22 December 2014

U.N.: For Caribbean, Pacific dependencies, self-determination is a" fundamental human right" under human rights conventions








Questions of American Samoa, Anguilla, Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Guam, Montserrat, Pitcairn, Saint Helena, the Turks and Caicos Islands and the United States Virgin Islands

                         
General


          The General Assembly,

          Having considered the questions of the Non-Self-Governing Territories of American Samoa, Anguilla, Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Guam, Montserrat, Pitcairn, Saint Helena, the Turks and Caicos Islands and the United States Virgin Islands, hereinafter referred to as “the Territories”,

          Having examined the relevant chapter of the report of the Special Committee on the Situation with regard to the Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples for 2014,[1]

          Recalling all resolutions and decisions of the United Nations relating to those Territories, including, in particular, the resolutions adopted by the General Assembly at its sixty-eighth session on the individual Territories covered by the present resolutions,

          Recognizing that all available options for self-determination of the Territories are valid as long as they are in accordance with the freely expressed wishes of the peoples concerned 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,

          Recalling its resolution 1541 (XV), containing the principles that should guide Member States in determining whether or not an obligation exists to transmit the information called for under Article 73 e of the Charter of the United Nations,

          Expressing concern that 54 years after the adoption of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples,[2] there still remain a number of Non-Self-Governing Territories,

          Conscious of the importance of continuing effective implementation of the Declaration, taking into account the target set by the United Nations to eradicate colonialism by 2020 and the plans of action for the Second[3] and Third International Decades for the Eradication of Colonialism,

          Recognizing that the specific characteristics and the aspirations of the peoples of the Territories 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,

          Noting the stated position of the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the stated position of the Government of the United States of America on the Non-Self-Governing Territories under their administration,

          Noting also the constitutional developments in some Non-Self-Governing Territories affecting the internal structure of governance about which the Special Committee has received information,

          Convinced that the wishes and aspirations of the peoples of the Territories 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,

          Convinced also that any negotiations to determine the status of a Territory must take place with the active involvement and participation of the people of that Territory, under the auspices of the United Nations, on a case-by-case basis, and that the views of the peoples of the Non-Self-Governing Territories in respect of their right to self-determination should be ascertained,

          Noting that a number of Non-Self-Governing Territories have expressed concern at the procedure followed by some administering Powers, contrary to the wishes of the Territories themselves, of amending or enacting legislation for application to the Territories, either through orders in council, in order to apply to the Territories the international treaty obligations of the administering Power, or through the unilateral application of laws and regulations,

          Aware of the importance of the international financial services and tourism sectors for the economies of some of the Non-Self-Governing Territories,

          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 United Nations visiting and special missions provide an effective means of ascertaining the situation in the Territories, that some Territories have not received a United Nations visiting mission for a long time and that no visiting missions have been sent to some of the Territories, and considering the possibility of sending further visiting missions to the Territories at an appropriate time, in consultation with the relevant administering Powers and in accordance with the relevant resolutions and decisions of the United Nations on decolonization,

          Mindful also that, in order for the Special Committee to enhance its understanding of the political status of the peoples of the Territories and to fulfil its mandate effectively, it is important for it to be apprised by the relevant administering Powers and to receive information from other appropriate sources, including the representatives of the Territories, concerning the wishes and aspirations of the peoples of the Territories,

          Acknowledging the regular transmission by the administering Powers to the Secretary-General of information called for under Article 73 e of the Charter,

          Aware of the importance both to the Territories and to the Special Committee of the participation of elected and appointed representatives of the Territories 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 peoples of the Territories in gaining a better understanding of the options for self-determination,

          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,

          Noting the stated positions of the representatives of the Non-Self-Governing Territories before the Special Committee and at its regional seminars,

          Welcoming the 2014 Pacific regional seminar held by the Special Committee in Nadi, Fiji, from 21 to 23 May 2014, as a significant and forward-looking event, which enabled the participants to assess the progress made in the decolonization process and to review the existing working methods of the Committee and renew its momentum in implementing its historic task,

          Recognizing the importance of the conclusions and recommendations adopted by the seminar, which are annexed to the report of the Special Committee[4] and which outline the findings of the seminar, including, especially, the way forward for the decolonization process within the context of the proclamation by the General Assembly of the period 2011-2020 as the Third International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism,

          Conscious of the particular vulnerability of the Territories to natural disasters and environmental degradation, and in that connection bearing in mind the applicability to the Territories of the programmes of action or outcome documents of all United Nations world conferences and special sessions of the General Assembly in the economic and social spheres,

          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 United Nations Development Programme, the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean and the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, as well as regional institutions such as the Caribbean Development Bank, the Caribbean Community, the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States, the Pacific Islands Forum and the agencies of the Council of Regional Organizations in the Pacific,

          Recalling the statement made by the representative of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean at the Caribbean regional seminar held in Kingstown from 31 May to 2 June 2011 that all six Caribbean Non-Self-Governing Territories are active associate members of the Commission,

          Aware that the Human Rights Committee, as part of its mandate under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,[5] reviews the status of the self-determination process, including in small island Territories under examination by the Special Committee,

          Recalling the ongoing efforts of the Special Committee in carrying out a critical review of its work with the aim of making appropriate and constructive recommendations and decisions to attain its objectives in accordance with its mandate,

          Recognizing that the annual working papers prepared by the Secretariat on developments in each of the small Territories,[6] as well as the substantive documentation and information furnished by experts, scholars, non-governmental organizations and other sources, have provided important inputs to update the present resolutions,

          Recalling the report of the Secretary-General on the Second International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism,[7]

          1.       Reaffirms the inalienable right of the peoples of the Non-Self-Governing Territories 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, 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 peoples of the Territories themselves 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 reiterates its long-standing call for the administering Powers, in cooperation with the territorial Governments and appropriate bodies of the United Nations system, to develop political education programmes for the Territories 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 Special Committee on the Situation with regard to the Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples being apprised of the views and wishes of the peoples of the Territories and enhancing its understanding of their conditions, including the nature and scope of the existing political and constitutional arrangements between the Non-Self-Governing Territories and their respective administering Powers;

          5.       Requests the administering Powers to continue to transmit regularly to the Secretary-General information called for under Article 73 e of the Charter;


          6.       Calls upon the administering Powers 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 the Territories, and encourages the administering Powers to facilitate visiting and special missions to the Territories;

          7.       Reaffirms the responsibility of the administering Powers under the Charter to promote the economic and social development and to preserve the cultural identity of the Territories, and, as a priority, to mitigate the effects of the current global financial crisis where possible, in consultation with the territorial Governments concerned, towards the strengthening and diversification of their respective economies;

          8.       Requests the Territories and the administering Powers to take all measures necessary to protect and conserve the environment of the Territories against any degradation, and once again requests the specialized agencies concerned to continue to monitor environmental conditions in the Territories and to provide assistance to those Territories, consistent with their prevailing rules of procedure;

          9.       Welcomes the participation of the Non-Self-Governing Territories in regional activities, including the work of regional organizations;

          10.     Stresses the importance of implementing the plans of action for the Second3 and Third International Decades for the Eradication of Colonialism, in particular by expediting the application of the work programme for the decolonization of each Non-Self-Governing Territory, on a case-by-case basis, as well as by ensuring that periodic analyses are undertaken of the progress and extent of the implementation of the Declaration in each Territory, and that the working papers prepared by the Secretariat on each Territory should fully reflect developments in those Territories;

          11.     Urges Member States to contribute to the efforts of the United Nations to usher in a world free of colonialism within the context of the International Decades for the Eradication of Colonialism, and calls upon them to continue to give their full support to the Special Committee in its endeavours towards that noble goal;

          12.     Stresses the importance of the various constitutional exercises in the respective Territories administered by the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United States of America, and led by the territorial Governments, designed to address internal constitutional structures within the present territorial arrangements, and decides to follow closely the developments concerning the future political status of those Territories;

          13.     Requests the Secretary-General to continue to report to the General Assembly on a regular basis on the implementation of decolonization resolutions adopted since the declaration of the Third International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism;

          14.     Reiterates its request that the Human Rights Committee collaborate with the Special Committee, within the framework of its mandate on the right to self-determination as contained in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,5 with the aim of exchanging information, given that the Human Rights Committee is mandated to review the situation, including political and constitutional developments, in many of the Non-Self-Governing Territories that are within the purview of the Committee;

          15.     Requests the Special Committee to continue to collaborate with the Economic and Social Council and its relevant subsidiary intergovernmental bodies, within the framework of their respective mandates, with the aim of exchanging information on developments in those Non-Self-Governing Territories which are reviewed by those bodies;

          16.     Also requests the Special Committee to continue to examine the question of the Non-Self-Governing Territories and to report thereon to the General Assembly at its seventieth session and on the implementation of the present resolutions.





      [1]  Official Records of the General Assembly, Sixty-ninth Session, Supplement No. 23 (A/69/23), chap. X.
      [2]  Resolution 1514 (XV).
      [3]  A/56/61, annex.
      [4]  Official Records of the General Assembly, Sixty-ninth Session, Supplement No. 23 (A/69/23).
      [5]  See resolution 2200 A (XXI), annex.
      [6]  A/AC.109/2014/3-11, 13 and 14.
      [7]  A/65/330 and Add.1.