General Assembly Session 57 meeting 73

The Acting President

I call on the Rapporteur of the Special Committee, Mr. Fayssal Mekdad of the Syrian Arab Republic, to introduce the Committee's report.

Mr. Mekdad (Syria)

As the General Assembly begins its consideration of the question of implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, I have the honour to present the report of the Special Committee on decolonization on its activities during 2002.

The report is contained in document A/57/23 and consists of three parts. Part I of the report provides information on the history, organization and various aspects of the work of the Committee. It describes the matters on the Committee's agenda and its interaction with other United Nations bodies, as well as with intergovernmental, non-governmental and regional organizations. Part I also provides a review of the work of the Committee during the reporting period. I would like to draw the attention of the Assembly to section J, in particular, which contains the projections for future work of the Committee in 2003, subject to the approval of this body.

Part II of the report presents detailed information on the activities of the Committee with respect to the items on its agenda. It gives an account of its deliberations on such issues as the dissemination of information on decolonization; the question of sending visiting missions to the Territories; economic and other activities that affect the interests of the peoples of the Non-Self-Governing Territories; military activities carried out by the administering Powers in the Territories; the implementation of the Declaration by the specialized agencies and international institutions; and information transmitted under Article 73 (e) of the United Nations Charter. In addition, that part of the report includes a brief summary of the Special Committee's deliberations related to the 16 remaining Non-Self-Governing Territories.

Part III of the report contains the recommendations of the Committee, in the form of draft resolutions.

The year under review was marked by a significant and outstanding event for the Special Committee on Decolonization and, indeed, for the United Nations. One of the Non-Self-Governing Territories, namely, East Timor, became an independent State. On 1 May 2002, the General Assembly, by resolution 56/282, decided to remove East Timor from the United Nations list of Non-Self-Governing Territories, upon its accession to independence. In September 2002, Timor-Leste joined the United Nations family as a new Member of the Organization. I take this opportunity to reiterate our warm congratulations to the Government and the people of Timor-Leste.

During the period under review, the Special Committee continued to work within the framework of the Second International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism and its Plan of Action. The Committee focused its efforts on two main areas: the continued review of the developments in the remaining Non-Self-Governing Territories and the development of programmes of work for specific Territories. Regarding information on the Territories, the Committee benefited considerably from the participation of the representatives of the Non-Self-Governing Territories and experts in its work.

Regarding the development of programmes of work, the Committee continued to emphasize the need for constructive cooperation with the administering Powers for the successful completion of the decolonization process in all the Territories. The report of the Committee indicates that France participated in the work of the Committee during its consideration of the question of New Caledonia, while the delegations of the United Kingdom and the United States continued informal consultations with the Committee. The Special Committee is determined to intensify its efforts and to work with the administering Powers towards the development of work programmes for specific Territories under their administration.

Nowhere has that cooperation been more productive than in the case of Tokelau, where the representatives of the administering Power, New Zealand, alongside Tokelau, have had fruitful discussions that have allowed us to achieve further progress in formulating the work programme for the Territory's decolonization. The meetings among the three parties, held in New York in 2001 and 2002, improved understanding of the tasks at hand. As a further development, in August 2002 a visiting mission of the Committee travelled to Tokelau. Once again, we should like to express our gratitude and appreciation to the Government of New Zealand and to the United Nations Development Programme, which organized and facilitated the mission.

The annex to Chapter II of Part I of the report contains information concerning the Pacific Regional Seminar held by the Committee in Fiji in May 2002. The participants in this year's Seminar included the delegation of the Special Committee; the United Kingdom, France and New Zealand, as administering Powers; other United Nations Member States; representatives of the Territories; and non-governmental and regional organizations, as well as experts. The Seminar provided a unique opportunity for direct interaction and exchange of views between Committee members and representatives of the Territories. It generated a fruitful and constructive discussion on political, economic and social issues. Its conclusions and recommendations represent an invaluable contribution to the future work of the Committee.

As I noted earlier, during the past year, the Committee continued to consider the information transmitted under Article 73 (e) of the Charter by the administering Powers. With respect to economic activities affecting the interests of the peoples of the Territories, the Special Committee reaffirmed the legitimate right of the peoples of the Territories to their natural resources. On the issue of military activities and arrangements by colonial Powers in the Territories, the Committee called on the administering Powers not to involve the Territories in any offensive acts or interference directed against other States. The Committee also considered the activities of the specialized agencies and of other international organizations in Non-Self-Governing Territories. The Special Committee reiterated the importance of the dissemination of information on decolonization and noted with appreciation the new brochure on decolonization produced in 2002 by the Department of Public Information in cooperation with the Department of Political Affairs.

The Committee has continued to devote special attention to political, economic and social issues related to the small island Territories. It has followed the situation in American Samoa, Anguilla, Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Guam, Montserrat, Pitcairn, St. Helena, the Turks and Caicos Islands and the United States Virgin Islands, as well as Tokelau and New Caledonia. The report also reflects the Special Committee's consideration of the question of the Falkland Islands (Malvinas), Gibraltar, the question of Western Sahara and the decision concerning Puerto Rico. The Special Committee's consideration of the developments in the Non-Self-Governing Territories has been facilitated by the working papers on each Territory prepared by the Secretariat.

In conclusion, I should like to express the gratitude of the Special Committee to the Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan, for his unconditional support of the Special Committee's efforts aimed at the eradication of colonialism. I should also like to highlight with appreciation the substantive political support and advice provided by the Department of Political Affairs, whose input has been invaluable in the work of the Committee and in the implementation of its mandate. I should also like to refer to the excellent technical Secretariat services provided by the Department for General Assembly and Conference Management.

The Acting President

I now call on the Vice-Chairman of the Special Committee, Mr. Bernard Tanoh-Boutchoué of Côte d'Ivoire, to introduce draft resolution A/57/L.52 on behalf of the Chairman of the Special Committee.

Mr. Tanoh-Boutchoué (Cote d'Ivoire)

I have the great honour, in my capacity as interim Chairman of the Special Committee, to address the General Assembly as it considers the question of the implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples. The Rapporteur, Mr. Fayssal Mekdad, has just presented to Members the report of the Special Committee (A/57/23).

On behalf of the Chairman of the Committee, who unfortunately was unable to be here today, I should like to present a few points regarding the activities carried out by the Committee during the past year, to introduce the draft resolution now before the Assembly (A/57/L.52) and to give Members an idea of the challenges that we shall all have to address together.

As the Assembly is aware, despite the progress achieved since 1960, when the Declaration was adopted, the decolonization process continues because it has not yet attained all its goals. Two years ago, the Second International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism began, and 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories remain on the United Nations list. Over the course of the year, in accordance with our mandate, we analysed the information that we had received from the administering Powers, in conformity with Article 73 (e) of the Charter, and the working papers drawn up by the Secretariat on each of the Territories. We also studied the statements made by the representatives of the Territories, by various officials, by petitioners and by non-governmental organizations. In June, at the end of its session, the Committee adopted a draft decision and nine draft resolutions by consensus. It also unanimously adopted a draft resolution on Puerto Rico.

In parallel with that work, we have constantly stressed the need to work together with the Economic and Social Council. In that regard, the Council adopted a draft resolution last June on the implementation of the Declaration by the specialized agencies. In May 2002 in Fiji, the Special Committee held its regional seminar for the Pacific region. This was its opportunity to communicate with the representatives and the people of the Territories, and also to answer questions regarding its work. In particular, we stressed the Committee's desire to urge the administering Powers to develop decolonization plans in the form of special work programmes for each Territory. We also emphasized the fact that throughout the process we considered the opinions of the people of the Territories.

Clearly, in order to make progress in carrying out its mandate, the Special Committee needs to be able to count on unreserved cooperation from the administering Powers. With this in mind, we should emphasize that in 2002 we were able to benefit from the constructive cooperation of New Zealand, which I will mention again later on.

France also participated in our seminar. The United Kingdom and the United States attended some meetings informally and I would like to emphasize that the United Kingdom attended our regional seminar for the second year in a row. Our work relations with all of the administering Powers will, we hope, strengthen next year, so that we will be able to make constructive progress in our consideration of the needs and aspirations of the peoples of the Territories.

In this connection, a good example of what can be achieved when a constructive dialogue is created with an administering Power is provided by the work relations we have been cultivating with New Zealand regarding the future of Tokelau. This year, in 2002, we have continued to work side by side with the representatives of New Zealand and Tokelau in order to move forward with the work programme that is to lead to the decolonization of the Territory.

Last summer, the chairman of the Special Committee made a visit at the invitation of the authorities of New Zealand and Tokelau. The report of this mission, which just appeared in document A/AC.109/2002/31, shows quite clearly that there is nothing more useful for our work than direct knowledge of what is happening in a Territory.

Moreover, through its presence alone, the Visiting Mission of the United Nations to the Non-Self-Governing Territory of Tokelau and New Zealand has had a positive effect on the decolonization process by giving rise to a lively debate between the three parties.

As the report of the Mission indicates, Tokelau and New Zealand maintain constructive relations and are making resolute progress towards the expansion of the autonomy of the Territory, while maintaining the quality of the public administration and the vitality of the economic development of the Territory. The result of the meetings in Wellington, devoted to setting a framework for the relations between the two countries, will be decisive from the standpoint of items still pending, for example, the circumstances in which New Zealand will provide administrative and economic assistance to the Territory, as well as assistance with security and defence, participation in regional and international affairs and the decolonization process itself.

In this regard, the Mission states in its report that the population of Tokelau as a whole should be better informed of its options for self-determination, as well as their consequences. It recommends that Tokelau and New Zealand launch an education campaign and that they conduct a study of the various options and their consequences, under the auspices of and with the assistance of the United Nations.

The case of Tokelau shows the considerable value of decolonization programmes and their importance for a given Territory when they are carried out with the goodwill of all parties involved.

I ask for the support of the Assembly for the draft resolution in document A/57/L.52 on the implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, which I shall now introduce. Beforehand, I would like to mention that the following countries have joined the list of sponsors: Côte d'Ivoire and Fiji.

The text of the draft you have before you is nearly analogous to the resolution adopted by the General Assembly at its last session. It recalls the proclamation of the Second International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism, and reaffirms that colonialism is incompatible with the United Nations Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Declaration on Decolonization of 1960. It also reaffirms the determination of the General Assembly to eliminate colonialism quickly and completely from the history of humankind.

The General Assembly declares, once again, that it supports the aspirations of people subjected to colonial domination who wish to assert their right to self-determination, including independence, pursuant to United Nations resolutions on decolonization.

The draft resolution asks the administering Powers to complete before the end of 2003 the preparation of constructive work programmes suitable to each Non-Self-Governing Territory, in order to facilitate the implementation of the mandate of the Special Committee, and the implementation of the relevant decolonization resolutions, especially those bearing on certain specific Territories.

In this regard, wording has been added in paragraph 7, new wording compared to previous texts. It welcomes the consultations between the Special Committee and the representatives of the New Zealand Government and the people of Tokelau with a view to advancing a programme of work on the question of Tokelau. It also welcomes the report of the United Nations Mission that I mentioned a moment ago.

Subject to some minor editorial changes, paragraph 8 contains, as before, provisions on the work programme of the Special Committee. The Special Committee is asked to find specific ways to put an end to colonialism and to continue to monitor the manner in which Member States are implementing resolutions that the General Assembly has adopted in this regard; to continue to study the political, economic and social situation of Non-Self-Governing Territories; to conclude before the end of 2003 the preparation of a work programme in each and every case of a Non-Self-Governing Territory; and to continue to send visiting missions, organize seminars, mobilize support throughout the world for decolonization and finally, to commemorate every year a Week of Solidarity with the peoples of Non-Self-Governing Territories.

The draft resolution also contains paragraphs devoted specifically to economic activities, the exploitation of natural resources and military activities and arrangements within the Territories. The General Assembly urges Member States and specialized agencies to lend moral and material assistance to the people of these territories and requests that administering Powers make effective use of bilateral and multilateral assistance in the strengthening of the economies of those Territories. The text reaffirms the effectiveness of visiting missions to the Territories and asks the administering Powers to facilitate them. Those who have not officially taken part in the work of the Committee should do so at its 2003 session.

In conclusion, the Secretary-General, specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system are asked to provide assistance to Non-Self Governing Territories, especially in the economic and social sphere, and that they continue to do so as appropriate after these Territories have exercised their right of self-determination, including independence.

The text before the Committee is the culmination of consultations held by interested delegations in the spirit of accommodation and consensus. Therefore I urge delegations in the General Assembly to consider favourably the recommendations submitted to them by the Special Committee. This will enable it to continue its mission, which is to promote the rights and interests of the peoples of Non-Self-Governing Territories.

This Special Committee is determined to have a decisive influence on the assistance given to peoples of Non-Self Governing Territories so that they may be able to exercise their right to self-determination, pursuant to the resolutions of this Assembly. But the Committee cannot do so if we confine ourselves to adopting, year after year, the same resolutions without action. The Committee must carry out its mission and play an active role in decolonization by creating special work programmes and other diverse activities. It is absolutely necessary that administering Powers work along with it, in a constructive and transparent manner, in an attempt to achieve this noble objective. It is also absolutely necessary that the representatives of these Territories take part in these activities at every stage.

Next year will be decisive for the actions undertaken by the Special Committee on Decolonization. Not only do we hope that our dialogue, which has just began with New Zealand on Tokelau, will continue, but we also hope to get into a relationship at the beginning of 2003 with other administering Powers, especially the United States and the United Kingdom, in order to draw up a work programme for each Territory. If we all wish to put an end to such a complex process as decolonization, all the parties involved must show special sincerity in the effort.

Before concluding, on behalf of the Chairman of the Special Committee, may I thank the Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan, for the efficiency with which the Secretariat has provided us with intellectual and technical support throughout the session. The Chairman has also asked me to express his gratitude to the bureau of the Special Committee for the cooperation and support it gave him during the session. He has also instructed me to commend the effectiveness of the Secretariat staff dealing with decolonization.

The Acting President

I would like to inform members that the General Assembly will take action on the draft resolutions under agenda item 19 after all the reports of the Special Political and Decolonization Committee (Fourth Committee) have been considered.