UN Adopts 2011 Decolonisation Recommendations for Island Territories

UN General Assembly approves resolutions specific to Caribbean and Pacific Dependencies after some texts were amended by the UN Fourth Committee. 

 American Samoa

  

The United Nations Fourth Committee made the following changes to the recommended resolution of the Decolonisation Committee.

(a) Operative paragraph 1, which read:

“1. Welcomes the work of the territorial Government and legislature

with regard to the recommendations made by the Future Political Status Study

Commission in preparation for American Samoa’s fourth constitutional

convention, to be held in 2010 to address issues related to the future status of

American Samoa, and commends the efforts of the territorial Government to

enhance public awareness of the ongoing preparations for submitting

constitutional amendments”,

was replaced by:

“1. Takes note of the proposed amendments to the 1967 revised

Constitution of American Samoa adopted at the fourth Constitutional

Convention held in June 2010”;

(b) Operative paragraph 2, which read:

“2. Calls upon the administering Power to assist the Territory by

facilitating its work concerning the intention of holding the fourth

constitutional convention in 2010, if requested”,

was replaced by:

“2. Welcomes the work of the territorial Government and legislature in

accordance with the recommendations made by the Future Political Status

Study Commission in preparation for the fourth Constitutional Convention,

and commends the related efforts of the territorial Government to enhance

public awareness of the Convention”;

 The amended text of the resolution was adopted by the General Assembly as follows:

American Samoa

Taking note of the working paper prepared by the Secretariat on American

Samoa and other relevant information,

Aware that under United States law the Secretary of the Interior has

administrative jurisdiction over American Samoa,

Noting the position of the administering Power and the statements made by

representatives of American Samoa in regional seminars inviting the Special

Committee on the Situation with regard to the Implementation of the Declaration on

the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples to send a visiting

mission to the Territory,

Aware of the work of the Future Political Status Study Commission, completed

in 2006, the release of its report, with recommendations, in January 2007, and the

creation of the American Samoa Constitutional Review Committee in the Territory,

as well as the holding in June 2010 of American Samoa’s fourth Constitutional

Convention,

Noting, in that regard, the statement made by the Governor of American

Samoa at the Pacific regional seminar held in Nouméa from 18 to 20 May 2010, and

previous policy papers presented to the Special Committee, in which he stated that,

while the Territory’s status was akin to being self-governing, it was time to forge a

more collaborative approach between the Territory and the administering Power,

Acknowledging the indication by the territorial Government that the effects of

certain federal laws on the Territory’s economy are serious cause for concern,

Aware that American Samoa continues to be the only United States Territory to

receive financial assistance from the administering Power for the operations of the

territorial Government,

1. Takes note of the proposed amendments to the 1967 revised Constitution

of American Samoa adopted at the fourth Constitutional Convention held in June

2010;

2. Welcomes the work of the territorial Government and legislature in

accordance with the recommendations made by the Future Political Status Study

Commission in preparation for the fourth Constitutional Convention, and commends

the related efforts of the territorial Government to enhance public awareness of the

Convention;

3. Expresses appreciation for the invitation extended in 2010 to the Special

Committee on the Situation with regard to the Implementation of the Declaration on

the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples by the Governor of

American Samoa to send a visiting mission to the Territory, 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 steps

necessary to that end;

4. Requests the administering Power to assist the Territory by facilitating its

work concerning a public awareness programme recommended by the Future

Political Status Study Commission in its 2007 report, consistent with Article 73 b of

the Charter of the United Nations, and, in that regard, calls upon the relevant United

Nations organizations to provide assistance to the Territory, if requested;

5. Calls upon the administering Power to assist the territorial Government

in the diversification and sustainability of the economy of the Territory and to

address employment and cost-of-living issues;

Anguilla

The General Assembly adopted the following resolution on Anguilla:

Taking note of the working paper prepared by the Secretariat on Anguilla9 and

other relevant information,

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 of the representative of Anguilla at the Caribbean

regional seminar, held in Frigate Bay, Saint Kitts and Nevis, from 12 to 14 May

2009,

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, and the 2008 decision to set up a drafting

team consisting of territorial Government officials, members of the House of

Assembly and lawyers to draft a new constitution, as well as the presentation of the

draft constitution for public consultation in the Territory in 2009 and the expectation

that the draft text will be further discussed with the United Kingdom of Great

Britain and Northern Ireland in 2010, with the aim of seeking full internal

self-government,

Aware that the Government intends to continue its commitment to high-end

tourism and the implementation of various regulations in the financial services

sector,

Noting the participation of the Territory as an associate member in the

Caribbean Community, the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States and the

Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean,

1. Welcomes the presentation of a new constitution for public consultation

in 2009 with the aim of further discussing the new constitution with the

administering Power in 2010;

2. Requests the administering Power to assist the Territory in its current

efforts with regard to advancing the internal constitutional review exercise, if

requested;

3. Stresses the importance of the previously expressed desire of the

territorial Government for a visiting mission by the Special Committee, 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;

4. 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 of the United Nations, and, in this regard, calls upon the relevant United

Nations organizations to provide assistance to the Territory, if requested;

5. Calls upon the administering Power to assist the territorial Government

in strengthening its commitments in the economic domain, including fiscal matters;

 Bermuda

The General Assembly adopted the following resolution on Bermuda:

Taking note of the working paper prepared by the Secretariat on Bermuda10

and other relevant information,

Recalling the statement of the representative of Bermuda at the Caribbean

regional seminar, held in Frigate Bay, Saint Kitts and Nevis, from 12 to 14 May

2009,

Conscious of the different viewpoints of the political parties on the future

status of the Territory, and noting a recent survey by local media on the matter,

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,

1. 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;

2. 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 of the United Nations, and, in this regard, calls upon the relevant United

Nations organizations to provide assistance to the Territory, if requested;

British Virgin Islands

The General Assembly adopted the following resolution on the British Virgin Islands:

 Taking note of the working paper prepared by the Secretariat on the British

Virgin Islands and other relevant information,

Recalling the statement of the representative of the British Virgin Islands at the

Caribbean regional seminar, held in Frigate Bay, Saint Kitts and Nevis, from 12 to

14 May 2009,

Recalling also the 1993 report of the Constitutional Commissioners, the 1996

debate on the report in the Legislative Council of the Territory, the establishment of

the Constitutional Review Commission in 2004, the completion in 2005 of its report

providing recommendations on internal constitutional modernization and the debate

held in 2005 on the report in the Legislative Council, as well as the negotiations

between the administering Power and the territorial Government, which resulted in

the adoption of the new Constitution of the Territory in 2007,

Noting the view expressed in the aforementioned statement made by the

representative of the British Virgin Islands at the 2009 Caribbean regional seminar,

that, building on the conclusion of the recent internal constitutional modernization

exercise, the Territory’s focus was on economic development prior to any search for

independence,

Noting also the impact of the global economic slowdown on the Territory’s

financial and tourism services sectors,

Cognizant of the potential usefulness of regional ties for the development of a

small island Territory,

1. Recalls the new Constitution of the British Virgin Islands, which took

effect in June 2007, and stresses the importance of continued discussions on

constitutional matters;

2. Requests the administering Power to assist the Territory by facilitating its

work concerning public outreach efforts, consistent with Article 73 b of the Charter

of the United Nations, and, in that regard, calls upon the relevant United Nations

organizations to provide assistance to the Territory, if requested;

3. Welcomes the efforts made by the Territory to stimulate, including

through small business development, the two major segments of its economic base,

namely financial services and tourism;

Cayman Islands

The General Assembly adopted the following resolution on the Cayman Islands:

Taking note of the working paper prepared by the Secretariat on the Cayman

Islands and other relevant information,

Noting the statement made by the representative of the territorial Government

at the Pacific regional seminar held in Nouméa from 18 to 20 May 2010, which,

inter alia, indicated that, as affirmed during the general elections in May 2009, the

territorial Government had no mandate from the Territory’s people to pursue full

political independence,

Aware of the 2002 report of the Constitutional Modernization Review

Commission, which contained a draft constitution for the consideration of the

people of the Territory, the 2003 draft constitution offered by the administering

Power and the subsequent discussions between the Territory and the administering

Power in 2003, and the reopening of discussions between the administering Power

and the territorial Government on internal constitutional modernization, in 2006,

which resulted in the finalization of a new draft constitution in February 2009, its

subsequent acceptance by referendum in May 2009, and promulgation in November

2009,

Noting with interest the establishment, under the new Constitution, of a

Constitutional Commission, which serves as an advisory body on constitutional

matters,

Noting the participation of the Territory as an associate member of the

Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean,

Acknowledging the indication by the territorial Government that certain

economic growth and cost-of-living issues, such as inflation, continue to be cause

for concern,

1. Welcomes the promulgation of a new Constitution in November 2009,

and the appointment of Commissioners of the new Constitutional Commission by

the Governor, in consultation with the Premier and the Leader of the Opposition;

2. Requests the administering Power to assist the Territory by facilitating its

work concerning public awareness outreach efforts, consistent with Article 73 b of

the Charter of the United Nations, and, in this regard, calls upon the relevant United

Nations organizations to provide assistance to the Territory, if requested;

3. Welcomes the efforts made by the territorial Government to address

sectoral management policies and cost-of-living issues in various economic sectors;

 Guam

The General Assembly adopted the following resolution on Guam:

 Taking note of the working paper prepared by the Secretariat on Guam and

other relevant information,

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,

Recalling that, in a referendum held in 1987, the registered and eligible voters

of Guam endorsed a draft Guam Commonwealth Act that would establish a new

framework for relations between the Territory and the administering Power,

providing for a greater measure of internal self-government for Guam and

recognition of the right of the Chamorro people of Guam to self-determination for

the Territory,

Recalling also the previously expressed requests by the elected representatives

and non-governmental organizations of the Territory that Guam not be removed

from the list of the Non-Self-Governing Territories with which the Special

Committee is concerned, pending the self-determination of the Chamorro people

and taking into account their legitimate rights and interests,

Aware that negotiations between the administering Power and the territorial

Government on the draft Guam Commonwealth Act ended in 1997 and that Guam

has subsequently established a non-binding plebiscite process for a

self-determination vote by the eligible Chamorro voters,

Cognizant of the importance that the administering Power continues to

implement its programme of transferring surplus federal land to the Government of

Guam,

Noting that the people of the Territory have called for reform in the

programme of the administering Power with respect to the thorough, unconditional

and expeditious transfer of land property to the people of Guam,

Aware of the deep concerns expressed by civil society and others, including at

the meeting of the Special Political and Decolonization Committee of the General

Assembly in October 2009 and at the Pacific regional seminar held in Nouméa from

18 to 20 May 2010, regarding the potential social, cultural, economic and

environmental impacts of the impending transfer of additional military personnel of

the administering Power to the Territory,

Conscious that immigration into Guam has resulted in the indigenous

Chamorros becoming a minority in their homeland,

1. Calls once again upon the administering Power to take into consideration

the expressed will of the 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, encourages the administering Power and the

territorial Government to enter into negotiations on the matter, and stresses the need

for continued close monitoring of the overall situation in the Territory;

2. Requests the administering Power, in cooperation with the territorial

Government, to continue to transfer land to the original landowners of the Territory,

to continue to recognize and to respect the political rights and the cultural and ethnic

identity of the Chamorro people of Guam and to take all measures necessary to

address the concerns of the territorial Government with regard to the question of

immigration;

3. Also requests the administering Power to assist the Territory by

facilitating public outreach efforts, consistent with Article 73 b of the Charter of the

United Nations, and, in this regard, calls upon the relevant United Nations

organizations to provide assistance to the Territory, if requested;

4. Further requests the administering Power to cooperate in establishing

programmes for the sustainable development of the economic activities and

enterprises of the Territory, noting the special role of the Chamorro people in the

development of Guam;

Montserrat

The General Assembly adopted the following resolution on Montserrat:

 Taking note of the working paper prepared by the Secretariat on Montserrat15

and other relevant information,

Recalling the statement of the representative of Montserrat at the Caribbean

regional seminar, held in Frigate Bay, Saint Kitts and Nevis, from 12 to 14 May

2009,

Recalling also the 2002 report of the Constitutional Review Commission, the

convening of a committee of the House of Assembly in 2005 to review the report

and the subsequent discussions between the administering Power and the territorial

Government on internal constitutional advancement and devolution of power,

Recalling further that the negotiating process with the administering Power on

a draft constitution giving greater autonomy to the territorial Government is

ongoing, and that, since March 2009, the administering Power has accorded stronger

emphasis to the redevelopment of the Territory,

Noting that, in May 2010, the newly elected territorial Government continued

the process of negotiating constitutional reforms with the administering Power and a

draft constitution agreed between the two parties was published for public

consultation,

Aware that Montserrat continues to receive budgetary aid from the

administering Power for the operation of the territorial Government,

Recalling the statements made by participants at the 2009 Caribbean regional

seminar encouraging the administering Power to commit sufficient resources to

meet the Territory’s special needs,

Noting with concern the continued consequences of the 1995 volcanic

eruption, which led to the evacuation of three quarters of the Territory’s population

to safe areas of the island and to areas outside the Territory, which continues to have

enduring consequences for the economy of the island,

Acknowledging the continued assistance provided to the Territory by States

members of the Caribbean Community, in particular Antigua and Barbuda, which

has offered safe refuge and access to educational and health facilities, as well as

employment for thousands who have left the Territory,

Noting the continuing efforts of the administering Power and the territorial

Government to deal with the consequences of the volcanic eruption,

1. Welcomes the progress made by the territorial Government and the

administering Power on concluding the negotiations to reform the Constitution of

the Territory and welcomes the public consultation being undertaken;

2. Requests the administering Power to assist the Territory by facilitating its

work concerning public outreach efforts, consistent with Article 73 b of the Charter

of the United Nations, and, in this regard, calls upon the relevant United Nations

organizations to provide assistance to the Territory, if requested;

3. Calls upon the administering Power, the specialized agencies and other

organizations of the United Nations system, as well as regional and other

organizations, to continue to provide assistance to the Territory in alleviating the

consequences of the volcanic eruption;

 New Caledonia

At the 6th meeting, on 8 October, the representative of the Syrian Arab

Republic, in his capacity as Rapporteur of the Special Committee on (Decolonisation), orally revised the draft resolution adopted by the Special Committee entitled “Question of New Caledonia”,

(a) Operative paragraph 3, which read:

“3. Notes the relevant provisions of the Nouméa Accord aimed at

taking more broadly into account the Kanak identity in the political and social

organization of New Caledonia, and welcomes, in this context, the adoption on

26 June 2008 by the Government of New Caledonia of a draft country law (loi

du pays) on the identity symbols to be adopted by the country in

implementation of the Nouméa Accord and the acceptance, on 21 October

2008, of the draft law on the anthem, motto and banknote design”,

was replaced by:

“3. Notes the relevant provisions of the Nouméa Accord aimed at

taking more broadly into account the Kanak identity in the political and social

organization of New Caledonia, and welcomes, in this context, the adoption on

18 August 2010 by the Government of New Caledonia of the law on the

anthem, motto and banknote designs”;

(b) Operative paragraph 21, which read:

“21. Recalls with satisfaction, in this regard, the participation of New

Caledonia at the 40th summit of the Pacific Islands Forum, held in Cairns,

Australia, on 5 and 6 August 2009, following its accession to the Forum as an

associate member in October 2006”,

was replaced by:

“21. Recalls with satisfaction, in this regard, the participation of New

Caledonia at the 41st summit of the Pacific Islands Forum, held in Port Vila on

4 and 5 August 2010, following its accession to the Forum as an associate

member in October 2006”.

The amended text of the resolution was adopted by the General Assembly as follows:

 Having considered the question of New Caledonia,

Having examined the 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 2010 relating to New

Caledonia,

Reaffirming the right of peoples to self-determination as enshrined in the

Charter of the United Nations,

Recalling General Assembly resolutions 1514 (XV) of 14 December 1960 and

1541 (XV) of 15 December 1960,

Noting the importance of the positive measures being pursued in New

Caledonia by the French authorities, in cooperation with all sectors of the

population, to promote political, economic and social development in the Territory,

including measures in the area of environmental protection and action with respect

to drug abuse and trafficking, in order to provide a framework for its peaceful

progress to self-determination,

Noting also, in this context, the importance of equitable economic and social

development, as well as continued dialogue among the parties involved in New

Caledonia in the preparation of the act of self-determination of New Caledonia,

Noting with satisfaction the intensification of contacts between New Caledonia

and neighbouring countries of the South Pacific region,

1. Welcomes the significant developments that have taken place in New

Caledonia since the signing of the Nouméa Accord on 5 May 1998 by the

representatives of New Caledonia and the Government of France;2

2. Urges all the parties involved, in the interest of all the people of New

Caledonia, to maintain, in the framework of the Nouméa Accord, their dialogue in a

spirit of harmony, and in this context welcomes the unanimous agreement, reached

in Paris on 8 December 2008, on the transfer of powers to New Caledonia in 2009

and the conduct of provincial elections in May 2009;

3. Notes the relevant provisions of the Nouméa Accord aimed at taking

more broadly into account the Kanak identity in the political and social organization

of New Caledonia, and welcomes, in this context, the adoption on 18 August 2010

by the Government of New Caledonia of the law on the anthem, the motto and

banknote designs;

4. Acknowledges those provisions of the Nouméa Accord relating to control

of immigration and protection of local employment, and notes that unemployment

remains high among Kanaks and that recruitment of foreign mine workers

continues;

5. Notes the concerns expressed by a group of indigenous people in New

Caledonia regarding their underrepresentation in the Territory’s governmental and

social structures;

6. Also notes the concerns expressed by representatives of indigenous

people regarding incessant migratory flows and the impact of mining on the

environment;

7. Takes note of the relevant provisions of the Nouméa Accord to the effect

that New Caledonia may become a member or associate member of certain

international organizations, such as international organizations in the Pacific region,

the United Nations, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural

Organization and the International Labour Organization, according to their

regulations;

8. Notes the agreement between the signatories to the Nouméa Accord that

the progress made in the emancipation process shall be brought to the attention of

the United Nations;

9. Recalls the fact that the administering Power invited to New Caledonia,

at the time the new institutions were established, a mission of information which

comprised representatives of countries of the Pacific region;

10. Notes the continuing strengthening of ties between New Caledonia and

both the European Union and the European Development Fund in such areas as

economic and trade cooperation, the environment, climate change and financial

services;

11. Calls upon the administering Power to continue to transmit to the

Secretary-General information as required under Article 73 e of the Charter of the

United Nations;

12. Invites all the parties involved to continue promoting a framework for the

peaceful progress of the Territory towards an act of self-determination in which all

options are open and which would safeguard the rights of all sectors of the

population, according to the letter and the spirit of the Nouméa Accord, which is

based on the principle that it is for the populations of New Caledonia to choose how

to control their destiny;

13. Recalls with satisfaction the efforts of the French authorities to resolve

the question of voter registration by adopting, in the French Congress of Parliament,

on 19 February 2007, amendments to the French Constitution allowing New

Caledonia to restrict eligibility to vote in local polls to those voters registered on the

1998 electoral rolls when the Nouméa Accord was signed, thus ensuring strong

representation of the Kanak population;

14. Welcomes all measures taken to strengthen and diversify the New

Caledonian economy in all fields, and encourages further such measures in

accordance with the spirit of the Matignon and Nouméa Accords;

15. Also welcomes the importance attached by the parties to the Matignon

and Nouméa Accords to greater progress in housing, employment, training,

education and health care in New Caledonia;

16. Notes the financial assistance rendered by the Government of France to

the Territory in areas such as health, education, payment of public-service salaries

and funding development schemes;

17. Acknowledges the contribution of the Melanesian Cultural Centre to the

protection of the indigenous Kanak culture of New Caledonia;

18. Notes the positive initiatives aimed at protecting the natural environment

of New Caledonia, including the “Zonéco” operation designed to map and evaluate

marine resources within the economic zone of New Caledonia;

19. Welcomes the cooperation among Australia, France and New Zealand in

terms of surveillance of fishing zones, in accordance with the wishes expressed by

France during the France-Oceania Summits in July 2003 and June 2006;

20. Acknowledges the close links between New Caledonia and the peoples of

the South Pacific and the positive actions being taken by the French and territorial

authorities to facilitate the further development of those links, including the

development of closer relations with the countries members of the Pacific Islands

Forum;

21. Recalls with satisfaction, in this regard, the participation of New

Caledonia at the 41st summit of the Pacific Islands Forum, held in Port Vila on

4 and 5 August 2010, following its accession to the Forum as an associate member

in October 2006;

22. Recalls the continuing high-level visits to New Caledonia by delegations

from countries of the Pacific region and high-level visits by delegations from New

Caledonia to countries members of the Pacific Islands Forum;

23. Welcomes the cooperative attitude of other States and Territories in the

region towards New Caledonia, its economic and political aspirations and its

increasing participation in regional and international affairs;

24. Recalls the endorsement of the report of the Forum Ministerial

Committee on New Caledonia by leaders of the Pacific Islands Forum at its 36th

Summit, held in Papua New Guinea in October 2005, and the continuing role of the

Forum Ministerial Committee in monitoring developments in the Territory and

encouraging closer regional engagements;

25. Welcomes the successful conclusion of the Pacific regional seminar 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,

held in Nouméa from 18 to 20 May 2010, and expresses its appreciation to the

people and Government of New Caledonia for hosting the seminar and to the

Government of France for its support in organizing it;

26. Decides to keep under continuous review the process unfolding in New

Caledonia as a result of the signing of the Nouméa Accord;

27. Requests the Special Committee to continue the examination of the

question of the Non-Self-Governing Territory of New Caledonia and to report

thereon to the General Assembly at its sixty-sixth session.

Pitcairn

The General Assembly adopted the following resolution on Pitcairn:

Taking note of the working paper prepared by the Secretariat on Pitcairn16 and

other relevant information,

Taking into account the unique character of Pitcairn in terms of population,

area and access,

Noting that, following consultations in 2009, the Pitcairn Constitution Order

2010, including human rights provisions, came into force in the Territory in March

2010, replacing the 1970 Pitcairn Order and 1970 Royal Instructions,

Aware that the administering Power and the territorial Government have

implemented a new governance structure to strengthen administrative capacity in

the Territory, based on consultations with the people of the Territory, and that

Pitcairn continues to receive budgetary aid from the administering Power for the

operation of the territorial Government,

1. Welcomes the entry into force of the Pitcairn Constitution Order 2010 in

the Territory in March 2010, featuring a new constitutional framework and human

rights provisions, and all efforts by the administering Power and the territorial

Government that would further devolve operational responsibilities to the Territory,

with a view to gradually expanding self-government, including through training of

local personnel;

2. Requests the administering Power to assist the Territory by facilitating its

work concerning public outreach efforts, consistent with Article 73 b of the Charter

of the United Nations, and, in this regard, calls upon the relevant United Nations

organizations to provide assistance to the Territory, if requested;

3. Also requests the administering Power to continue its assistance for the

improvement of the economic, social, educational and other conditions of the

population of the Territory and to continue its discussions with the territorial

Government on how best to support economic security in Pitcairn;

Saint Helena

The United Nations Fourth Committee made the following changes to the recommended resolution of the Decolonisation Committee:

(c) The eighth preambular paragraph, which read:

“Noting also the importance of improving the infrastructure and

accessibility of Saint Helena, and, in this regard, the administering Power’s

decision in December 2009 not to proceed with an airport project for the time

being, and to conduct further analysis, including options for funding the

capital cost of the airport through a public-private partnership”,

was replaced by:

“Noting also the importance of improving the infrastructure and

accessibility of Saint Helena, and, in this regard, the administering Power’s

announcement on 22 July 2010 about plans for building an airport on the

island of Saint Helena”;

(d) Operative paragraph 4, which read:

“4. Notes the decision by the administering Power to carry out further

analysis on building an airport in the Territory, and calls upon the

administering Power to take into account the unique geographical character of

Saint Helena in the process”,

was replaced by:

“4. Calls upon the administering Power to take into account the unique

geographical character of Saint Helena while resolving as soon as feasible any

outstanding issues related to the airport construction”;

The amended text of the resolution was adopted by the General Assembly as follows:

 Taking note of the working paper prepared by the Secretariat on Saint

Helena and other relevant information,

Recalling the statement of the representative of Saint Helena at the Caribbean

regional seminar, held in Frigate Bay, Saint Kitts and Nevis, from 12 to 14 May

2009,

Taking into account the unique character of Saint Helena in terms of its

population, geography and natural resources,

Noting the internal constitutional review process led by the territorial

Government since 2001, the completion of a draft constitution following

negotiations between the administering Power and the territorial Government in

2003 and 2004, the consultative poll with regard to a new Constitution, held in Saint

Helena in May 2005, the subsequent preparation of a revised draft constitution and

its publication in June 2008 for further public consultation, and the entry into force

of the new Constitution for Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha on

1 September 2009,

Aware that Saint Helena continues to receive budgetary aid from the

administering Power for the operation of the territorial Government,

Aware also of the efforts of the administering Power and the territorial

Government to improve the socio-economic conditions of the population of Saint

Helena, in particular in the areas of employment and transport and communications

infrastructure,

Noting the efforts of the Territory to address the problem of unemployment on

the island and the joint action of the administering Power and the territorial

Government in dealing with it,

Noting also the importance of improving the infrastructure and accessibility of

Saint Helena, and, in this regard, the administering Power’s announcement on

22 July 2010 about plans for building an airport on the island of Saint Helena,

1. Stresses the importance of the entry into force of the Territory’s new

Constitution in 2009;

2. Requests the administering Power to assist the Territory by facilitating its

work concerning public outreach efforts, consistent with Article 73 b of the Charter

of the United Nations, and, in that regard, calls upon the relevant United Nations

organizations to provide assistance to the Territory, if requested;

3. Requests the administering Power and relevant international

organizations to continue to support the efforts of the territorial Government to

address the Territory’s socio-economic development challenges, including

unemployment, and limited transport and communications infrastructure;

4. Calls upon the administering Power to take into account the unique

geographical character of Saint Helena while resolving as soon as feasible any

outstanding issues related to the airport construction;

 Tokelau

The General Assembly adopted the following resolution on Tokelau:

The General Assembly,

Having considered the question of Tokelau,

Having examined the 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 2010 relating to Tokelau,

Recalling its resolution 1514 (XV) of 14 December 1960, containing the

Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, and

all resolutions and decisions of the United Nations relating to Non-Self-Governing

Territories, in particular General Assembly resolution 64/103 of 10 December 2009,

Noting with appreciation the continuing exemplary cooperation of New

Zealand as the administering Power with regard to the work of the Special

Committee relating to Tokelau and its readiness to permit access by United Nations

visiting missions to the Territory,

Noting also with appreciation the collaborative contribution to the

development of Tokelau by New Zealand and the specialized agencies and other

organizations of the United Nations system, in particular the United Nations

Development Programme,

Noting that, as a small island Territory, Tokelau exemplifies the situation of

most remaining Non-Self-Governing Territories and that, as a case study pointing to

successful cooperation for decolonization, Tokelau has wider significance for the

United Nations as it seeks to complete its work in decolonization,

Recalling that New Zealand and Tokelau signed in November 2003 a

document entitled “Joint statement of the principles of partnership”, which sets out

the rights and responsibilities of the two partners,

Bearing in mind the decision of the General Fono at its meeting in November

2003, following extensive consultations undertaken in all three villages, to explore

formally with New Zealand the option of self-government in free association and its

decision in August 2005 to hold in February 2006 a referendum on selfdetermination

on the basis of a draft constitution for Tokelau and a draft treaty of

free association with New Zealand, and its subsequent decision to hold a further

referendum in October 2007,

1. Notes that Tokelau and New Zealand remain firmly committed to the

ongoing development of Tokelau for the long-term benefit of the people of Tokelau,

with particular emphasis on the further development of facilities on each atoll that

meet their current requirements;

2. Welcomes the progress made towards the devolution of power to the three

taupulega (village councils), in particular the delegation of the Administrator’s

powers to the three taupulega with effect from 1 July 2004 and the assumption by

each taupulega from that date of full responsibility for the management of all its

public services;

3. Recalls the decision of the General Fono in November 2003, following

extensive consultations in all three villages and a meeting of the Special Committee

on the Constitution of Tokelau, to explore formally with New Zealand the option of

self-government in free association, and the discussions subsequently held between

Tokelau and New Zealand pursuant to the decision of the General Fono;

4. Also recalls the decision of the General Fono in August 2005 to hold a

referendum on self-government on the basis of a draft constitution for Tokelau and a

draft treaty of free association with New Zealand, and notes the enactment by the

General Fono of rules for the referendum;

5. Further recalls that two referendums to determine the status of Tokelau,

held in February 2006 and October 2007, did not produce the two-thirds majority of

the valid votes cast required by the General Fono to change Tokelau’s status from

that of a Non-Self-Governing Territory under the administration of New Zealand;

6. Commends the professional and transparent conduct of both the February

2006 and the October 2007 referendums, monitored by the United Nations;

7. Acknowledges the decision of the General Fono that consideration of any

future act of self-determination by Tokelau will be deferred and that New Zealand

and Tokelau will devote renewed effort and attention to ensuring that essential

services and infrastructure on the atolls of Tokelau are enhanced and strengthened,

thereby ensuring an enhanced quality of life for the people of Tokelau;

8. Also acknowledges Tokelau’s adoption of its National Strategic Plan for

2010-2015;

9. Further acknowledges the ongoing and consistent commitment of New

Zealand to meeting the social and economic requirements of the people of Tokelau,

as well as the support and cooperation of the United Nations Development

Programme;

10. Acknowledges Tokelau’s need for continued support from the

international community;

11. Recalls with satisfaction the establishment and operation of the Tokelau

International Trust Fund to support the ongoing needs of Tokelau, and calls upon

Member States and international and regional agencies to contribute to the Fund and

thereby lend practical support to Tokelau in overcoming the problems of smallness,

isolation and lack of resources;

12. Welcomes the cooperative attitude of the other States and territories in the

region towards Tokelau, and their support for its economic and political aspirations

and its increasing participation in regional and international affairs;

13. Calls upon the administering Power and United Nations agencies to

continue to provide assistance to Tokelau as it further develops;

14. Welcomes the actions taken by the administering Power to transmit

information regarding the political, economic and social situation of Tokelau to the

Secretary-General;

15. Also welcomes the commitment of both Tokelau and New Zealand to

continue to work together in the interests of Tokelau and its people;

16. Requests the Special Committee on the Situation with regard to the

Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial

Countries and Peoples to continue to examine the question of the Non-Self-

Governing Territory of Tokelau and to report thereon to the General Assembly at its

sixty-sixth session.

Turks and Caicos Islands

The United Nations Fourth Committee made the following changes to the recommended resolution of the Decolonisation Committee:

(e) The seventh preambular paragraph, which read:

“Noting with concern the suspension of the elected territorial Government of

the Territory”,

was replaced by:

“Noting the postponement of elections in the Territory”;

(f) The position of operative paragraphs 1 and 2 was reversed;

(g) At the end of operative paragraph 3 the following words were inserted:

 “and notes also the view expressed by the administering Power not to postpone elections any longer than necessary”

(h) Operative paragraph 4, which read:

“4. Stresses the importance of putting in place for the Territory a

Constitution that reflects the aspirations and wishes of the people of the Territory,

based on the work of the Constitutional Commission, the Turks and Caicos forum

and other mechanisms for popular consultation”,

was replaced by:

“4. Also notes the extensive public consultations undertaken by the

Constitutional and Electoral Reform Adviser and the continued debate on

constitutional and electoral reform within the Territory, and stresses the

importance of participation by all groups and interested parties in the

consultation process”;

 (i) A new operative paragraph 5 was inserted, reading:

“5. Stresses further the importance of having in place in the Territory a

Constitution that reflects the aspirations and wishes of the people of the

Territory, based on the mechanisms for popular consultation”;

(j) Existing operative paragraphs 5 and 6 were renumbered as operative

Paragraphs  6 and 7.

 The amended text of the resolution was adopted by the General Assembly as follows:

Taking note of the working paper prepared by the Secretariat on the Turks and

Caicos Islands and other relevant information,

Recalling the statement of the representative of the Turks and Caicos Islands at

the Caribbean regional seminar, held in Frigate Bay, Saint Kitts and Nevis, from

12 to 14 May 2009,

Recalling also the dispatch of the United Nations special mission to the Turks

and Caicos Islands in 2006, at the request of the territorial Government and with the

concurrence of the administering Power,

Recalling further the 2002 report of the Constitutional Modernization Review

Body, and acknowledging the Constitution agreed between the administering Power

and the territorial Government, which entered into force in 2006,

Noting the administering Power’s decision to suspend parts of the 2006

Constitution of the Turks and Caicos Islands, covering the constitutional right to

trial by jury, ministerial Government, and the House of Assembly, following the

recommendations of an independent Commission of Inquiry and the ruling of the

administering Power’s Court of Appeal,

Acknowledging the impact that the global economic slowdown and other

relevant developments have had on tourism and related real estate development, the

mainstays of the Territory’s economy,

Noting the postponement of elections in the Territory,

1. Notes with concern the ongoing situation in the Turks and Caicos Islands,

and also notes the efforts of the administering Power to restore good governance and

sound financial management in the Territory;

2. Calls for the restoration of constitutional arrangements providing for

representative democracy through elected territorial Government as soon as

possible;

3. Notes the positions and repeated calls of the Caribbean Community and

the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries for the restoration of democratically

elected territorial Government as a matter of urgency and notes also the view

expressed by the administering Power not to postpone elections any longer than

necessary;

4. Also notes the extensive public consultations undertaken by the

Constitutional and Electoral Reform Adviser and the continued debate on

constitutional and electoral reform within the Territory, and stresses the importance

of participation by all groups and interested parties in the consultation process;

5. Stresses further the importance of having in place in the Territory a

Constitution that reflects the aspirations and wishes of the people of the Territory,

based on the mechanisms for popular consultation;

6. Requests the administering Power to assist the Territory by facilitating its

work concerning public outreach efforts, consistent with Article 73 b of the Charter

of the United Nations, and, in that regard, calls upon the relevant United Nations

organizations to provide assistance to the Territory, if requested;

7. Welcomes the continuing efforts made by the Government addressing the

need for attention to be paid to the enhancement of socio-economic development

across the Territory;

United States Virgin Islands

The text of the resolution was adopted by the General Assembly as follows:

 Taking note of the working paper prepared by the Secretariat on the United

States Virgin Islands and other relevant information,

Aware that under United States law the relations between the territorial

Government and the federal Government in all matters not the programme

responsibility of another federal department or agency are under the general

administrative supervision of the Secretary of the Interior

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 for review and action,

Cognizant also of the potential usefulness of regional ties for the development

of a small island Territory,

1. 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 ongoing

internal Constitutional Convention exercise;

2. 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;

3. 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 of the United Nations, and, in this regard, calls upon the

relevant United Nations organizations to provide assistance to the Territory, if

requested;

4. 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.

CARICOM Secretary General Calls for Restoration of Elected Government in Turks & Caicos Islands

Press Release 513/2010


CARICOM SG CALLS FOR UK’S RESTORATION OF CONSTITUTIONAL GOVERNMENT IN TCI

(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) His Excellency Edwin Carrington, Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretary-General on Friday sent out a call to the United Kingdom (UK), through its newly accredited Plenipotentiary Representative, His Excellency Paul Brummell, for the restoration of constitutional government in the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Speaking on 10 December from the Georgetown, Guyana Headquarters of the CARICOM Secretariat, Sir Edwin said that the Community saw the UK’s imposition of indefinite direct rule in that Associate Member of the Community as being “totally at odds with the development of good governance, including improved fiscal and administrative management, in the Turks and Caicos Islands.”

“CARICOM contends that those objectives of Her Majesty’s Government cannot be met by the continued effective disenfranchisement of the Turks and Caicos Islanders or by the denial of their inalienable right to shape their own future.”

For this reason, he said that CARICOM looked forward to the restoration by the UK’s new administration of the “islanders’ full franchise.”

The Secretary-General noted that the Community and the UK had benefited over the years, from “frank and open dialogue” and had “co-operated constructively” in defence of common values such as good governance, democracy; respect for the rule of law and for the basic, inalienable rights of all peoples.

“We must strive to remain guardians of these all too fragile and important tenets of modern civilization. It is in all of our interests,” Sir Edwin said.

The CARICOM Secretary-General said that the 7th meeting of the CARICOM-UK Forum due to be held in 2011 in Grenada, the first meeting between CARICOM Foreign Ministers and new Foreign Secretary of the UK, the Honourable William Hague, should be a “most fruitful opportunity” for the strengthening of UK-Caribbean relations.

Netherlands MPs Want More Control over Dutch 'Autonomous' Countries in the Caribbean

Dutch MPs want stricter control of new countries

by The Daily Herald

THE HAGUE - Members of the Dutch Parliament's Second Chamber have presented several motions seeking to force the Dutch government to keep a close watch on countries Curaçao and St. Maarten. The motions were submitted during the handling of the 2011 draft budget for Kingdom Relations last week Thursday.

One motion of the Party for Freedom (PVV), Christian Democratic Party (CDA) and the Liberal Democratic (VVD) party calls for the Dutch cabinet to do everything in its power to guarantee that the Committee for Financial Supervision (CFT) can properly execute its task to monitor the finances of countries Curaçao and St. Maarten. Monitoring should prevent the Netherlands from ever having to pay the debts of the islands again.

Together, PVV, CDA and VVD have a majority in the Dutch Parliament. CDA and VVD together form the cabinet, which is supported by PVV. Several opposition parties may very well support the motion when it comes to voting tomorrow, Tuesday, along with 10 others. Parties have expressed concerns about the financial management of Curaçao and St. Maarten.

Member of Parliament (MP) Hero Brinkman (PVV) stated last week that he was worried about actions by the new countries to "undermine" the financial supervision legislation that was approved in the Second and First Chambers earlier this year.

"This motion explicitly states that this cabinet has to make sure that CFT can do its work in such a way that we never again have to pick up the tab. I want to be informed every six months if debts are created. If a situation looms whereby the islands can't afford the interest on those debts, I want to be informed and I want action taken under the guarantee function," said Brinkman, explaining the reasons for his motion during the budget debate, late Thursday night.

MP Martijn van Dam of the Labour Party PvdA submitted a motion calling for the Dutch cabinet to report on the political and governmental developments in Curaçao and St. Maarten since acquiring country status on October 10 this year. Van Dam wants this report around January 10, 2011.

Dutch Minister of Home Affairs and Kingdom Relations Piet Hein Donner said he was willing to comply with Van Dam's motion if the date of reporting was delayed by two weeks. Donner explained that he would be visiting the islands from January 10 to 15.

Van Dam's motion speaks of a "worrisome" situation in Curaçao and St. Maarten, where principles of good governance were probably being violated. The motion states that the new countries have indicated that they want to get out of the agreements that were made with the Netherlands and that the islands have tried to circumvent the Kingdom Consensus Laws and financial supervision.

MP Ronald van Raak of the Socialist Party (SP) submitted a motion requesting government to draft a position paper on the guarantee function of the Kingdom government as stated in Article 43 of the (Kingdom) Charter. Several other parties, including CDA, VVD and PVV, want this included in a broader position paper on the Kingdom that government will be presented with early next year.

MP Ineke van Gent of the green left party GroenLinks, along with Van Dam, Van Raak and Wassila Hachchi of Democrats D66, submitted a motion to make the Minister of Home Affairs and Kingdom Relations the contact person for the Dutch special municipalities Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba.

Van Gent, Hachchi, Van Dam and Cynthia Ortega-Martijn of the Christian Union (CU) submitted a motion requesting government to draft a plan of approach aimed at developing future perspectives for pregnant, teenage girls and young, single mothers in Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba. Parliament doesn't want pregnant, teenage girls to be dismissed from school on the islands.

Ortega-Martijn, Hachchi, Van Dam, Van Gent, Van Raak and Van Bochove presented a motion calling on government to establish a temporary facility to make it possible to exchange the Antillean guilder in the European part of the Netherlands. Exchange offices and commercial banks in the Netherlands no longer accept the Antillean guilder. Parliament considers it incorrect that citizens weren't informed of this in a timely manner.

China Leases Petroleum Storage Facility in St. Eustatius

China's refinery deal helps Cuba's oil exploration

China.org.cn

It was announced this week that China's National Petroleum Corporation had signed a US$6 billion agreement for an oil refinery important to Cuba's drilling explorations.


The refinery, located in Cienfuegos province, is jointly owned by Cuba and Venezuela. Caribbean analysts see the latest Chinese investment in Cuba as another example of the increasing role China has been playing of late in the search for oil in Latin America and the Caribbean.

In the past two years, Chinese investments have also financed energy projects and formed joint ventures in Venezuela, Brazil and Ecuador.

In addition, China has leased a petroleum storage facility on St Eustatius in the Netherland Antilles,  * the Dutch-speaking Caribbean islands.

There have also been reports in the Caribbean and US press that China's national oil corporation has been having talks with the Texas-based refining giant, Valero, about purchasing its refinery on Aruba, another Dutch island. But these China initiatives are only a few of the many being undertaken in the Caribbean and Latin America by international oil giants and rising oil companies.

In the Dutch Antilles, the US-based Hess Oil Corporation and Venezuela's national oil company Petroven jointly run a major oil facility in Curacao, the main island in the Dutch chain.

In the English-speaking Caribbean, oil-rich Trinidad & Tobago continues to extend and expand its exploration and extraction activities as researchers start to warn that reserves could start dwindling.

Guyana, in South America, has had many exploratory initiatives over the past two decades, including one by Chevron-Texaco, none yielding positive results.

But earlier this month English-speaking Guyana and neighboring Dutch-speaking Suriname – South American mainland-based Caribbean Community (Caricom) member-states that have had battles over rights to oil in waters shared by them – both announced new developments in their respective petroleum sectors.

Guyana announced that a Canadian company, CGX, had teamed up with Spanish oil giant Repsol, to form a consortium to begin exploring for oil this month in the Guyana-Surinam basin.CGX had launched a similar exploration exercise back in 2000, but was chased by sea pirates and bandits.

Surinam announced last week that it will soon start receiving oil from Venezuela as part of its PetroCaribe initiative, through which the oil-rich, Spanish-speaking South American and Caribbean state already delivers petroleum to most Caricom states with preferential prices and treatment.

Meanwhile, with world petroleum prices rising constantly and reserves dwindling in traditional source countries, Latin American and Caribbean nations have been increasing their searches for new sources of oil.

But they are also investing more time, energy and resources in similar searches for alternative sources of energy. In many cases, investment have been made in Caribbean territories in harnessing solar and wind energy, as well as hydroelectricity.

China recently signed a multi-billion-dollar deal to finance a major hydroelectricity project in Guyana.
In St. Lucia, a small US-based company, Qualibou, says it has found more potential power than it earlier thought at the island's active volcanic west coast Sulphur Springs and is now seeking capital to fund exploration. St. Lucia also earlier this year signed an agreement with a small Canada-based entity, Elementa Group and Island Green Energy of Sault Ste. Marie, to generate power from municipal waste.

* Editors Note: The Netherlands Antilles ceased to exist on 10th October 2010 and St. Eustatius has become a partially-integrated 'public entity' of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

U.S. President Endorses UN Indigenous Declaration

Further detail on nature of US support to follow.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release December 16, 2010

Remarks by the President at the White House Tribal Nations Conference

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. Everybody please be seated. Thank you.

Thank you, Fawn, for that wonderful introduction. Thanks to all of you. It is wonderful to be with you here today.

I see a lot of friends, a lot of familiar faces in the house. I want to thank all the tribal leaders who have traveled here for this conference. And I also want to recognize all the wonderful members of Congress who are here, as well as members of my Cabinet, including Secretary Salazar, who is doing terrific work here at Interior on behalf of the First Americans and on behalf of all Americans. So thank you very much, everybody. (Applause.)

Yesterday, I had the chance to meet with several tribal leaders at the White House, continuing a conversation that began long before I was President. And while I’m glad to have the opportunity to speak with you this morning, I’m also very eager to see the results of today’s meeting. I want to hear more from you about how we can strengthen the relationship between our governments, whether in education or health care, or in fighting crime or in creating jobs.

And that’s why we’re here today. That’s a promise I’ve made to you. I remember, more than two years ago, in Montana, I visited the Crow Nation -- one of the many times I met with tribal leaders on the campaign trail. You may know that on that trip, I became an adopted Crow Indian. My Crow name is “One Who Helps People Throughout the Land.” (Applause.) And my wife, when I told her about this, she said, “You should be named ‘One Who Isn’t Picking Up His Shoes and His Socks’.” (Laughter.)

Now -- but I like the first name better. And I want you to know that I’m working very hard to live up to that name.

What I said then was that as President I would make sure that you had a voice in the White House. (Applause.) I said that so long as I held this office, never again would Native Americans be forgotten or ignored. (Applause.) And over the past two years, my administration, working hand in hand with many of you, has strived to keep that promise. And you’ve had strong partners in Kim Teehee, my senior advisor for Native American issues, and Jodi Gillette, in our Intergovernmental Affairs office. You can give them a big round of applause. They do outstanding work. (Applause.)

Last year, we held the largest gathering of tribal leaders in our history. And at that conference -- you remember, most of you were there -- I ordered every Cabinet agency to promote more consultation with the tribal nations. Because I don’t believe that the solutions to any of our problems can be dictated solely from Washington. Real change depends on all of us doing our part.

So over the past year my administration has worked hard to strengthen the relationship between our nations. And together, we have developed a comprehensive strategy to help meet the challenges facing Native American communities.

Our strategy begins with the number one concern for all Americans right now -- and that’s improving the economy and creating jobs. We’ve heard time and again from tribal leaders that one of the keys to unlocking economic growth on reservations is investments in roads and high-speed rail and high-speed Internet and the infrastructure that will better connect your communities to the broader economy. That’s essential for drawing capital and creating jobs on tribal lands. So to help spur the economy, we’ve boosted investment in roads throughout the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Indian Reservation Road Program, and we’ve offered new loans to reach reservations with broadband.

And as part of our plan to revive the economy, we’ve also put billions of dollars into pressing needs like renovating schools. We’re devoting resources to job training -- especially for young people in Indian Country who too often have felt like they don’t have a chance to succeed. And we’re working with you to increase the size of tribal homelands in order to help you develop your economies.

I also want to note that I support legislation to make clear -- in the wake of a recent Supreme Court decision -- that the Secretary of Interior can take land into trust for all federally recognized tribes. (Applause.) That’s something that I discussed yesterday with tribal leaders.

We’re also breaking down bureaucratic barriers that have prevented tribal nations from developing clean energy like wind and solar power. It’s essential not just to your prosperity, but to the prosperity of our whole country. And I’ve proposed increasing lending to tribal businesses by supporting community financial institutions so they can finance more loans. It is essential in order to help businesses expand and hire in areas where it can be hard to find credit.

Another important part of our strategy is health care. We know that Native Americans die of illnesses like diabetes, pneumonia, flu -- even tuberculosis -- at far higher rates than the rest of the population. Make no mistake: These disparities represent an ongoing tragedy. They’re cutting lives short, causing untold pain and hardship for Native American families. And closing these gaps is not just a question of policy, it’s a question of our values -- it’s a test of who we are as a nation.

Now, last year, at this conference, tribal leaders talked about the need to improve the health care available to Native Americans, and to make quality insurance affordable to all Americans. And just a few months later, I signed health reform legislation into law, which permanently authorizes the Indian Health Care Improvement Act -- permanently. (Applause.) It’s going to make it possible for Indian tribes and tribal organizations to purchase health care for their employees, while making affordable coverage available to everybody, including those who use the Indian Health Service -- that’s most American Indians and native -- Alaska Natives. So it’s going to make a huge difference.

Of course, there are few steps we can take that will make more of a difference for the future of your communities than improving education on tribal lands. We’ve got to improve the education we provide to our children. That’s the cornerstone on which all of our progress will be built. We know that Native Americans are far more likely to drop out of high school and far less likely to go to college. That not only damages the prospects for tribal economies; it’s a heartbreaking waste of human potential. We cannot afford to squander the promise of our young people. Your communities can’t afford it, and our country can’t afford it. And we are going to start doing something about it. (Applause.)

We’re rebuilding schools on tribal lands while helping to ensure that tribes play a bigger role in determining what their children learn. We’re working to empower parents with more and better options for schools for their kids -- as well as with support programs that actually work with Indian parents to give them a real voice in improving education in your communities.

We’re also working to improve the programs available to students at tribal colleges. Students who study at tribal colleges are much less likely to leave college without a degree and the vast majority end up in careers serving their tribal nation. And these schools are not only helping to educate Native Americans; they’re also helping to preserve rich but often endangered languages and traditions. I’d also like to point out last year I signed historic reforms that are increasing student aid and making college loans more affordable. That’s especially important to Native Americans struggling to pay for a college degree. (Applause.)

Now, all these efforts -- improving health care, education, the economy -- ultimately these efforts will not succeed unless all of our communities are safe places to grow up and attend school and open businesses and where people are not living under the constant threat of violence and crime. And that threat remains real, as crime rates in Indian Country are anywhere from twice to 20 times the national average. That’s a sobering statistics -- represents a cloud over the future of your communities.

So the Justice Department, under the leadership of Eric Holder, is working with you to reform the way justice is done on Indian reservations. And I was proud to sign the Tribal Law and Order Act into law, which is going to help tribes combat drug and alcohol abuse, to have more access to criminal databases, and to gain greater authority to prosecute and punish criminals in Indian Country. That’s important. (Applause.)

We’ve also resolved a number of longstanding disputes about the ways that our government has treated -- or in some cases mistreated -- folks in Indian Country, even in recent years. We’ve settled cases where there were allegations of discrimination against Native American farmers and ranchers by the Department of Agriculture. And after a 14-year battle over the accounting of tribal resources in the Cobell case, we reached a bipartisan agreement, which was part of a law I signed just a week ago. We’re very proud of that and I want to thank all the legislators who helped make that happen. (Applause.)

This will put more land in the hands of tribes to manage or otherwise benefit their members. This law also includes money to settle lawsuits over water rights for seven tribes in Arizona, Montana and New Mexico -- and it creates a scholarship fund so more Native Americans can afford to go to college.

These cases serve as a reminder of the importance of not glossing over the past or ignoring the past, even as we work together to forge a brighter future. That’s why, last year, I signed a resolution, passed by both parties in Congress, finally recognizing the sad and painful chapters in our shared history -- a history too often marred by broken promises and grave injustices against the First Americans. It’s a resolution I fully supported -- recognizing that no statement can undo the damage that was done; what it can do is help reaffirm the principles that should guide our future. It’s only by heeding the lessons of our history that we can move forward.

And as you know, in April, we announced that we were reviewing our position on the U.N. Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. And today I can announce that the United States is lending its support to this declaration. (Applause.)


The aspirations it affirms -- including the respect for the institutions and rich cultures of Native peoples -- are one we must always seek to fulfill. And we’re releasing a more detailed statement about U.S. support for the declaration and our ongoing work in Indian Country. But I want to be clear: What matters far more than words -- what matters far more than any resolution or declaration -– are actions to match those words. And that’s what this conference is about. (Applause.) That’s what this conference is about. That’s the standard I expect my administration to be held to.

So we’re making progress. We’re moving forward. And what I hope is that we are seeing a turning point in the relationship between our nations. The truth is, for a long time, Native Americans were implicitly told that they had a choice to make. By virtue of the longstanding failure to tackle wrenching problems in Indian Country, it seemed as though you had to either abandon your heritage or accept a lesser lot in life; that there was no way to be a successful part of America and a proud Native American.

But we know this is a false choice. To accept it is to believe that we can’t and won’t do better. And I don’t accept that. I know there is not a single person in this room who accepts that either. We know that, ultimately, this is not just a matter of legislation, not just a matter of policy. It’s a matter of whether we’re going to live up to our basic values. It’s a matter of upholding an ideal that has always defined who we are as Americans. E pluribus unum. Out of many, one.

That’s why we’re here. That’s what we’re called to do. And I’m confident that if we keep up our efforts, that if we continue to work together, that we will live up to the simple motto and we will achieve a brighter future for the First Americans and for all Americans.

So thank you very much. God bless you. Thank you. (Applause.)

New Zealand Government Urges Peace On Rapa Nui (Easter Island)

Voxyco.nz

Voxy News Engine Wednesday,
Wellington,  NZPA

The New Zealand Government has urged those involved in violent clashes over a land dispute on Easter Island in the South Pacific to find a peaceful resolution.

Dozens of people were wounded on the island earlier this month when Chilean police tried to evict the indigenous Polynesian residents of Rapa Nui from the buildings they had been squatting in for several months.

"The New Zealand Government urges the parties to find a peaceful resolution to this matter, and will convey that view to the parties as appropriate," Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully said in Parliament today. About 2200 of the island's 5000 residents are Rapa Nui, and many fear a recent tourism boom on the island will force them out.

Fearing that the Chilean government, which annexed the island in 1888, wanted to turn the land into a sort of tourist attraction, a number of Rapa Nui seized properties in August, saying they were illegally taken from their families generations ago.

Mr McCully, replying to questions from Maori Party MP Hone Harawira, said the Government of Chile took the view that it had acted to try to maintain law and order. "I was delighted to see the statement of President [Sebastian] Pinera in recent days that he hoped the land claim could be settled in a peaceful and harmonious manner, through dialogue," Mr McCully said.

"I understand that sentiment has been reciprocated by some of the protestors, and that some progress, accordingly, is being made."

Pueblo Rapa Nui Denuncia Desalojos Ilegales

Especial a Overseas Terriories Review


Comunicador

Hanga Roa.- Cientos de policías fuertemente armados acordonaron este jueves el centro de Hanga Roa impidiendo el paso a isleños y turistas que no podían entender tamaño despliegue de fuerza. La razón: estaban resguardando las formalizaciones que el fiscal Guillermo Felipe estaba haciendo contra cinco isleños por los supuestos delitos de usurpación de morada. Se trata de Remigio Pakarati Tuki, Yudy Hey Brown, José Figueroa Riroroco, Ramón Gustavo Hey y Juan Tuki Atán, quienes ocupan propiedades –que reclaman como suyas- en el centro cívico de Hanga Roa.

El juez Bernardo Toro decretó, como medida cautelar para los cinco, no aproximarse a 500 metros de las viviendas que ocupan. Esto les imposibilita acercarse a sus moradas y lugares de trabajo que están todas en el centro.

Cuando los policías en compañía del fiscal fueron a la casa de Yudy Hey, esta salió junto a otras tres personas formalizadas, quedando otros miembros de la familia resguardando la propiedad recuperada. Pero Carabineros, excediendo las atribuciones entregadas por la Fiscalía, ingresó por los muros al interior de la propiedad: desalojándola. A pesar de los reclamos de los afectados, la ilegalidad y el abuso se consumó.

Lola Tuki expresó a Prensa Rapa Nui su espanto ante la gran cantidad de policías que invaden la Isla. Dijo que “en la Isla nunca se había visto eso”. Lola cuenta que la Policía “cada veinte metros nos revisa. No nos dejan cruzar la calle por donde queremos”. Nos preguntan que estamos haciendo, que para donde vamos. Esto es mucho peor que la dictadura”.

Carabineros estaba provisto con cámaras de video. E intentaba impedir que se sacaran fotos e hicieran filmaciones de su accionar.

Los jefes de clanes y otras autoridades del Pueblo Rapa Nui, como el Parlamento, se encuentran reunidos con el fin de reaccionar a los abusos cometidos.

Nadie entiende en la isla, en Chile y en el mundo entero cómo se cometen este tipo de atropellos contra un pueblo originario que reclama con justa razón, que los terrenos en los cuales siempre vivieron ellos y sus antesapados, les pertenecen, son sus derechos ancestrales, sentido de pertenenecia y propiedad que el Estado de Chile debiese comprender, promoviendo instancias de diáologo y no de represión y altanería como lo ha estado haciendo.

EL ATENEO Celebrará los 115 años de la Bandera Puertorriqueña

Para mayor gloria de la Patria

ATENEO PUERTORRIQUEÑO
COMUNICADO DE PRENSA

Acto será dedicado al Movimiento Estudiantil.

El nuevo Presidente electo del Ateneo Puertorriqueño, el Dr. José Milton Soltero Ramírez y su Junta de Gobierno, invitan a toda la comunidad puertorriqueña a la celebración de los 115 años de la Bandera Puertorriqueña.

Como es ya tradición en la Docta Casa del Ateneo, el magno acto del izado de la Bandera Nacional se dedica a alguien destacado precisamente en la lucha por su afirmación y su defensa. Es por esta razón que el Ateneo Puertorriqueño dedicará este año sus actos al Movimiento Estudiantil de la Universidad de Puerto Rico.

Para el Ateneo Puertorriqueño, el Movimiento Estudiantil de la Universidad de Puerto Rico, a lo largo de sus más de 80 años de continua defensa de la autonomía universitaria y de la educación pública y gratuita en la Nación, ha demostrado cabalmente ser un fiero defensor de la identidad nacional puertorriqueña y del derecho de todo puertorriqueño a gozar de las libertades y expresiones que ofrece la cultura del intelecto y el libre pensamiento.

El Ateneo Puertorriqueño destaca que en estos momentos, más que nunca, el Movimiento Estudiantil de la Universidad de Puerto Rico ha sabido enfrentar con inteligencia, audacia y valentía, las provocaciones, represiones y persecuciones producto de la intolerancia política, el militarismo, la negación al diálogo democrático y los burdos intereses de privatización.

Como representante histórico del Movimiento Estudiantil, el Ateneo Puertorriqueño ha invitado al Lic. Florencio Merced Rosa, destacado líder estudiantil que fuera combatiente de innumerables luchas de reivindicación universitaria en la década del sesenta, en diversos frentes organizados como lo fue la Federación de Universitarios Pro Independencia, FUPI. Tanto el Nuevo Presidente del Ateneo, el Dr. Soltero, como Florencio Merced, se dirigirán al público presente en palabras de conmemoración de esta importante efeméride nacional. De la misma forma se espera contar con la presencia de los actuales dirigentes de los diversos comités de lucha del actual movimiento estudiantil de la Universidad de Puerto Rico.

Invitamos a todo Puerto Rico a que nos acompañe enarbolando la bandera puertorriqueña en autos, balcones, escritorios, en cualquier lugar visible durante la celebración de los 115 años de nuestra enseña Nacional.

La Bandera Puertorriqueña, será izada al son de la Borinqueña Revolucionaria, el miércoles 22 de diciembre de 2010, en las escalinatas del Ateneo Puertorriqueño a las 12 del medio día.

Inf. 787-721-3877.

Anguilla Chief Minister To Meet With Civil Society on British Territorial Policy

Special to Overseas Territories Review

Chief Minister to meet with various associations and religious ministers in light of UK position on civil service

Chief Minister Hubert Hughes is scheduled to meet with various civil service organisations including the Civil Service Association and Union leaders, Police Welfare Association, Customs and Police Sports Club, Nurses Association, Teachers Association and Union and Church Leaders of various denominations and faiths as representatives of their Churches for discussion on the United
Kingdom (UK) position pertaining to the territory's civil service.

The UK Minister for the Overseas Territories, Henry Bellingham has been insisting that the Anguilla Government commit to further taxation and a cut the size of the civil service workforce by at least 30% and also make further cuts to the civil service salaries.

Chief Minister Hubert Hughes and his Government have taken the position that to comply with those directives at this time will have the adverse effect of plunging Anguilla into further financial difficulties and create previously unimaginable social hardships. In addition, the Chief Minister has also maintained that the portfolio for the Civil Service constitutionally resides in the Governor and that as such it is the Governor and not the Political Directorate who is responsible for any action pertaining to the Civil service,. The Chief Minister emphasized that any decision to do what is being demanded must take the human element into consideration.

Chief Minister Hughes is to meet with these various associations and the church leaders directly to discuss and obtain their views particularly in light of the UK’s position that they may not assent to the Anguilla Budget for 2011 given the non-compliance of these directives and if indeed the budget is assented, the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) may not agree to any future borrowing unless those demands are adhered to.

UN Member States Formally Commemorate Decolonisation Achievements, Acknowledge Need for Implementation of Mandate

United Nations Press Release
Sixty-fifth General Assembly
Plenary
65th Meeting (AM)


Decolonization ‘Remarkable but Incomplete’ Chapter in United Nations History, Says
Secretary-General, Spurring Action at Commemoration of Decolonization Declaration


Decolonization was a remarkable but incomplete chapter in the history of the United Nations, Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon said today as he marked the fiftieth anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples by calling on the international community to remain committed to making good on its promise to end colonialism, once and for all.

“The process of decolonization is not complete. There are 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories on the list of the Special Committee on Decolonization,” the Secretary-General said in his opening remarks, underscoring the United Nations commitment to fulfilling the Declaration’s promise. At the same time, he said that finishing the job would require a continuing dialogue among the administering Powers, the United Nations Special Committee on Decolonization, and the peoples of those Territories.

He said that heeding the lessons of decolonization’s past could help chart the way forward on “a long road, beset by new challenges”, and urged stakeholders to remember that five decades of success had been achieved because of commitment, persistence, solidarity and an understanding that independence was part and parcel of global interdependence.

“These are qualities we must bring to the consolidation of independence. The building of new politics is just as big a struggle, and must continue in order to forge strong, self-reliant States,” he declared. Calling for new ways of thinking and broad alliances to meet emerging challenges, he said: “Decolonization re-made the world — in our minds and on the ground. It showed the tremendous power we have to shape the world for the better. Let us continue to build on that remarkable achievement, and realize in full, the spirit of the Declaration whose anniversary we mark today.”

Assembly Vice-President Sylvie Lucas (Luxembourg), speaking on behalf of President Joseph Deiss, said that at the dawn of the Third International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism, subjecting peoples to alien domination and exploitation was a denial of human rights. Since 1945, more than 80 former colonies had become independent, joining the United Nations as sovereign States, and she extended a special greeting to those nations today. “The Assembly has played a vital role in this historic development,” she said, calling the Declaration’s adoption and the establishment of the Special Committee “decisive steps”.

However, “we have yet to turn the page on colonialism one and for all”, she said, noting that 16 Territories remained on the list and expressing hope that the Third International Decade would mobilize the energy needed to close the chapter. Towards that goal, the Special Committee should continue to promote cooperation with the administering Powers and, in consultation with the peoples of those Territories, develop innovative, tailored approaches to ensure the right to self-determination.

Pedro Núñez Mosquera (Cuba), Vice-Chairman of the Special Committee, said that policy-making body, which also monitors implementation of the Declaration, had been permanently examining the situations in the Territories of American Samoa, Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands (Malvinas), Gibraltar, Guam, Montserrat, New Caledonia, Pitcairn, Saint Helena, Tokelau, Turks and Caicos, United States Virgin Islands, and Western Sahara, as well as the question of Puerto Rico.

Several resolutions had been adopted, aimed at the full exercise of the inalienable rights of the inhabitants of those Territories to self-determination. Noting that fewer than 2 million people inhabited those Territories, he said that the Special Committee was of the view that the decolonization process could only be addressed within the context of current realities and a sustainable future.

To that end, he encouraged the international community to find creative ways to resolve the difficulties associated with the process, paying closer attention to the social and economic needs and the interests of the peoples in the Non-Self-Governing Territories. “Each Territory represents a unique set of circumstances, often involving quite complex political issues, the solution of which requires significant international cooperation, including close reliance on neighbouring and long-established relationships,” he added.

Overall, the slow progress was a reflection of a lack of political will, he said, stressing that a constructive relationship with the administering Powers was indispensable for the full implementation of the Declaration. For its part, the Special Committee intended to enhance its cooperation with the administering Powers and consultation with the peoples of the Territories towards developing case-by-case approaches. “I am confident that, together, we will find a way to address the challenges ahead in a most efficient and pragmatic manner, thus expediting the process of decolonization in the years to come,” he said.

Calling the Declaration the “magna carta” of decolonization, Jorge Valero ( Venezuela), on behalf of Latin American and Caribbean States, said that those subject to alien subjugation, domination and exploitation were entitled to be consulted and freely express their opinion about their condition. The Declaration, and all it represented, held particular importance in his region, given its role in movements that had led to achievement of independence by the 14 Caribbean States.

But eight of the remaining 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories were in his region, and he encouraged the Special Committee to work until they were decolonized. In particular, he urged resumed talks between Argentina and the United Kingdom to find a peaceful solution to the sovereignty dispute over the Malvinas, South Georgia and South Sandwich islands.

Gérard Araud (France), speaking on behalf of the Western European and Other States, said it was essential for the peoples of the remaining Non-Self-Governing Territories to understand the options for their political status and to exercise their right to freely choose their future. It was important to remember that the world had grown more interdependent and complex in the last 50 years. Addressing political freedom was linked to issues of climate change, sustainable development, poverty eradication and gender equity, among others. Fresh, creative efforts must be undertaken to match individual and collective expectations.

Recalling that many Asian States had co-sponsored the 1960 resolution that contained the Declaration, Singh Puri ( India), on behalf of the Asian States, noted that, today, the majority of the United Nations membership comprised former colonies. “This is clearly a measure of the success of the historic struggle against colonial rule,” he said. It should be a common endeavour to work with the people of the remaining Non-Self-Governing Territories to realize what they perceived to be in their best interest, using a “judicious mix” of urgency and sensitivity.

Milorad Šćepanović (Montenegro), speaking on behalf of the Eastern European States, said the Declaration was not only an expression of overwhelming support for those struggling for liberation in colonial territories, but over the past 50 years, it had become a “dynamic and vigorous tool” that could spur implementation of the Charter’s provisions on Non-Self-Governing Territories.

Indeed, it could be said that decolonization was one of the Organization’s most significant achievements, particularly as many of the current Member States were themselves once Non-Self-Governing Territories, now called on to observe the anniversary of the historic Declaration and acknowledge the urgency of eradicating colonialism once and for all, he said. Today’s commemoration was an opportunity, not only to look back at the Organization’s successes in that area, but to look ahead and reiterate an unwavering commitment to fulfil its objectives.

Editor's Note: Under the United Nations General Assembly rules governing such commemorative sessions, speakers are to include the representatives of the respective regional groups along with the host country. As per established practice, the Chairman of the Decolonisation Committee is also provided the opportunity to address the session on behalf of the Committee. The United States, as the host country, did not address the Assembly to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the Decolonisation Declaration even as it administers three territories recognised under international law as non self-governing, namely American Samoa, Guam and the US Virgin Islands under Article 73 of the UN Charter , along with 'unlisted' Puerto Rico and the Northern Mariana Islands.  France, which administers New Caledonia and 'un-listed' French Polynesia, Wallis and Futuna, et al addressed the Assembly on behalf of the Western European and Other States. It is to be noted also that Africa was the only regional group which did not address the Assembly owing to an apparent logistical issue.