77/136. Question of Bermuda
The
General Assembly,
Having
considered the question of Bermuda and 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 2022,[1]
Taking
note of the working paper prepared by the Secretariat on Bermuda[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 Bermuda 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, more than 60 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
Bermuda,
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 2030 and the plan of action for the International
Decades for the Eradication of Colonialism,[4]
Recognizing
that the specific characteristics and the aspirations of the people of Bermuda
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 international financial centres 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 Bermuda 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 Bermuda and to fulfil its mandate
effectively, it is important for it to be apprised by the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Northern Ireland as 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 Bermuda and to the Special Committee of the
participation of elected and appointed representatives of Bermuda 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 Bermuda 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 on the theme “Advancement of the Non‑Self-Governing
Territories through the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic and beyond”,
held by the Special Committee in Castries and hosted by the Government of Saint
Lucia from 11 to 13 May 2022, as a significant and forward-looking event, which
enabled the participants to assess progress made and address challenges faced
in the decolonization process, review the existing working methods of the
Committee and renew its commitment to implementing its historic task,
Recalling
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 2021–2030 as the Fourth International Decade for the Eradication
of Colonialism,[5]
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 Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States, the Pacific Islands Forum
and the agencies of the Council of Regional Organizations in the Pacific,
Noting
the statement made by a representative of the Government of Bermuda at the 2021
Caribbean regional seminar,[6]
Recalling
the dispatch of the United Nations special mission to Bermuda in 2005, at the
request of the territorial Government and with the concurrence of the
administering Power, which provided information to the people of the Territory
on the role of the United Nations in the process of self-determination, on the
legitimate political status options as clearly defined in General Assembly
resolution 1541 (XV) and on
the experiences of other small States that have achieved a full measure of
self-government,
Stressing
the importance of good governance, transparency and accountability in the
Territory,
Stressing
also the importance of regional ties for the development of a small island
Territory,
Recalling
the extension by the administering Power to Bermuda of the Convention on the
Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women[7] in March 2017,
Recalling
also the general elections that were held in October 2020,[8]
Recalling
further relevant resolutions adopted by the General Assembly in connection
with the COVID-19 pandemic,
1. Reaffirms the inalienable right of
the people of Bermuda 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 Bermuda, 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 Bermuda 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. Stresses the importance of the 2005
report of the Bermuda Independence Commission, which provides a thorough
examination of the facts surrounding independence, and continues to regret that
the plans for public meetings and the presentation of a Green Paper to the
House of Assembly followed by a White Paper outlining the policy proposals for
an independent Bermuda have so far not materialized;
5. Underlines the need further to
strengthen good governance, transparency and accountability in government for
the benefit of the Territory;
6. Requests the administering Power to
assist the Territory by facilitating its work concerning public educational
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;
7. Welcomes the active participation
of the Territory in the work of the Economic Commission for Latin America and
the Caribbean;
8. Stresses that the Territory should
continue to participate in the activities 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, including regional seminars,
in order to provide the Committee with up-to-date information regarding the
decolonization process;
9. Also stresses the importance of the
Special Committee being apprised of the views and wishes of the people of
Bermuda and enhancing its understanding of their conditions, including the
nature and scope of the existing political and constitutional arrangements
between Bermuda and the administering Power;
10. 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 Bermuda, and encourages the administering Power to
facilitate visiting and special missions to the Territory;
11. 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 economy of the Territory;
12. Takes into account the 2030 Agenda
for Sustainable Development,[9]
including the Sustainable Development Goals, 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 an
international financial centre, that are not aligned with the interest of the
people of the Territory;
13. 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;
14. Requests the Special Committee to
continue to examine the question of Bermuda and to report thereon to the
General Assembly at its seventy-eighth session and on the implementation of the
present resolution.
52nd plenary meeting
12 December 2022
[1] Official Records of the General Assembly,
Seventy-seventh Session, Supplement No. 23 (A/77/23).
[2] A/AC.109/2022/3.
[3] Resolution 1514 (XV).
[4] A/56/61,
annex.
[5] See resolution 75/123.
[6] Available at www.un.org/dppa/decolonization/en/c24/regional-seminars/2021.
[8] See A/AC.109/2021/3, para. 4.
[9] Resolution 70/1.
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