Resolution adopted by U.N. Special Committee
on Decolonisation
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
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 2015.
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-ninth 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 55 years after
the adoption of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial
Countries and Peoples there still remain a number of Non-Self-Governing Territories,
Conscious of the importance of
continuing the 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 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 Caribbean regional seminar
held by the Special Committee in Managua and hosted by the Government of
Nicaragua from 19 to 21 May 2015 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 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
Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, the Economic and
Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, the United Nations Development
Programme, the World Food Programme, 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 2015 Caribbean regional seminar that all seven Caribbean
Non-Self-Governing Territories were 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 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 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,
Taking note of the report of the
Secretary-General on the implementation of General Assembly resolution 65/119
on the Third Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism,
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 and the United States, 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,6 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 seventy-first session and on the implementation of the present resolutions.
