General Assembly Session 55 meeting 83

The President

The General Assembly, in accordance with decision 55/410, adopted at its 61st plenary meeting on 14 November 2000, will observe this morning, under agenda item 18, the fortieth anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples.

The General Assembly is today observing the fortieth anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples. This Declaration, together with the Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, has laid the foundation for the role and responsibility of the United Nations in upholding the principle of the right to self-determination.

In December 1960, the representative of Cambodia, in introducing the draft resolution containing the Declaration, pointed out that the sponsors of the draft were anxious that the Declaration should be yet another step forward in the process of the emancipation of peoples. He also stressed the need for all countries concerned to support the Declaration in order to ensure peaceful development and freedom for all those peoples who had not yet gained independence.

The General Assembly, composed at the time of 99 Member States, adopted the Declaration by an overwhelming majority. Within a year, the Assembly had established a Committee to monitor the implementation of the Declaration, and in 1962 it issued a preliminary list of some 64 Non-Self-Governing Territories to which the Declaration applied.

The Declaration proclaimed the necessity of bringing to a speedy and unconditional end colonialism in all its forms and manifestations. The Assembly declared that all peoples have the right to self-determination and that, by virtue of that right, they may freely determine their political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development. Year after year, the Assembly has reaffirmed the principles enshrined in the Charter and has reiterated that the administering Powers have a special responsibility to promote to the utmost, within the system of international peace and security, the well-being of the inhabitants of the Non-Self-Governing Territories under their responsibility.

The membership of the United Nations has more than doubled since the adoption of the Declaration. A total of 189 Member States, many of them former Non-Self-Governing Territories, are now called on to observe the anniversary of this historic document and acknowledge the urgency of realizing its goal: the eradication of colonialism. At the Millennium Summit three months ago, Member States reiterated the right to self-determination of peoples.

Today there are still 17 Non-Self-Governing Territories to which the Declaration applies and to which the Assembly will continue to give its full attention. One of these -- East Timor -- has exercised its right to self-determination and chosen the path to independence. Just over a year ago the people of East Timor, in a free and fair referendum, voted for independence. Since then, the process towards national reconciliation and nation-building has been carried out with the support of the United Nations. The Territory is currently under the administration of the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET), and it is making strides in preparing the necessary conditions for independence. The international community has followed closely these historic developments in East Timor and the important role played by the United Nations.

I am therefore very pleased to be able to announce that, at the invitation of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Mr. Sergio Vieira de Mello of UNTAET, I will be visiting East Timor early next year. The purpose of my visit is to familiarize myself with the situation in East Timor and with the work of UNTAET firsthand. In the light of the Millennium Summit and the current discussions on the reform of peacekeeping, the visit should also be particularly interesting, given the complex and multidimensional nature of the UNTAET peacekeeping operation.

To conclude, I should like to stress that the fortieth anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration, at the dawn of the millennium, offers us an opportunity not only to look back at the successes the United Nations has achieved in the field of decolonization, but also, more importantly, to look ahead and reiterate our commitment to fulfil its objectives and redouble our efforts to that end.

I now give the floor to the Under-Secretary-General of the Department for General Assembly Affairs and Conference Services, Mr. Yongjian Jin, who will deliver a message from the Secretary-General.

Mr. Jin (Under-Secretary-General, Department of General Assembly Affairs and Conference Services)

The Secretary-General is away and has requested that I deliver the following message on his behalf. The Secretary-General's message on the occasion of the fortieth anniversary of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples reads as follows:

"The Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, adopted by the General Assembly 40 years ago, represented a universal reaffirmation of a historic process of emancipation, freedom and self-rule. The Declaration was not only an expression of support by the overwhelming majority of United Nations Member States for the liberation struggle of colonial territories, but also became a forceful tool with which to spur on the implementation of the Charter's provisions on Non-Self-Governing Territories.

"The United Nations success in the area of decolonization can be most vividly observed in this very Assembly. More than 60 nations represented in this Hall have achieved independence and joined the United Nations as sovereign States in the four decades since the Declaration was adopted. While there is good cause for celebration, there is also a need for awareness of the challenges ahead, as the United Nations faces the task of completing the implementation of the Declaration and all the relevant resolutions of the Organization on decolonization.

"During the past decade, the Special Committee on the Situation with regard to the Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples has played an important role in maintaining a spotlight on the remaining 17 Non-Self-Governing Territories, not least in providing a forum for their peoples to voice their thoughts and aspirations regarding their future.

"The principles enunciated in the Declaration resonate with force at the dawn of the new Millennium. In spite of all that has been accomplished, the Declaration is yet to be implemented in the remaining Non-Self-Governing Territories. I take this opportunity to reiterate an appeal to the administering Powers concerned to cooperate in this endeavour by assisting the Special Committee in the discharge of the important mandate entrusted to it by the General Assembly".

The President

I now give the floor to Mr. Peter Dickson Donigi of Papua New Guinea, 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.

Mr. Donigi (Papua New Guinea)

The General Assembly is today observing the fortieth anniversary of the adoption of resolution 1514 (XV) of 14 December 1960, containing the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples. That historic Declaration embodied the international community's conviction that the peoples of the Non-Self-Governing Territories should enjoy the rights and freedoms enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations and that the continued existence of colonialism was in contradiction to the United Nations ideals.

The General Assembly has continued, throughout the intervening period, to urge Member States to comply with its Declaration and has continued to guide the work of the United Nations on decolonization. Through the Special Committee on the Situation with regard to the Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, the General Assembly has kept the situation in the Non-Self-Governing Territories under constant review and has adopted concrete proposals to bring about the speedy elimination of colonialism.

Today we observe the anniversary of the Declaration at the same time as the International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism is coming to an end. It is regrettable that four decades later, and despite the successes the United Nations has seen in its efforts to promote the decolonization process, colonialism persists. Without wishing to minimize the challenges ahead, however, the Special Committee remains convinced that, with the cooperation of the administering Powers, progress towards implementing the Declaration can be achieved. Thus, efforts for a sustained, purposeful dialogue should continue and intensify.

The overwhelming support for the decolonization process continues unabated. Many countries, mine included, which came to independence under the watchful eye of the United Nations, are in this General Assembly today, commemorating the adoption of the Declaration that gave renewed impetus to the cause of decolonization.

The message of the Special Committee to the international community and to the Non-Self-Governing Territories on this special occasion is very clear: we will continue to work to carry out the mandate entrusted to us by the General Assembly, which has been reaffirmed and strengthened by successive decisions and resolutions of the Assembly, until the objectives of the Declaration have been attained.

Mr. Bakoniarivo (Madagascar)

On behalf of the Group of African States, which Madagascar is chairing for the month of December 2000, it is my honour to speak today on the subject of agenda item 18, entitled "Observance of the fortieth anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples". That Declaration, adopted by the United Nations under resolution 1514 (XV) on 14 December 1960, has marked the history of international relations and reflects the commitment of the international community to the purposes and principles of the Charter, including the right of peoples to self-determination.

This anniversary is of particular importance to Africa, which shall the continents has paid the heaviest price as a result of colonization. Indeed, when the United Nations was established in San Francisco in 1945, only four African States were in a position to join this international Organization as independent countries. The rest of the African continent was still under colonial domination.

Furthermore, when the United Nations was created in 1945, two thirds of the present Member States were not yet independent. At present, 17 territories are still not autonomous and are demanding their freedom and their right to self-determination. This bears witness to the fact that undeniable efforts for decolonization have been made, but much remains to be done.

In this respect, we wish to express our gratitude to the United Nations, particularly 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 -- for the efforts made to implement resolution 1514 (XV) in all the territories to which the Declaration applies, with a view to bringing a speedy and unconditional end to colonialism in all its forms and manifestations, in application of Article 73 of the United Nations Charter and the Declaration; for organizing regional seminars, which made it possible to assess the achievements of the first International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism, adopted by the General Assembly in resolution 46/181 of 19 December 1991; and for planning the strategy and the future activities of the United Nations regarding decolonization.

We also wish to pay warm tribute to the courageous freedom fighters who write the whole of the history of their struggle in letters of blood, at the cost of their lives.

Forty years have elapsed since the adoption of the Declaration whose anniversary we are observing today; but, unfortunately, we have to note that many problems of the last century will probably still exist in the new century. Decolonization is one of many.

While enormous progress has been made in eliminating colonialism during the last decade, much still remains to be done to ensure the total eradication of this scourge. The exercise of the inalienable rights of peoples of non-autonomous territories, particularly as regards small island developing States and their vulnerable social sectors, requires the continuation and consolidation of our efforts so that the United Nations can complete its decolonization work.

The main challenge we must face during the upcoming 2001-2110 decade, and in this commemoration is to complete the efforts that were made during the past decade to ensure that in the new century the world will be free from the yoke of colonialism.

According to the Millennium Declaration recently adopted by all the world's leaders in resolution 55/2,

"We are determined to establish a just and lasting peace all over the world in accordance with the purposes and principles of the Charter. We rededicate ourselves to support all efforts to uphold the sovereign equality of all States, respect for their territorial integrity and political independence ... [and] the right to self-determination of peoples which remain under colonial domination and foreign occupation". (para. 4)

We hope that during the new decade the Member States will redouble their efforts in the specialized agencies and other United Nations bodies to ensure the full and effective implementation of the Declaration and of other relevant resolutions of the United Nations on this subject.

May this event give new energy to our common struggle for universal and effective respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms for all, without regard to race, sex, language or religion. We also hope that this commemorative meeting will strengthen our commitment to the values and ideals of the United Nations to bring out a world of peace, equity and justice.

Mr. Enkhsaikhan (Mongolia)

I feel greatly honoured to address this body in my capacity as Chairman of the Asian Group for the month of December 2000, on an occasion of particular significance to us: the observance of the fortieth anniversary of the adoption of the historic Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples.

We are privileged to deliberate on the observance of the fortieth anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration at the beginning of the new millennium, when our Organization is assessing its past actions in all spheres of its work, including that of decolonization, concerning which the General Assembly has solemnly reaffirmed its strong commitment to the right of peoples to self-determination. In the past four decades since the adoption by the General Assembly of this important document, decolonization has greatly accelerated around the world. The presence in the General Assembly of so many formerly colonized nations is the brightest testimony to this.

By launching in 1990 an International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism, the United Nations reinforced its efforts to achieve the objectives of the Declaration. Enormous efforts have been made in this regard by the Special Committee on the Situation with regard to the Implementation of the Declaration over the past decades. I would like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to the Special Committee and to its Chairman, Ambassador Peter Donigi of Papua New Guinea, for their outstanding commitment and for their untiring efforts to fulfil the mandate.

Despite the impressive progress made since the adoption of the Declaration and the establishment of the Special Committee, the process of decolonization is not entirely complete. We cannot ignore the fact that 17 cases of Non-Self-Governing Territories are still under review by the Special Committee. The United Nations and the international community at large are duty-bound to bring colonialism to a complete end. Progress in decolonization is closely connected with the protection and implementation of the right of the peoples of the Territories mentioned above to self-determination. This requires the joint efforts of the United Nations, the peoples of Non-Self-Governing Territories and the administering Powers.

The majority of the Non-Self-Governing Territories are small islands that confront unique problems arising from their small size and population, their limited natural resources and their vulnerability to natural disasters. It is therefore essential that the international community be sensitive to their needs and responsive to their requests for assistance. In this respect, the role of the United Nations programmes and specialized agencies is of utmost importance for accelerating progress in their economic and social sectors.

Last July the Special Committee adopted a resolution proposing that the current session of the General Assembly declare the decade from 2001 to 2010 as the Second International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism. It is our earnest hope that the proclamation of the Second Decade will further accelerate the process of decolonization and bring it to a successful end. This is a goal and a constant challenge which must be pursued without pause for as long as there remain Non-Self-Governing Territories.

Mr. Kuchynski (Ukraine)

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the Group of Eastern European States.

In a few days, on 14 December, the peoples of the world will mark the fortieth anniversary of the adoption by the General Assembly of a document of historic significance: the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples. While observing that upcoming event today, it is important to emphasize the outstanding role that document has played in the history of mankind and the United Nations.

It was that Declaration that set forth the fundamental principle of self-determination, which remains one of the cornerstones of contemporary international relations. The Declaration set in motion the process of decolonization, which enabled many peoples in the former Non-Self-Governing Territories -- despite their small size and population, geographic remoteness and limited natural resources -- to exercise their choice to freely determine their political status and to freely pursue economic, social and cultural development.

A review of the efforts of the United Nations over the past four decades since the adoption of the Declaration offers grounds for believing that decolonization is one of the most significant achievements of this Organization. Indeed, the successes in pursuing this process are well known. Let me recall some of them. Dozens of former colonies, inhabited by more than 80 million people, have gained their long-awaited independence. All eleven Trust Territories have exercised their right to self-determination by obtaining independence or free association with an independent State. Due to its untiring efforts in the implementation of this document, the United Nations family of nations has been replenished with the essential number of new Members, and has become a unique global Organization of universal nature.

At the same time, however encouraging the outcome of the process launched by the Declaration, there is an obvious need to intensify our common efforts aimed at bringing it to its logical conclusion. One should not forget that the United Nations is still responsible for 17 Non-Self-Governing Territories which continue to strive to determine their future.

The Group of Eastern European States expresses its hope that today's decision by the General Assembly to proclaim the Second International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism will contribute to the final elimination of colonialism in all of its forms and manifestations. It is also our belief that the Special Committee on Decolonization will continue its undaunted commitment to putting the last vestiges of the colonial era behind us.

Exactly three months ago, the heads of State and Government gathered at the Millennium Summit adopted the Millennium Declaration, in which they undertook to rededicate themselves to support all efforts to uphold the right to self-determination of peoples that have not yet attained a full measure of self-government. Thus, the lofty principles and goals enshrined in the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples 40 years ago have once again found solid support.

In this respect, it is important that in the years to come all Members of the United Nations redouble their efforts towards reaching the ultimate goal of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples in order to bring about the complete and speedy eradication of colonialism. Let us work together to that end.

Mr. Valdés (Chile)

My delegation has the honour to address the Assembly, on behalf of the Group of Latin American and Caribbean States, on the occasion of the commemoration of an event that is of special importance to the United Nations: the fortieth anniversary of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, which was adopted by the General Assembly in resolution 1514 (XV) of 14 December 1960.

For the Group of Latin American and Caribbean States, this anniversary is doubly important and symbolic. Of the 33 States members of our group, 12 were included in the General Assembly's list of Non-Self-Governing Territories in 1960.

A process of integration has taken place in our region as in few other regions of the world. What at first was only Latin America was gradually enriched by the addition of the nations of the Caribbean that gained their independence and entered the United Nations as Member States. Today, we can testify to the fraternity and unity of our Group.

Our region has played a key role in the grand process of decolonization promoted by the United Nations, even prior to the acclaimed Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples. Indeed, in the negotiations on the Charter of San Francisco, the Latin American republics emerged as the voice of those who still had no voice, and, since 1945, they have been fighting for the exercise of the right to self-determination and for the decolonization of the fraternal peoples of the Caribbean, Africa, Asia and the Pacific.

Regrettably, there are still 17 Non-Self-Governing Territories on the United Nations list, eight of them situated on the American continent. The Special Committee on Decolonization must continue its work until those Territories are decolonized.

In the majority of the Territories that remain on the list, their peoples should be able to exercise their right to self-determination and thus freely to choose independence, integration or free association with an independent State.

Also on the list are special cases such as the dispute over sovereignty over the Malvinas Islands, located in our continent. This matter should be resolved through negotiations between the Government of the Republic of Argentina and the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in accordance with the relevant resolutions of the United Nations.

Moreover, we should also like to point out that, this year for the first time, the Special Committee on Decolonization has finally adopted by consensus a resolution on Puerto Rico, which, among other things, reiterates that the Puerto Rican people constitutes a Latin American and Caribbean nation that has its own and unequivocal national identity.

We hope that in the years ahead, the Special Committee will make substantive progress in its review of the situation of the Non-Self-Governing Territories. It should be remembered that, in 1998, the Special Committee decided to embark on a critical review of its work. This review was completed on 20 March 2000, when the Special Committee completed the elaboration of an informal programme of work that could be used as a model to be applied on a case-by-case basis to the respective Territories.

The Special Committee must necessarily be given the support of the administering Powers, duly taking into consideration the aspirations of the inhabitants of the Territories in order to elaborate the respective work programmes during the year 2001 in accordance with United Nations resolutions on decolonization.

Lastly, and for all the reasons set out above, the Latin American and Caribbean Group wishes to express its support for the proclamation of the period 2001-2010 as the Second International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism.

Ms. Suñé Pascuet (Andorra)

The Western European and other States Group (WEOG) is pleased to celebrate the fortieth anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples.

Ms. Suñé Pascuet (Andorra)

The 1960s witnessed the emergence of a large number of States throughout the world. Thus, our vision of the planet was enriched as we began to take into consideration other voices and other visions. This benefited this house as well -- the United Nations -- which acquired the special texture of a mosaic of peoples, the characteristic that makes the Organization and, particularly, the General Assembly a unique entity in which all members are equally represented.

The WEOG expresses its commitment to all peoples that are emerging from colonialism. In both the economic and social aspects, we wish them to achieve full development.

Ms. Suñé Pascuet (Andorra)

At the dawn of the third millennium, the world is new. Nevertheless, we cannot ignore the weight of history. States are undoubtedly equal by law, but now we must work in a supportive, responsible and balanced way to eliminate the great inequities in economic and social development that persist.

The recent Millennium Summit highlighted the difficulties and challenges before us. The WEOG States, a regional group made up of countries with developed economies, will be able, I am certain, to meet the challenge of our times and fulfil the hopes of our planet.

Ms. Suñé Pascuet (Andorra)

During the past decade some positive developments related to decolonization have taken place, most recently in 1999, when the people of East Timor chose the path to independence. Still, progress has been limited, and it is our hope that more can be done in the coming years. We must seize the moment and find in the spirit of freedom that engulfed the world 40 years ago the inspiration and the hope to build a new world where nations are equal in rights, responsibilities and levels of development. We must go beyond political independence and towards equal and fair interdependence. This is a goal that is dear to the WEOG States.

The President

The observance of the fortieth anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples is now concluded.