The General Assembly,
Having considered the question of
Anguilla,
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 Anguilla,[1]
Taking note of the working paper
prepared by the Secretariat on Anguilla[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 Anguilla 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 Anguilla,
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 Anguilla 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 Anguilla 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
Anguilla 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 Anguilla
and to the Special Committee of the participation of elected and appointed
representatives of Anguilla 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 Anguilla
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,
Recalling the holding of the 2003
Caribbean regional seminar in Anguilla, hosted by the territorial Government
and made possible by the administering Power, the first time that the seminar
had been held in a Non-Self-Governing Territory,
Recalling also the statement made by the
representative of Anguilla at the Pacific regional seminar held in Quito from
30 May to 1 June 2012 that the people of the Territory were concerned that they
were being denied the full range of decolonization options under a drafting
exercise that began in 2011,
Aware of the follow-up meeting, held
after the 2012 Pacific regional seminar, between the Chair of the Special
Committee and the Chief Minister of Anguilla, who reiterated the urgent need
for a visiting mission,
Noting the internal constitutional
review process resumed by the territorial Government in 2006, the work of the
Constitutional and Electoral Reform Commission, which prepared its report in
August 2006, the holding of public and other consultative meetings in 2007 on
proposed constitutional amendments to be presented to the administering Power,
the decisions taken in 2008 and 2011 to set up a drafting team to prepare a new
constitution and present it for public consultation in the Territory and the
recent efforts undertaken in that regard, including the establishment, in
September 2015, of a new Constitutional and Electoral Reform Committee to
advance constitutional and electoral reform,
Noting also the participation of the
Territory as a member in the Caribbean Overseas Countries and Territories
Council and an associate member in the Caribbean Community, the Organization of
Eastern Caribbean States and the Economic Commission for Latin America and the
Caribbean,
Recalling the general elections which
took place in April 2015,
1. Reaffirms
the inalienable right of the people of Anguilla 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 Anguilla, 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 Anguilla 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 preparations made for a new constitution, and urges that constitutional
discussions with the administering Power, including public consultations, be
concluded as soon as possible;
5. Requests the administering Power to
assist the Territory in its current efforts with regard to advancing the
internal constitutional review exercise, if requested;
6. Stresses the importance of the
previously expressed desire of the territorial Government for a visiting
mission by the Special Committee on the Situation with regard to the
Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial
Countries and Peoples, calls upon the administering Power to facilitate such a
mission, if the territorial Government so desires, and requests the Chair of
the Special Committee to take all the necessary steps to that end;
7. Requests
the administering Power to assist the Territory by facilitating its work
concerning public consultative outreach efforts 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;
8. Calls
upon the administering Power to assist the territorial Government in
strengthening its commitments in the economic domain, including budgetary
matters, with regional support as needed and appropriate;
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 being apprised of the views and wishes
of the people of Anguilla and enhancing its understanding of their conditions,
including the nature and scope of the existing political and constitutional
arrangements between Anguilla 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 Anguilla, 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,[7] 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 Anguilla and to
report thereon to the General Assembly at its seventy-second session and on the
implementation of the present resolution.
[1] Official
Records of the General Assembly, Seventy-first Session, Supplement No. 23 (A/71/23), chap. X.
