General Assembly Session 52 meeting 69

The President

I call on the Rapporteur of the Special Committee to introduce the Committee's report and the draft resolution contained in paragraph 10, part II, chapter III of the report.

Mr. Mekdad (Syria)

I have the honour to present to the General Assembly for its consideration the report of the Special Committee covering its work during 1997, which is contained in document A/52/23.

The report is submitted in accordance with paragraph 11 of resolution 51/146 on the implementation of the Declaration, by which the Assembly requested the Special Committee to continue to seek suitable means for the immediate and full implementation of the Declaration; to carry out those actions approved by the General Assembly regarding the International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism in all Territories that had not yet exercised their right to self-determination; and, in particular, to formulate specific proposals for the elimination of the remaining manifestations of colonialism.

At its forty-sixth session the General Assembly, by adopting resolution 46/181, entitled "International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism", and the plan of action, mandated the Special Committee to undertake a series of activities during the Decade including organizing during the Decade seminars in the Caribbean and Pacific regions alternately.

During this year the Special Committee was able to discharge the tasks entrusted to it by the Assembly and to submit appropriate recommendations on all the items referred to it for consideration and report, by meeting between January and July and by holding extensive consultations among its members throughout the year.

Bearing in mind in particular the specific requests addressed to it by the General Assembly in resolution 51/146, the Special Committee reviewed the implementation of the Declaration relating to the remaining Territories and formulated a series of recommendations with a view to enhancing the pace of decolonization and to promoting the political, economic, social and educational advancement of the peoples in those Territories.

In addition, the Special Committee submitted recommendations specifically relating to economic and other activities that affect the interests of the peoples of the Non-Self-Governing Territories; military activities and arrangements by colonial Powers in Territories under their administration; the implementation of the Declaration by the specialized agencies and the international institutions associated with the United Nations; and information transmitted under Article 73 e of the Charter. In this connection, I would like to draw the attention of Members to the fact that the text of the draft resolution on economic and other activities is a result of the consultations between the Special Committee of 24 and the European Union, and has been updated in order to fully reflect the realities and a general understanding among Member States concerning decolonization.

During the year, the Special Committee devoted considerable attention to the decolonization of the small island Territories. In that connection, the Special Committee was especially mindful of the fact that the United Nations visiting missions had provided an effective means of assessing and ascertaining the wishes and aspirations of the peoples of those Territories regarding their future status. Accordingly, it once again stressed the importance of dispatching such missions to colonial Territories in order to facilitate the implementation of the Declaration. In that respect, the Committee will continue to seek the full cooperation of the administering Powers so that visiting missions to Territories under their administration can be undertaken.

On the question of publicity to be given to the work of the United Nations in the field of decolonization, and as reflected in chapter III of its report, the Committee again reiterated the importance of effecting the widest possible dissemination of information on decolonization as an instrument for furthering the purposes and principles of the Charter and the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, and for mobilizing world public opinion in support of the peoples of Non-Self-Governing Territories in their efforts to achieve self-determination, freedom and independence.

Bearing in mind the important role being played by non-governmental organizations in the decolonization process and the dissemination of information on the situation in all the remaining small island Non-Self-Governing Territories, the Special Committee requested the Department of Political Affairs and the Department of Public Information to continue their cooperation with those organizations in the dissemination of information on decolonization issues.

I have the honour to introduce for adoption by the General Assembly the draft resolution on dissemination of information on decolonization, contained in paragraph 10, chapter III, Part II of document A/52/23.

During the year, in the light of the constructive results achieved and in keeping with related decisions of the Assembly, the Committee decided to continue to maintain close contact with the organizations concerned and to participate in the conferences arranged by those organizations, as well as by other United Nations bodies. The objective of those contacts was to facilitate the effective implementation of the decisions of the various United Nations bodies and to foster cooperation between the specialized agencies and those regional organizations in their assistance to the Non-Self-Governing Territories in those regions.

I should like to draw members' attention to the proposals outlined in section J of chapter I, entitled "Future work", which, the Committee hopes, will meet with the Assembly's approval in order to enable the Committee to proceed with the effective discharge of the task that remains to be completed. It should be noted that, during 1997, the Special Committee undertook important decisions aimed at streamlining its work and increasing its transparency. We have integrated the Subcommittee with the Special Committee. We have also abolished the Working Group, whose functions are now being performed by the Committee's Bureau, which has become open-ended.

The Special Committee recommended that the General Assembly renew its appeal to the administering Powers concerned to take all necessary steps for the implementation of the Declaration and the relevant United Nations resolutions, in accordance with the freely expressed wishes of the peoples of the Non-Self-Governing Territories. In that connection, the Special Committee, bearing in mind the useful results achieved as a consequence of the active participation of the administering Powers, recommended that the Assembly again request the administering Powers to resume formal cooperation or continue to cooperate with the Special Committee in the discharge of its mandate and, in particular, to participate actively in its work relating to the Territories under their respective administration.

The General Assembly may also wish to renew its appeal to all States, the specialized agencies and other organizations within the United Nations system to meet various requests addressed to them by the United Nations in its resolutions on the question of decolonization.

The Special Committee devoted considerable time to discussing the question of the decolonization programme in the United Nations system. It is gratifying that the Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan, in his letter addressed to the Chairman of the Special Committee of 24, as contained in document A/52/531, reaffirmed his commitment to the full implementation of subprogramme 1.6 of the medium-term plan for the period 1998-2001. We hope that this commitment of the Secretary-General will be fully implemented, without any delay, and that the stand-alone Decolonization Unit in the Department of Political Affairs will be adequately staffed. This would assist the Special Committee in continuing efficiently to discharge its noble mandate entrusted to it by the General Assembly.

On behalf of the Committee, I commend the report to the attention of the General Assembly.

Before concluding, allow me to express to all the members of the Special Committee and, in particular, to Ambassador Utula Utuoc Samana of Papua New Guinea, Chairman of the Special Committee, Ambassador Bruno Rodríguez Parilla of Cuba and Ambassador Moctar Ouane of Mali, Vice-Chairmen, my deep gratitude for their cooperation and support.

I also thank Mr. Amer Araim, the Secretary of the Special Committee, and his colleagues and other associated members of the Secretariat for their assistance, which facilitated my task as Rapporteur.

The President

I now give the floor to the representative of Papua New Guinea to introduce the draft resolution contained in document A/52/L.64.

Mr. Ovia (Papua New Guinea)

As this is my maiden address to this Assembly, it gives me great pleasure to address the General Assembly on behalf of my Permanent Representative, Ambassador Utula Samana, Chairman 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.

I am speaking today to introduce the draft resolution contained in document A/52/L.64 on the question of the implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, which is sponsored by Côte d'Ivoire, Cuba, Fiji, Grenada, Indonesia, Mali, Saint Lucia, the Syrian Arab Republic and my own country, Papua New Guinea.

After some consultations, the sponsors have agreed to revise operative paragraph 15 to reflect some of the concerns that have been expressed to us.

While adhering to the principles inherent in the Declaration, the Special Committee has in recent years considered the question of decolonization in a more realistic and pragmatic manner, taking into account the prevailing international situation, as well as recognizing the specific conditions in the remaining Non-Self-Governing Territories.

It is universally recognized that decolonization is one of the greatest achievements of our Organization. The vast majority of the States here today are here because of the Special Committee. Should this world body, after having achieved so much in the field of decolonization, ignore the plight of the peoples of the remaining 17 Non-Self-Governing Territories? Should we, at this juncture in the work of the United Nations, ignore our moral responsibilities to assist the peoples of the remaining Non-Self-Governing Territories to have the opportunity to exercise their inalienable right to self-determination, in conformity with the international legal norms we are obligated to uphold? The answer is definitely no.

On the basis of the existing mandate of the United Nations and the moral responsibilities incumbent upon us, the agenda on decolonization deserves adequate recognition and priority with respect to the defence of the rights of the peoples of the Non-Self-Governing Territories. I am sure that the General Assembly will continue to stand firm, as it has always done, in fulfilling its obligations in the field of decolonization.

The peoples of the remaining 17 Non-Self-Governing Territories, through their elected representatives, have consistently and rightfully called upon the United Nations to maintain vigilance and, specifically, to urge the international community to focus particularly on the social, economic and political developments of their Territories in a manner that will facilitate their progress towards self-determination.

The international community, and the administering Powers in particular, have an obligation under the legal and customary norms of the United Nations to implement the goals of the Declaration. Where administering Powers have cooperated in the work of the Special Committee, both in terms of participating in its formal sessions and in allowing visiting missions to visit Territories to ensure transparency in the implementation of the requirements of the International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism, much progress has been achieved in assisting the constitutional, political and economic development of the Territories, thereby enabling the peoples of the Territories to gain greater autonomy and responsibility in governing themselves.

Some have argued that, given the changing international climate and the difficulties faced by these Territories, complete independence may not be viable and that therefore the question of decolonization may be a non-priority, and that the international community may be wasting time and energy in considering these issues. However, the great majority of the Assembly is committed to seeing to it that the goals of the International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism are achieved by the year 2000.

It is precisely because of our recognition of the specific and peculiar problems faced by the remaining Non-Self-Governing Territories -- most of which are small island Territories that suffer from impediments created by the interplay of such factors as economic and geographic size, isolation, vulnerability to natural disasters and lack of technological and financial resources, including problems of accessibility to international credit markets -- that the international community should give specific priority and attention to the process of decolonization affecting the peoples of those Territories.

The Special Committee is fully aware of the impediments that may limit the options for full and complete independence, but they should not therefore be used as a rationale for maintaining colonial situations. They should not be used as an excuse to undermine and deprive the peoples of the Territories concerned of their ability to gain their rightful political status and autonomy, to control and develop their resources and to pursue development goals and objectives suited to their political, economic and cultural interests. The Special Committee, however, made serious efforts, in accordance with General Assembly resolution 1541 (XV), to look at options that are more suited to responding to the circumstances of the remaining Non-Self-Governing Territories. This would not have been possible without the product of the work of the regional seminars.

The principles inherent in the Declaration are specific and clear on the question of the right of peoples freely to determine their political status in accordance with their own wishes. Within the framework of the Declaration, the Special Committee is entrusted with the task of continuously seeking suitable ways and means of implementing requirements of the Declaration, with the cooperation of the administering Powers.

The Special Committee has continued to carry out its mandate judiciously and faithfully. Over the years it has diligently pursued its task of reviewing the situation in the Non-Self-Governing Territories, hearing petitioners, sending visiting missions to the Territories, disseminating information on decolonization with a view to mobilizing public opinion and making suggestions and recommendations on the progress and the extent of the implementation of the Declaration and reporting to the General Assembly.

This noble mission of eradicating colonialism remains unaccomplished. The Special Committee has constantly reviewed its approaches and rationalized its methods of work, improving its efficiency and making adjustments where appropriate in response to the changing circumstances and in line with the new developments in the international community.

In its endeavour to keep up with changing circumstances and situations, the Special Committee, however, has remained conscious of its ultimate responsibility for safeguarding and protecting the interests and welfare of the peoples of the Non-Self-Governing Territories, guided by their specific needs and aspirations.

The adoption by the General Assembly in 1991 of a Plan of Action for the International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism gave further impetus to the work of the United Nations in the process of eradicating colonialism. The International Decade's specific Plan of Action is aimed at ushering in a world free of colonialism in the twenty-first century.

While the General Assembly has repeatedly reaffirmed that such factors as population size and remoteness should not prevent the peoples of the Non-Self-Governing Territories from freely exercising their rights to self-determination, the Special Committee is cognizant of the fact that complete decolonization by the year 2000 will require innovative and realistic solutions that can be achieved only with the cooperation and active participation of the administering Powers in the work of the Special Committee. The Special Committee will continue to open its doors to dialogue and consultation in order to reach consensus and cooperation with the administering Powers, which we all believe are critical in facilitating speedy progress towards achieving the objectives of decolonization.

However, such dialogue and consultation must have a clear objective of serving the interests of the peoples concerned, interests that the international community is obligated to uphold. Dialogue and consultation must focus on how best we can collectively pursue the process of decolonization within the framework of the legal and customary norms of the United Nations, and must not be aimed at redefining and shifting basic principles to suit other interests that may be contrary to the wishes of the peoples.

It is extremely important that the cooperation between the Special Committee and the administering Powers play a critical role in the search for specific measures that would promote the kind of development that will eventually enable the peoples of those Territories to exercise their right to self-determination.

The sponsors of this draft resolution are concerned about the attempts to prevent the implementation of a decision of the Secretary-General contained in document A/52/531, thereby diminishing the decolonization programme in the United Nations system.

The recently published document A/52/303/Add.1 does not reflect the commitment of the Secretary-General regarding the full implementation of subprogramme 1.6 of the medium-term plan for the period 1998-2001. It is therefore our understanding that the implementation of the medium-term plan entails that the stand-alone Decolonization Unit be maintained in the Department of Political Affairs and that it be viable and properly staffed -- including by the Secretary of the Special Committee and officers at the P-5 and P-4 levels. At this critical juncture of the global efforts to eradicate colonialism by the year 2000, the Decolonization Unit should be availed of all the resources required by the programme, in accordance with the medium-term plan, which without any doubt would enhance our progress towards a world free from colonialism and better for all.

In conclusion, I should like to propose that the General Assembly adopt the draft resolution, which is the same as the previous year's, with the minor revisions that I will present. And in the light of the changing mood to improve cooperation and consultations between all parties, I should like to urge that we adopt this draft resolution without a vote.

The revisions that I will introduce refer to operative paragraph 15 of draft resolution A/52/L.64. The revisions are as follows:

"Welcomes the decision of the Secretary-General on 27 October 1997:

(a) that the substantive responsibilities for the Decolonization Programme will be maintained in the Department of Political Affairs;

(b) to establish a stand-alone Decolonization Unit with the necessary resources to provide substantive input for the work of the Special Committee of 24;

(c) that the Department of General Assembly Affairs and Conference Services will be responsible for the technical secretariat servicing relating to the Decolonization Programme, as outlined in his letter of 17 March 1997;

(d) and his commitment to implement subprogramme 1.6 of the medium-term plan, 1998-2001".

These revisions are necessary because of the difficulties that some delegations encountered during the consultations.

The President

Members have just heard the representative of Papua New Guinea orally revise operative paragraph 15 of draft resolution A/52/L.64 and present the new version to members. For the convenience of representatives, this text will be distributed shortly to all delegations in the Hall.

Mr. Núñez-Mosquera (Cuba)

The decolonization of peoples under colonial domination is one of the areas in which the United Nations has accomplished praiseworthy work. Since the adoption in 1960 of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, many States have attained independence and swelled the ranks of our Organization.

But we cannot remain satisfied with what has been achieved so far. We are commemorating today the forty-ninth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which regards the right to self-determination as an inalienable human right. But regrettably, as we stand today on the threshold of the twenty-first century, many peoples are being denied that right. Year after year, dozens of petitioners come to seek the assistance and help of the United Nations in their struggle to exercise the right to self-determination and independence, and we cannot close our eyes to this fact.

We note with satisfaction the dialogue that took place last year between the members of the Special Political and Decolonization Committee and certain administering Powers. This is a positive sign, but the dialogue must be established on a formal basis, and its results must yield tangible benefits for the peoples of the Non-Self-Governing Territories.

The United Nations has a responsibility to discharge in this area, and the machinery available to us for this purpose is the Decolonization Committee. It is for that reason that we attach key importance to strengthening the Decolonization Committee and to the need to endow it with the resources it vitally needs for its work.

The report submitted to us by the Committee is clear and precise. It is very important to promote its activities by means, among other things, of holding seminars on decolonization issues and by sending visiting missions to the Non-Self-Governing Territories, making it possible to obtain firsthand information concerning the real state of affairs there.

Decolonization activities, by their very nature, are essentially political. For this reason, we note with satisfaction the Secretary-General's decision to keep the Decolonization Unit in the Department of Political Affairs and to provide it with all the necessary resources, in accordance with the medium-term plan for the period 1998-2001.

In order to achieve this objective and to make the work of the United Nations in the area of decolonization genuinely effective, the human and financial resources earmarked for the execution of the activities of sub-programme 1.6 of the medium-term plan, as well as those associated with the activities of the Decolonization Committee, must be retained in the Department of Political Affairs. The Cuban delegation accordingly hopes that a clear-cut decision to this effect will be taken in the context of the negotiations to be held on the programme budget for the biennium 1998-1999.

The President

We have heard the only speaker in the debate on this item.

I should like to inform members that action on the draft resolutions submitted under this item will be taken after the General Assembly has concluded its consideration of all the reports of the Special Political and Decolonization Committee. Action will therefore be taken before the meeting is adjourned.