Question of the United States Virgin Islands

Who adopted this document and its mandates?

A Resolution of the General Assembly, published in 1986.

What other versions does this mandate have?

23 versions · 1977–2025

This is an older version — the most recent is A/RES/80/103

Year	Symbol	Title	Word length	Text similarity
2025	A/RES/80/103	Question of the United States Virgin Islands	1,977	91%Compare
2024	A/RES/79/112	Question of the United States Virgin Islands	2,109	92%Compare
2023	A/RES/78/99	Question of the United States Virgin Islands	2,181	99%Compare
2022	A/RES/77/147	Question of the United States Virgin Islands	2,178	90%Compare
2021	A/RES/76/103	Question of the United States Virgin Islands	2,375	89%Compare

What subjects does this mandate have?

8 subjects

Caribbean Region Economic Development Natural Resources Plebiscites Political Conditions Regional Cooperation United States Virgin Islands United States Virgin Islands Question

What’s in this document?

14 operative paragraphs

Having considered the question of the United States Virgin Islands,

Having examined the relevant chapters 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,25

Recalling its resolution 1514 (XV) of 14 December 1960, containing the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, and all other resolutions and decisions of the United Nations relating to the United States Virgin Islands, including in particular its resolution 39/38 of 5 December 1984,

Noting with appreciation the continued active participation of the administering Power and the representative of the territorial Government in the work of the Special Committee in regard to the United States Virgin Islands, thereby enabling it to conduct a more informed and meaningful examination of the situation in the Territory with a view to accelerating the process of decolonization for the purpose of the full implementation of the Declaration.

Taking into account the statement of the representative of the administering Power that the Territory of the United States Virgin Islands enjoys a large measure of selfgovernment through its elected representatives, namely, the Governor, members of the Legislature and the Territory's non-voting delegate to the United States House of Representatives, and noting the recent general elections in the Territory,

Noting with concern that the economy of the Territory was, as described by the Governor, "temporarily depressed", particularly in the tourist, construction and industrial sectors, as well as in the delivery of government services, and noting that the Territory's industrial development programme would suffer a setback as a result of the announced plan of Martin Marietta Alumina, Inc. for the closure of its aluminium plant in the Territory in 1985,

Welcoming the continued participation of the United States Virgin Islands, as an associate member, in the work of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean and its subsidiary bodies, including the Caribbean Development and Co-operation Committee, and

noting the participation ofa representative of the Territory as a member of the delegation of the administering Power at annual meetings of the Caribbean Group for Co-operation in Economic Development since 1982,

Noting with satisfaction the statement of the administering Power that it endorsed the policy that representatives of the Territory should participate in forums in which the Territory was the subject of discussion,

A ware of the special circumstances of the geographical location and economic conditions of the United States Virgin Islands, and bearing in mind the necessity of diversifying and strengthening further its economy as a matter of priority in order to promote economic stability,

Recalling the dispatch in 1977 of a United Nations visiting mission to the Territory,

Mindful that United Nations visiting missions provide an effective means of ascertaining the situation in the small Territories, and expressing its satisfaction at the willingness of the administering Power to receive visiting missions in the Territories under its administration,

Approves the 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 relating to the United States Virgin Islands;26

Reaffirms the inalienable right of the people of the United States Virgin Islands to self-determination and independence in conformity with the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, contained in General Assembly resolution 1514 (XV);

Reiterates the view that such factors as territorial size, geographical location, size of population and limited natural resources should in no way delay the speedy exercise by the people of the Territory of their inalienable right to self-determination and independence in conformity with the Declaration, which fully applies to the United States Virgin Islands;

Reiterates that it is the responsibility of the administering Power to create such conditions in the United States Virgin Islands as will enable the people of the Territory to exercise freely and without interference their inalienable right to self-determination and independence in conformity with resolution 1514 (XV), as well as all other relevant resolutions of the General Assembly;

Reaffirms that it is ultimately for the people of the 5. United States Virgin Islands themselves to determine their future political status in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Charter of the United Nations and the Declaration, and, in that connection, reaffirms the importance of fostering an awareness among the people of the Territory of the possibilities open to them in the exercise of their right to self-determination;

Notes that the Select Committee, established by the Legislature of the United States Virgin Islands in 1983 to ascertain the views of the people of the Territory on their future status and to make recommendations in that regard, conducted public hearings from March to August 1984 and submitted its report to the Sixteenth Legislature in January 1985;27

Also notes that the Legislature endorsed the report, which included, inter alia, a recommendation that a referendum on the status issue should be held on 4 November 1986, in conjunction with the next general election, for people of the United States Virgin Islands to choose between a variety of status options including independence, statehood, free association, incorporated territory, status quo or a compact of federal relations;27 8.

Further notes that the Legislature decided to appoint a new committee to continue the process of public hearings in order to ensure that the people of the United States Virgin Islands were fully aware of the implications of the various status options by the time of the referendum;27 Urges the administering Power, in co-operation with the territorial Government, to strengthen the economy of the Territory by taking additional measures of diversification in all fields and developing an adequate infrastructure with a view to reducing the economic dependence of the Territory on the administering Power;

Reaffirms the responsibility of the administering Power under the Charter to promote the economic and social development of the United States Virgin Islands;

Urges the administering Power, in co-operation with the Government of the United States Virgin Islands, to safeguard the inalienable right of the people of the Territory to the enjoyment of their natural resources by taking effective measures to guarantee their right to own and dispose of those resources and to establish and maintain control of their future development;

Urges the administering Power to seek in the Caribbean Group for Co-operation in Economic Development a status for the territorial Government similar to that of other dependent Territories within the Group;

Calls upon the administering Power to facilitate

further the participation of the United States Virgin Islands in various regional intergovernmental bodies and organizations, particularly in their central organs, and in other organizations of the United Nations system;

Urges the administering Power to continue to take all necessary measures to comply fully with the purposes and principles of the Charter, the Declaration and the relevant resolutions and decisions of the General Assembly relating to military activities and arrangements by colonial Powers in Territories under their administration;

Considers that the possibility of sending a further visiting mission to the United States Virgin Islands at an appropriate time should be kept under review;

Requests the Special Committee to continue the examination of this question at its next session, including the possible dispatch of a further visiting mission to the United States Virgin Islands at an appropriate time and in consultation with the administering Power, and to report thereon to the General Assembly at its forty-first session.

23 Ibid., chap. XXIV.

25 Offu:ial Records of the General Assembly, Fortieth Session. SupplemRnt 24AJAC.109/799, sect. IV.

No. 2.f(A/40/23), chaps. II, IV-VI and XXV.

26 Ibid., chap. XXV 28 Ibid., Supp/emenl No l3 (A/40/23). chap. X. 27 Ibid., para. I 0.

29 A/40/692 and Corr I

Who adopted this document and its mandates?

What other versions does this mandate have?

What subjects does this mandate have?

What’s in this document?

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