Special Committee on Decolonisation
Question of the U.S. Virgin Islands
The General
Assembly,
Having considered the question of the
United States Virgin Islands,
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 2016, related to the United States Virgin Islands,[1]
Taking note of the working paper
prepared by the Secretariat on the United States Virgin Islands[2] and other relevant information,
Recognizing that all available options
for self-determination of the Territory are valid as long as they are in
accordance with the freely expressed wishes of the people of the United States
Virgin Islands 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,
Expressing concern that 56 years after
the adoption of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial
Countries and Peoples,[3] there
still remain 17 Non-Self-Governing Territories, including the United Sates
Virgin Islands,
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[4] and
Third International Decades for the Eradication of Colonialism,
Recognizing that the specific
characteristics and the aspirations of the people of the United States Virgin
Islands 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,
Convinced that the wishes and
aspirations of the people of the Territory 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,
Concerned
by the use and exploitation of the natural resources of the Non-Self-Governing Territories by the administering Powers for their benefit,
by the use of the Territories as tax havens to the detriment of the world
economy and by the consequences of any economic activities of the administering
Powers that are contrary to the interests of the people of the Territories, as
well as to resolution 1514 (XV),
Convinced that any negotiations to
determine the status of the Territory must take place with the active
involvement and participation of the people of the Territory, under the
auspices of the United Nations, on a case-by-case basis, and that the views of
the people of the United States Virgin Islands in respect of their right to
self-determination should be ascertained,
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, in order for the Special
Committee to enhance its understanding of the political status of the people of
the United States Virgin Islands and to fulfil its mandate effectively, it is
important for it to be apprised by the administering Power and to receive
information from other appropriate sources, including the representatives of
the Territory, concerning the wishes and aspirations of the people of the
Territory,
Aware of the importance both to the
United States Virgin Islands and to the Special Committee of the participation
of elected and appointed representatives of the United States Virgin Islands 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 people of the United
States Virgin Islands with their inalienable right to self-determination and in
gaining a better understanding of the options for self-determination, on a
case-by-case basis,
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,
Welcoming the Pacific regional seminar
held by the Special Committee in Managua and hosted by the Government of
Nicaragua from 31 May to 2 June 2016 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[5] 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,[6]
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 and 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,
Aware that, under United States law, the
relations between the territorial Government and the federal Government in all
matters that are not the programme responsibility of another federal department
or agency are under the general administrative supervision of the Secretary of
the Interior,[7]
Aware also of the fifth attempt of the
Territory to review the existing Revised Organic Act, which organizes its
internal governance arrangements, as well as its requests to the administering
Power and the United Nations system for assistance to its public education
programme,
Cognizant that a draft constitution was
proposed in 2009 and subsequently forwarded to the administering Power, which
in 2010 requested the Territory to consider its objections to the draft
constitution,
Cognizant also that the Fifth Revision
Convention, established and convened in 2012, was mandated to ratify and
approve the final revised draft constitution,
Aware of the closing of the Hovensa
plant, and noting the continuing negative impact on manufacturing and on the
employment situation in the Territory,
Cognizant of the potential usefulness of
regional ties for the development of a small island Territory,
1. Reaffirms
the inalienable right of the people of the United States Virgin Islands 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 of the United States
Virgin Islands, 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 people of the United States Virgin
Islands 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 calls upon the
administering Power, in cooperation with the territorial Government and
appropriate bodies of the United Nations system, to develop political education
programmes for the Territory 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. Welcomes
the proposal of a draft constitution emanating from the Territory in 2009, as a
result of the work of the United States Virgin Islands Fifth Constitutional
Convention, for review by the administering Power, and requests the
administering Power to assist the territorial Government in achieving its
political, economic and social goals, in particular the successful conclusion
of the internal Constitutional Convention exercise;
5. Requests
the administering Power to facilitate the process for approval of the proposed
territorial constitution in the United States Congress and its implementation,
once agreed upon in the Territory;
6. Also
requests the administering Power to assist the Territory by facilitating
its work concerning a public education programme, consistent with Article 73 b of the Charter, and in that regard
calls upon the relevant United Nations organizations to provide assistance to
the Territory, if requested;
7. Expresses
its concern regarding the continuing negative impact of the Hovensa plant
closure;
8. Reiterates
its call for the inclusion of the
Territory in regional programmes of the United Nations Development Programme, consistent
with the participation of other Non-Self-Governing Territories;
9. Welcomes
the active participation of the Territory in the work of the Economic
Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean;
10. 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 people of
the United States Virgin Islands and enhancing its understanding of their
conditions, including the nature and scope of the existing political and
constitutional arrangements between the United States Virgin Islands and the
administering Power;
11. Calls
upon the administering Power 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 United States Virgin
Islands, and encourages the administering Power to facilitate visiting and
special missions to the Territory;
12. Reaffirms
the responsibility of the administering Power under the Charter to promote the
economic and social development and to preserve the cultural identity of the
Territory, and requests the administering Power to take steps to enlist and
make effective use of all possible assistance, on both a bilateral and a
multilateral basis, in the strengthening of the economies of the Territory;
13. Takes
into account the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including the
Sustainable Development Goals,[8]
stresses the importance of fostering the economic and social sustainable
development of the Territory by promoting sustained, inclusive and equitable
economic growth, creating greater opportunities for all, reducing inequalities,
raising basic standards of living, fostering equitable social development and
inclusion and promoting the integrated and sustainable management of natural
resources and ecosystems that supports, inter alia, economic, social and human
development, while facilitating ecosystem conservation, regeneration,
restoration and resilience in the face of new and emerging challenges, and
strongly urges the administering Power to refrain from undertaking any kind of
illicit, harmful and unproductive activities, including the use of the Territory
as a tax haven, that are not aligned with the interest of the people of the
Territory;
14. Requests
the Territory and the administering Power to take all measures necessary to
protect and conserve the environment of the Territory against any degradation,
and once again requests the specialized agencies concerned to monitor
environmental conditions in the Territory and to provide assistance to the
Territory, consistent with their prevailing rules of procedure;
15. Requests
the Special Committee to continue to examine the question of the United States
Virgin Islands and to report thereon to the General Assembly at its
seventy-second session and on the implementation of the present resolution.
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[1] Official
Records of the General Assembly, Seventy-first Session, Supplement No. 23 (A/71/23), chap. X.
[2] A/AC.109/2016/16.
[4] A/56/61,
annex.
[5] Official
Records of the General Assembly, Seventy-first Session, Supplement No. 23 (A/71/23).
