GA/11987
DECEMBER 2017
SEVENTY-SECOND SESSION, 66TH MEETING (AM)
EXCERPTS FROM UNITED NATIONS
General Assembly Adopts 38 Resolutions,
PRESS RELEASE
2 Decisions from Fourth Committee, Including Texts on Decolonization, Israeli‑Palestinian Issues
Among the 22 decolonization texts before the Assembly was a draft resolution on the question of Guam, which it adopted by a recorded vote of 93 in favour to 8 against (France, Iraq, Israel, Japan, Morocco, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States), with 65 abstentions. By its terms, the General Assembly called once again upon the administering Power to take into consideration the expressed will of Guam’s Chamorro people, as supported by Guam voters in the referendum of 1987, and as subsequently provided for in Guam law regarding Chamorro self‑determination efforts.
By other terms, the Assembly encouraged the administering Power and the territorial government to enter negotiations on that matter, and stressed the need for continued close monitoring of the overall situation in the Territory. By further terms, it called upon the administering Power to participate in and cooperate fully with the Special Committee on Decolonization in efforts to promote self‑government in Guam, encouraging it to facilitate visits and special missions to the Territory. The Assembly also requested that the Territory and the administering Power protect and conserve the environment against degradation and the impact of militarization.
Also requiring a recorded vote was a draft resolution titled “Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples by the specialized agencies and the international institutions associated with the United Nations”. The Assembly adopted it by a recorded vote of 128 in favour to 7 against (Australia, Côte d’Ivoire, Gabon, Israel, Morocco, United Kingdom, United States), with 40 abstentions. By that text, the General Assembly recommended that all States intensify their efforts to ensure full and effective implementation of the decolonization Declaration — contained in General Assembly resolution 1514 (XV) — and other relevant resolutions. It also urged specialized agencies and organizations that had not yet provided assistance to Non‑Self‑Governing Territories to do so as soon as possible.
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Closely following the Fourth Committee’s recommendations, the Assembly adopted — without a vote — a series of annual texts on the right of the following Non‑Self‑Governing Territories to self‑determination: Western Sahara, American Samoa, Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, French Polynesia, Montserrat, New Caledonia, Pitcairn, Saint Helena, Tokelau, Turks and Caicos Islands and the United States Virgin Islands.
Acting again without a vote, the Assembly adopted draft resolutions relating to assistance in mine action; atomic radiation; the peaceful uses of outer space affairs; special political missions; questions relating to information; and offers by Member States of study and training facilities for inhabitants of Non‑Self‑Governing Territories.
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The General Assembly also adopted, without a vote, two draft decisions, one on the question of Gibraltar and the other relating to revitalization of its own work.
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Turning to several drafts on decolonization, the General Assembly first adopted the draft “Information from Non‑Self‑Governing Territories transmitted under Article 73 e of the Charter of the United Nations” (document A/72/452) by a recorded vote of 173 in favour to 2 against (Israel, United States), with 2 abstentions (France, United Kingdom).
By that text, the General Assembly requested that the administering Powers concerned, in accordance with their Charter obligations, transmit or continue to transmit regularly to the Secretary‑General statistical and other technical information relating to the economic, social and educational conditions in the Territories under their respective responsibility.
The Assembly also adopted the draft “Economic and other activities which affect the interests of the peoples of the Non‑Self‑Governing Territories” (document A/72/453/L.14) by a recorded vote of 173 in favour to 2 against (Israel, United States), with 2 abstentions (France, United Kingdom). By that text, the General Assembly expressed deep concern at the number and scale of natural disasters and their devastating impact on Non‑Self‑Governing Territories in the Caribbean in 2017, particularly Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, Turks and Caicos Islands, United States Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.
Further by that text, the Assembly called upon the administering Powers to ensure that the exploitation of marine and other natural resources of Non‑Self‑Governing Territories did not violate relevant United Nations resolutions, nor adversely affect the interests of their peoples. It called upon administering Powers to provide all necessary assistance to the peoples of the Non‑Self‑Governing Territories affected by recent hurricanes in order to alleviate humanitarian suffering, support recovery and rebuilding efforts, and enhance emergency-preparedness and risk‑reduction capabilities.
Also requiring a recorded vote was the draft resolution “Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples by the specialized agencies and the international institutions associated with the United Nations” (document A/72/454), which the Assembly adopted by a recorded 118 votes in favour to 2 against (Israel, United States), with 54 abstentions.
Also by that text, the General Assembly recommended that all States intensify their efforts, through United Nations specialized agencies and other entities, to ensure the full and effective implementation of the Declaration, contained in General Assembly resolution 1514 (XV), and other relevant resolutions. It also urged specialized agencies and organizations that had not yet provided assistance to Non‑Self‑Governing Territories to do so as soon as possible.
Acting without a vote, the Assembly then adopted the text “Offers of study and training for inhabitants of Non‑Self‑Governing Territories” (document A/72/455/L.6), by which it urged administering Powers to ensure the widespread and continuous dissemination of information relating to offers of study and training facilities, and to provide all facilities needed to enable students to avail themselves of such offers.
The Assembly also adopted, without a vote, a draft resolution on Western Sahara (document A/72/456/L.5), by which it called upon parties and States of the region to cooperate with the efforts of the Secretary‑General and his Personal Envoy to resolve the dispute over that Territory. It welcomed the parties’ commitment to working in an atmosphere propitious for dialogue, in order to enter into a more intensive phase of negotiations.
Acting again without a vote, the Assembly adopted a series of draft resolutions on the following individual Non‑Self‑Governing Territories: American Samoa, Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, French Polynesia, Montserrat, New Caledonia, Pitcairn, Saint Helena, Tokelau, Turks and Caicos Islands and the United States Virgin Islands (document A/72/456).
The General Assembly also took up a draft resolution on the question of Guam (document A/72/456/L.16), adopting it by a recorded vote of 93 in favour to 8 against (France, Iraq, Israel, Japan, Morocco, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States), with 65 abstentions. By that text, the Assembly stressed that the decolonization process in Guam should be compatible with the United Nations Charter, the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It called once again upon the administering Power to take into consideration the expressed will of Guam’s Chamorro people, as supported by Guam voters in the referendum of 1987, and as subsequently provided for in Guam law regarding Chamorro self‑determination efforts.
Further by that text, the Assembly encouraged the administering Power and the territorial government to begin negotiations on that matter, stressing the importance of apprising the Special Committee on Decolonization of the Guam people’s views and wishes, and of enhancing their understanding of their condition, including the nature and scope of existing political and constitutional arrangements between the Territory and the administering Power. Also by the text, the Assembly requested that the administering Power, in cooperation with the territorial government, continue to transfer land to the Territory’s original landowners, and continue to recognize and respect the political rights as well as the cultural and ethnic identity of Guam’s Chamorro people, and continue to take all measures necessary to address the territorial government’s concerns about the immigration question. The Assembly requested that the Territory and the administering Power protect and conserve the environment against degradation and the impact of militarization.
The General Assembly went on to adopt — by a recorded vote of 172 in favour to 3 against (Israel, United Kingdom, United States), with 2 abstentions (France, Togo) — the resolution “Dissemination of information on decolonization” (document A/72/456). By that text, the Assembly requested that the Department of Public Information continue its efforts to update Web‑based information on assistance programmes available to Non‑Self‑Governing Territories. It also requested that the Department, alongside the Department of Political Affairs, implement the recommendations of the Special Committee on Decolonization and continue their efforts through all available media.
Taking up the report titled “Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples” (document A/72/456), the Assembly adopted the draft resolution contained therein by a recorded vote of 128 in favour to 7 against (Australia, Côte d’Ivoire, Gabon, Israel, Morocco, United Kingdom, United States), with 40 abstentions. By its terms, the General Assembly urged administering Powers to effectively safeguard and guarantee the inalienable right of the peoples of Non‑Self‑Governing Territories to their natural resources, and to establish and maintain control over the future development of those resources. It called upon the administering Powers concerned to terminate military activities and eliminate military bases in the Non‑Self‑Governing Territories under their administration, in compliance with the relevant resolutions.
Acting without a vote, the General Assembly then adopted two draft decisions, the first being the “Question of Gibraltar” (document A/72/456/L.7),