widespread reports that large numbers of potential voters had not received their voting cards by mail, with the documents being returned to the Census Office which was responsible for conducting the poll. That office had been shifted from the jurisdiction of the former Central Government in Curacao to the control of the Dutch Government following the imposition of the partially integrated public entity status in 2010. The poll was being conducted, in part, to endorse or reject such shift of jurisdiction from local to Dutch authorities which had been a constant theme in the run-up to the referendum.
The conduct of the poll was accompanied by a significant change of rules traditionally governing island elections, according to several civil society leaders. The hours for the Census Office operations were extended past its announced closing time in an attempt to provide voters with the proper document to vote and to clarify the new rules in place. It was unclear, however, as to how many voting card issues were actually resolved unde the extended hours.
Another matter which had arisen was the relocation of the voting station from the centrally-located Public Library to a lesser accessible locale in the countryside. Many voters outside the polling place commented on the difficulties encountered in organizing transportation to the site, especially for the elderly.
It is still too early to determine the next steps in the process. On the one hand, those who favored the status quo option, which was so widely defeated, could argue for its continuation by default since the 60 per cent threshold had not been met. On the other hand, the autonomists have cited the overwhelming support expressed by the voters for the autonomy option even amid the obstacles its supporters encountered in voting, emphasizing that the tally would have been even stronger in their favor if so many of its supporters had not been denied the right to vote.
In any case, just how the results of the December 17 referendum will be utilized in the future political development of this Dutch-controlled ‘public entity’ will likely be determined by the local political leadership which is facing island elections in March 2015.
The reaction of the Dutch, meanwhile, will also be awaited since procedures were already underway to validate, or 'anchor', the current status in the Dutch Constitution. This would make it more difficult for any future change of status. The overwhelming support for Autonomy might give them pause, at least until the conclusion of the Dutch evaluation of the present status slated to be completed by the end of 2015.
Many autonomist advocates, on the other hand, have emphasized that the public entity status does not meet international standards of full self-government, and had argued for a referendum on the self-governing political options of independence, free association and integration as recognized by the United Nations. Many had called for the U.N. listing of Sint Eustatius as a non self-governing territory of the U.N. Decolonization Committee in order that a proper self-determination process could be instituted. This call may become much louder if the clear choice of the voters for autonomy is somehow ignored by island and Kingdom authorities.
****
For background on the Sint Eustatius referendum, see:
Sint Eustatius political status referendum set for December 17 |
17 December 2014
New Caledonia: U.N. General Assembly wants Noumea Accord to be respected in the territory's upcoming act of self-determination
United Nations General Assembly Resolution
Question of New Caledonia
The General Assembly,
Having considered the question of New Caledonia,
Having examined the chapter of the report of the Special Committee
on the Situation with regard to the Implementation of the Declaration on the
Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples for 2014 relating to
New Caledonia,[1]
Reaffirming the right of peoples to self-determination as enshrined
in the Charter of the United Nations,
Recalling its resolutions 1514 (XV) of 14 December 1960 and 1541
(XV) of 15 December 1960,
Noting the importance of the positive measures being pursued in New
Caledonia by the French authorities, in cooperation with all sectors of the
population, to promote equitable political, economic and social development in
the Territory, including measures in the area of environmental protection, in
order to provide a framework for its peaceful progress to self-determination,
Noting also, in this context, the importance of continued dialogue
among the parties involved in New Caledonia in the preparation of the act of
self-determination of New Caledonia,
Recalling the report of the Special Rapporteur on the rights of
indigenous peoples on the situation of Kanak people in New Caledonia, submitted
to the Human Rights Council at its eighteenth session, held from 12 to 30
September and on 21 October 2011,[2] following his visit to the Territory
in February 2011,
Noting with satisfaction the intensification of contacts between
New Caledonia and neighbouring countries of the South Pacific region, including
through the hosting of New Caledonian delegates in the French diplomatic and
consular missions in the region,
Recalling the conclusions of the eighteenth Melanesian Spearhead
Group Leaders Summit held in Suva on 31 March 2011 and the recommendations for
the annual monitoring and assessment of the Nouméa Accord,[3]
Welcoming the exchange of letters between the Department of
Political Affairs of the Secretariat and the Melanesian Spearhead Group
secretariat on the sharing of information on New Caledonia,
Mindful that New Caledonia has entered the most seminal phase of
the Nouméa Accord process, a period that requires continued close monitoring by
the United Nations of the situation in the Territory in order to help the
people of New Caledonia to exercise their right to self-determination in
accordance with the objectives set out in the Charter and the Declaration on
the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples,
Welcoming the Charter of the Kanak people, common base of the
fundamental values and principles of the Kanak civilization, which was
proclaimed in April 2014 by the customary authorities, Great Chiefs, Chiefs,
Presidents of District Councils and Presidents of the Clan Chiefs Councils, as
the sole traditional custodians of the Kanak people of New Caledonia,
Welcoming also the dispatch of a United Nations visiting mission to
New Caledonia in March 2014,
Having heard the statement of the Chair of the visiting mission,
Having examined the report of the United Nations visiting mission
to New Caledonia,[4]
Welcoming the cooperation of the administering Power with regard to
the work of the Special Committee relating to New Caledonia and its readiness
for and concurrence with the dispatching of the 2014 visiting mission,
Having heard the statement of the representative of the
administering Power,
Acknowledging the successful conduct by New Caledonia of municipal
and provincial elections in May 2014,
Taking note of the information presented to the Pacific regional
seminar on the implementation of the Third International Decade for the
Eradication of Colonialism: accelerating action, held in Nadi, Fiji, from 21 to
23 May 2014, on the situation in the Territory, including on the issues related
to the 2014 elections,
Aware of the challenges encountered in the 2014 provincial
electoral process, particularly with regard to the work of the special
administrative committees in updating the special electoral roll, the
non-existence of the supplementary electoral roll from 1998 and the
unavailability of the 1998 general electoral roll prior to 2014, and their
potential impact on the referendum on self-determination,
1. Approves the chapter of the report of the Special Committee on the Situation with regard to the Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples for 2014 relating to New Caledonia;1
2. Also
approves the report, observations, conclusions and suggested
recommendations of the United Nations visiting mission to New Caledonia
conducted in 2014;4
3. Expresses
its appreciation to the administering Power and the Government of New
Caledonia for the close cooperation and assistance extended to the visiting
mission;
4. Notes
the concerns expressed regarding the challenges encountered in the provincial
elections process with respect to the persistent varying interpretations of the
restricted electorate provisions and the voter registration appeal process, and
encourages the administering Power and the people of New Caledonia to address
in an amicable manner the concerns of all stakeholders under the existing
relevant laws in the Territory and in France, while also respecting and
upholding the spirit and letter of the Nouméa Accord;3
5. Expresses
the view that adequate measures for conducting the upcoming consultations
on access to full sovereignty, including a just, fair and transparent electoral
roll, as provided in the Nouméa Accord, are essential for the conduct of a free
and genuine act of self-determination consistent with United Nations principles
and practices;
6. Calls
upon France, the administering Power, in the light of the observations,
conclusions and suggested recommendations of the visiting mission, to consider
developing an education programme to inform the people of New Caledonia about
the nature of self-determination so that they may be better prepared to face a
future decision on the matter, and requests the Special Committee to provide
all available assistance in that regard;
7. Commends the observations, conclusions and
suggested recommendations of the visiting mission to the Government of France,
as the administering Power, and the Government of New Caledonia for appropriate
action;
8. Urges
all the parties involved, in the interest of the people of New Caledonia and
within the framework of the Nouméa Accord, to maintain their dialogue in a
spirit of harmony in order to continue to promote a framework for the peaceful
progress of the Territory towards an act of self-determination in which all
options are open and which would safeguard the rights of all sectors of the
population, based on the principle that it is for the populations of New
Caledonia to choose how to determine their destiny;
9. Notes
that, at its eleventh meeting, held on 11 October 2013, the Committee of
Signatories of the Nouméa Accord, inter alia:
(a) Examined the transfer of powers undertaken
in 2013 and conducted an initial review of the work of the interministerial
standing committee responsible for supporting the transfer of powers under way
or completed;
(b) Considered proposed amendments to the
Organic Law of 19 March 1999 relating to New Caledonia and a draft law
containing various provisions related to overseas territories, including
several measures concerning New Caledonia;
(c) Considered the work of the steering
committee to assess progress under the Nouméa Accord, welcomed the outcome of
the working group established in 2013, and called for its continuation;
(d) Took note of the discussion paper presented
by the mission responsible for considering the institutional future of New
Caledonia, and agreed that it could be used as a basis for work and debate with
a view to preparing for the referendum prescribed by the Nouméa Accord and that
it should be widely disseminated;
(e) Discussed the conditions under which
preparations would be made for the referendum after the provincial elections in
2014 with the assistance of France, if requested;
(f) Noted the status of the discussions on
nickel markets and activities undertaken within the framework of the Conference
of Presidents, and reiterated the need to build a coherent, long-term
industrial strategic framework, with the participation of all stakeholders, in
order to ensure the sustainable future development of mining and metallurgical
activities and to maximize their socioeconomic benefits;
(g) Noted with satisfaction the work
accomplished by the special congressional commission responsible for adopting a
flag that expresses both the Kanak identity and the future to be shared by all;
(h) Examined the work carried out for the
establishment of structured mechanisms for the advancement of New Caledonians
in the civil service, particularly the sovereign civil service;
10. Reaffirms
its resolution 68/87 of 11 December 2013, in which the General Assembly, inter
alia, reaffirmed that, in the absence of a decision by the Assembly itself that
a Non-Self-Governing Territory has attained a full measure of self-government
in terms of Chapter XI of the Charter of the United Nations, the administering
Power concerned should continue to transmit information under Article 73 e of the Charter with respect to that
Territory;
11. Notes
the continuing concerns expressed by the Kanak people regarding their
underrepresentation in governmental and social structures, incessant migratory
flows and the impact of mining on the environment;
12. Commends
the “Cadres for the future” programme, and encourages further enhancement of
the training and capacity-building of high-level executives in the public and
private sectors in the Territory, particularly in view of the ongoing transfer
of powers from the Government of France to New Caledonia, while ensuring that
the transfer of powers is undertaken in a manner consistent with the Nouméa
Accord;
13. Recalls
the observations and recommendations contained in the report of the Special
Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples on the situation of Kanak people
in New Caledonia,2 made
in the light of relevant international standards, to assist with ongoing
efforts to advance the rights of the Kanak people in the context of the
implementation of the Nouméa Accord and the United Nations-supported
decolonization process;
14. Welcomes
the strengthening of the economic and social rebalancing initiatives undertaken
by the administering Power, and urges its continuation in all areas and
communities of the Territory, especially of the well-being of the Kanak
indigenous people;
15. Encourages
the administering Power, with the cooperation of the Government of New
Caledonia, to ensure and enhance safeguards for and guarantees of the
inalienable right of the people of the Territory to own, access, use and manage
their natural resources, including proprietary rights for their future
development;
16. Recalls
the relevant provisions of the Nouméa Accord to the effect that New Caledonia
may become a member or associate member of certain international organizations,
and notes the continuing strengthening of ties between New Caledonia and both
the European Union and the European Development Fund;
17. Welcomes
the accession of the Front de libération nationale kanak socialiste to the
Chair of the Melanesian Spearhead Group, the hosting, for the first time in New
Caledonia, in June 2013, of the meetings of officials and leaders of the Group
and the opening, in February 2013, of the Front de libération nationale kanak
socialiste unit at the headquarters of the Group secretariat in Port Vila;
18. Acknowledges
the contribution of the Jean-Marie Tjibaou Cultural Centre to the protection of
the indigenous Kanak culture of New Caledonia;
19. Welcomes
the cooperative attitude of other States and Territories in the region towards
New Caledonia, its economic and political aspirations and its increasing
participation in regional and international affairs;
20. Takes
note of the information shared by participants from New Caledonia at the
Pacific regional seminar on the implementation of the Third International Decade
for the Eradication of Colonialism: accelerating action held in Nadi, from 21
to 23 May 2014, including on measured progress made in the social, economic,
political and environmental spheres and more focused efforts, particularly on
the rebalancing initiatives and electoral roll concerns, necessary for the
long-term shared mutual benefit of all New Caledonians, and urges the
administering Power and the Government of New Caledonia to devote appropriate
attention to addressing these issues;
21. Welcomes
the peaceful conduct of provincial elections in New Caledonia on 11 May 2014,
the preceding municipal elections and the subsequent ongoing efforts to form a
new Government of New Caledonia, and encourages constructive engagement by all
stakeholders in further developing New Caledonia for all, including by
respecting and upholding the Nouméa Accord;
22. Also
welcomes the actions taken by the administering Power to continue to
transmit to the Secretary-General information as required under Article 73 e of the Charter, particularly the
submissions on 4 February and 15 May 2014 on the most recent developments in
New Caledonia;
23. Notes
the agreement between the signatories to the Nouméa Accord that the
progress made in the emancipation process shall be brought to the attention of
the United Nations;
24. Decides
to keep under continuous review the process unfolding in New Caledonia as a
result of the signing of the Nouméa Accord;
25. Requests
the Special Committee to continue the examination of the question of the
Non-Self-Governing Territory of New Caledonia and to report thereon to the
General Assembly at its seventieth session.
[1] Official Records of the General Assembly, Sixty-ninth Session,
Supplement No. 23 (A/69/23), chap. IX.
[2] A/HRC/18/35/Add.6, annex.
[3] A/AC.109/2114, annex.