With
17 non-self-governing territories remaining worldwide, the United
Nations must continue to be the place where their concerns can be heard,
the Secretary-General said in New York on Friday.
António Guterres was speaking at the opening of the latest session of the UN Special Committee dealing with decolonization, which he called one of the “defining mandates” of the global Organization.
“Decolonization is a process that has to be guided by the aspirations
and needs of the communities living in the territories. The concerns of
the peoples of the Territories are varied, and it is our collective
responsibility to amplify their voices,” he said.
Territories facing ‘real and pressing challenges’
The UN was established in 1945 when nearly one-third of the global
population – roughly 750 million people – lived under colonial rule.
Since then, more than 80 former colonies have gained independence.
Today, 17 territories remain, mainly in the Americas and the Pacific.
Many are facing “very real and pressing challenges”, Mr. Guterres told the Committee.
“The vast majority of the Territories are small islands on the
frontlines of climate change. Many have faced devastating natural
disasters. Others are struggling to build sustainable and
self-sufficient economies,” he said.
“We must continue to serve as a forum for meaningful dialogue between
Territories and administering Powers to enable the peoples of the
Territories to make informed decisions about their future.”
Non-Self-Governing Territories
Africa: ♦ Western Sahara
Atlantic & Caribbean: ♦
Anguilla ♦ Bermuda ♦ British Virgin islands ♦ Cayman Islands ♦ Falkland
Islands (Malvinas) ♦ Montserrat ♦ Saint Helena ♦ Turks and Caicos
Islands ♦ United States Virgin Islands
Europe: ♦ Gibraltar
Pacific: ♦ American Samoa ♦ French Polynesia ♦ Guam ♦ New Caledonia ♦ Pitcairn ♦ Tokelau
The Secretary-General, who is from Portugal, also spoke about his deep connection to the issue.
“Indeed, I can never forget the fact that it was thanks to the
liberation movements of Angola, Mozambique and Guinea-Bissau, and their
struggle for independence, that the Portuguese Army conducted the April
(1974) revolution that led to democracy in my own country,” he stated.
UN Photo/Mark Garten
Timor-Leste flag raised at UN Headquarters. (September 2002)
People living in the world’s remaining territories “are still waiting
for the promise of self-government to be fulfilled”, he said.
And with the Timor-Leste being the last to achieve this milestone
nearly 20 years ago, the UN chief described the “decolonization agenda”
as slow, but still moving forward.
He pointed to New Caledonia, a French territory in the Pacific, which
will hold a second independence referendum in September. The first was
in 2018.
The UN and Decolonization
Decolonization “is certainly one of the most significant chapters in
the UN’s history”, according to the Secretary-General, who commended the
key role played by the Committee.
UN engagement derives from the principle of “equal rights and self-determination of peoples”, as stipulated in the UN Charter, the Organization’s founding document.
The Special Committee on Decolonization examines the application of a
1960 General Assembly declaration on the Granting of Independence to
Colonial Countries and Peoples.
Ambassador Keisha McGuire of Grenada is the chair, which she described as an “uplifting responsibility”.
In December, Ms. McGuire led a mission to the British overseas
territory of Montserrat, where a 1995 volcano left nearly half of the
Caribbean island uninhabitable.
The visit focused on the territory’s political, economic, social and
environmental development, and challenges to achieving sustainable
development. A final report will be issued shortly.
DPPA
Special Committee on Decolonization
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The UK Government is “under an obligation” to end its administration of the Chagos Archipelago “as rapidly as possible” the International Court of Justice, the principal judicial body of the UN, stated in an Advisory Opinion released on Monday. The Opinion calls the continued administration of the archipelago “unlawful,” and “a wrongful act.”
Since the early 1960s, the United Nations decolonization committee has “accompanied many territories in their journey”, Secretary-General António Guterres said on Thursday, opening the body’s 2019 session.
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