The United Nations (U.N.) Special Political and Decolonization Committee (Fourth Committee) has adopted its annual resolution in support of U.N. assistance to the remaining seventeen non self-governing territories. The resolution was adopted on 6th November by the specific General Assembly committee which deals with decolonization issues and is comprised of all 193 U.N. member States. The resolution is reproduced below:
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RESOLUTION ADOPTED BY U.N. FOURTH COMMITTEE
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
General Assembly,
Having
considered the item entitled “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”,
Having
also considered the report of the Secretary-General[1] and the report of the Economic and
Social Council[2]
on the item,
Having
examined 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 2020,[3]
Recalling
its resolutions 1514 (XV) of
14 December 1960 and 1541 (XV)
of 15 December 1960 and the resolutions of the Special Committee, as well
as other relevant resolutions and decisions, including, in particular, Economic
and Social Council resolutions 2018/18
of 3 July 2018 and 2019/27 of
23 July 2019,
Bearing
in mind the relevant provisions of the final documents of the successive Conferences
of Heads of State or Government of Non-Aligned Countries and of the resolutions
adopted by the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union,
the Pacific Islands Forum and the Caribbean Community,
Conscious
of the need to facilitate the implementation of the Declaration on the Granting
of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, contained in resolution 1514 (XV),
Noting
that the large majority of the remaining Non-Self-Governing Territories are
small island Territories,
Welcoming
the assistance extended to Non-Self-Governing Territories by certain
specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system,
Welcoming
also the participation in the capacity of observers of those
Non-Self-Governing Territories that are associate members of regional
commissions in the world conferences in the economic and social spheres,
subject to the rules of procedure of the General Assembly and in accordance
with relevant resolutions and decisions of the United Nations, including
resolutions and decisions of the Assembly and the Special Committee on specific
Territories,
Noting
that only some specialized agencies and other organizations of the United
Nations system have been involved in providing assistance to Non-Self-Governing
Territories,
Stressing that, because the development options of the small island
Non-Self-Governing Territories are limited, there are special challenges to
planning for and implementing sustainable development and that those
Territories will be constrained in meeting those challenges without the
continuing cooperation and assistance of the specialized agencies and other
organizations of the United Nations system,
Stressing
also the importance of securing the resources necessary for funding
expanded programmes of assistance for the peoples concerned and the need to
enlist the support of all major funding institutions within the United Nations
system in that regard,
Reaffirming
the mandates of the specialized agencies and other organizations of the United
Nations system to take all appropriate measures, within their respective
responsibilities, to ensure the full implementation of General Assembly
resolution 1514 (XV) and
other relevant resolutions,
Expressing
its appreciation to the African Union, the Pacific Islands Forum, the
Caribbean Community and other regional organizations for the continued
cooperation and assistance that they have extended to the specialized agencies
and other organizations of the United Nations system in this regard,
Expressing
its conviction that closer contacts and consultations between and among the
specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system and
regional organizations help to facilitate the effective formulation of
programmes of assistance to the peoples concerned,
Mindful
of the imperative need to keep under continuous review the activities of the
specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system in
the implementation of the various resolutions and decisions of the United
Nations relating to decolonization,
Bearing
in mind the extremely fragile economies of the small island
Non-Self-Governing Territories and their vulnerability to natural disasters,
such as hurricanes, cyclones and sea level rise, and recalling the relevant
resolutions of the General Assembly,
Recalling
its resolution 74/95 of 13 December 2019 on the
implementation of the Declaration by the specialized agencies and the
international institutions associated with the United Nations,
Recalling
also its resolutions 74/270 of 2 April 2020, entitled “Global
solidarity to fight the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)”, and 74/274 of 20 April 2020, entitled
“International cooperation to ensure global access to medicines, vaccines and
medical equipment to face COVID-19”,
1. Takes note of the report of the
Secretary-General;1
2. Recommends that all States
intensify their efforts through the specialized agencies and other
organizations of the United Nations system of which they are members to ensure
the full and effective implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of
Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, contained in General Assembly
resolution 1514 (XV), and
other relevant resolutions of the United Nations;
3. Reaffirms that the specialized
agencies and other organizations and institutions of the United Nations system
should continue to be guided by the relevant resolutions of the United Nations
in their efforts to contribute to the implementation of the Declaration and all
other relevant resolutions of the General Assembly;
4. Also reaffirms that the
recognition by the General Assembly, the Security Council and other United
Nations organs of the legitimacy of the aspirations of the peoples of the
Non-Self-Governing Territories to exercise their right to self-determination
entails, as a corollary, the extension of all appropriate assistance to those
peoples;
5. Expresses its appreciation to
those specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system
that have continued to cooperate with the United Nations and the regional and
subregional organizations in the implementation of General Assembly resolution 1514 (XV) and other relevant
resolutions of the United Nations, and requests all the specialized agencies
and other organizations of the United Nations system to implement the relevant
provisions of those resolutions;
6. Requests the specialized agencies
and other organizations of the United Nations system to intensify their
engagement with the work 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 as an important element for the implementation
of General Assembly resolution 1514
(XV), including participation in the regional seminars on decolonization,
upon the invitation of the Special Committee;
7. Requests the specialized agencies
and other organizations of the United Nations system and international and
regional organizations to examine and review conditions in each Territory so as
to take appropriate measures to accelerate progress in the economic and social
sectors of the Territories;
8. Urges those specialized agencies
and other organizations of the United Nations system that have not yet provided
assistance to Non-Self-Governing Territories to do so as soon as possible;
9. Requests the specialized agencies
and other organizations and institutions of the United Nations system and
regional organizations to strengthen existing measures of support and formulate
appropriate programmes of assistance for the remaining Non-Self-Governing
Territories, within the framework of their respective mandates, in order to
accelerate progress in the economic and social sectors of those Territories;
10. Requests the specialized agencies
and other organizations of the United Nations system concerned to provide
information on:
(a) Environmental problems facing the
Non-Self-Governing Territories;
(b) The impact of natural disasters, such as
hurricanes and volcanic eruptions, and other environmental problems, such as
beach and coastal erosion and droughts, on those Territories;
(c) Ways and means to assist the Territories to
fight drug trafficking, money-laundering and other illegal and criminal
activities;
(d) Illegal exploitation of the marine and
other natural resources of the Territories and the need to utilize those
resources for the benefit of the peoples of the Territories;
11. Recommends that the executive heads
of the specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations
system formulate, with the active cooperation of the regional organizations
concerned, concrete proposals for the full implementation of the relevant
resolutions of the United Nations and submit the proposals to their governing
and legislative organs;
12. Also recommends that the specialized
agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system continue to
review at the regular meetings of their governing bodies the implementation of
General Assembly resolution 1514
(XV) and other relevant resolutions of the United Nations;
13. Recalls the adoption by the Economic
Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean of its resolution 574 (XXVII) of
16 May 1998,[4]
calling for the necessary mechanisms for its associate members, including
Non-Self-Governing Territories, to participate in the special sessions of the
General Assembly, subject to the rules of procedure of the Assembly, to review
and assess the implementation of the plans of action of those United Nations world
conferences in which the Territories originally participated in the capacity of
observer, and in the work of the Economic and Social Council and its subsidiary
bodies;
14. Requests the Chair of the Special
Committee to deepen cooperation with the President of the Economic and Social
Council on the identical agenda items of both bodies on assistance to the
Non-Self-Governing Territories, through regular consultations, in accordance
with relevant resolutions on decolonization;
15. Recalls the publication by the
Department of Public Information and the Department of Political Affairs of the
Secretariat, in consultation with United Nations agencies, funds and programmes
and the Special Committee, of an information leaflet on assistance programmes
available to the Non-Self-Governing Territories, which was updated for the
United Nations website on decolonization, and requests its continued updating
and wide dissemination;
16. Welcomes the continuing efforts made
by the United Nations Development Programme in maintaining close liaison among
the specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system,
including the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean and the
Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, and in providing
assistance to the peoples of the Non-Self-Governing Territories;
17. Encourages the Non-Self-Governing
Territories to take steps to establish and/or strengthen disaster preparedness
and management institutions and policies, inter alia, with the assistance of
the relevant specialized agencies;
18. Requests the administering Powers
concerned to facilitate, when appropriate, the participation of appointed and
elected representatives of Non-Self-Governing Territories in the relevant
meetings and conferences of the specialized agencies and other organizations of
the United Nations system, in accordance with relevant resolutions and
decisions of the United Nations, including resolutions and decisions of the
General Assembly and the Special Committee on specific Territories, so that the
Territories may benefit from the related activities of those agencies and
organizations;
19. Recommends that all Governments
intensify their efforts through the specialized agencies and other
organizations of the United Nations system of which they are members to accord
priority to the question of providing assistance to the peoples of the
Non-Self-Governing Territories;
20. Requests the Secretary-General to
continue to assist the specialized agencies and other organizations of the
United Nations system in working out appropriate measures for implementing the
relevant resolutions of the United Nations and to prepare for submission to the
relevant bodies, with the assistance of those agencies and organizations, a
report on the action taken in implementation of the relevant resolutions,
including the present resolution, since the circulation of his previous report;
21. Commends the
Economic and Social Council for its debate on this question, and requests
it to continue to consider and intensify its cooperation with the Special
Committee, with the aim of developing appropriate measures for the further
coordination of the policies and activities of the specialized agencies and
other organizations of the United Nations system in implementing the relevant
resolutions of the General Assembly;
22. Requests the specialized agencies to
report annually to the Secretary-General on the implementation of the present
resolution;
23. Requests the Secretary-General to
transmit the present resolution to the governing bodies of the appropriate
specialized agencies and international institutions associated with the United
Nations so that those bodies may take the measures necessary to implement it,
and also requests the Secretary-General to report to the General Assembly at
its seventy-fifth session on the implementation of the present resolution;
24. Requests the Special Committee to
continue to examine the question and to report thereon to the General Assembly
at its seventy-sixth session.
[1] A/75/73.
[2] E/2020/52/Rev.1.
[3] Official Records of the
General Assembly, Seventy-fifth Session, Supplement No. 23 (A/75/23).
[4] See Official Records of the Economic and
Social Council, 1998, Supplement No. 21 (E/1998/41), sect. III.G.
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