Questions of American Samoa, Anguilla, Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Guam, Montserrat, Pitcairn, Saint Helena, the Turks and Caicos Islands and the United States Virgin Islands

A/RES/63/108A-BView PDF

Who adopted this document and its mandates?

A Resolution of the General Assembly, under agenda item 37 Implementation of the Declaration on Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, published in 2008.

What else is in this group?

15 documents · 2003–2015

Newer documents in this group exist (latest: 2015).

Year	Symbol	Title	Word length	Text similarity
2015	A/RES/70/102 A-B	Questions of American Samoa, Anguilla, Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Guam, Montserrat, Pitcairn, Saint Helena, the Turks and Caicos Islands and the United States Virgin Islands	—	–
2014	A/RES/69/105 A-B	Questions of American Samoa, Anguilla, Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Guam, Montserrat, Pitcairn, Saint Helena, the Turks and Caicos Islands and the United States Virgin Islands	—	–
2013	A/RES/68/95 A-B	Questions of American Samoa, Anguilla, Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Guam, Montserrat, Pitcairn, Saint Helena, the Turks and Caicos Islands and the United States Virgin Islands resolutions	—	–
2013	A/RES/67/132 A-B	Questions of American Samoa, Anguilla, Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Guam, Montserrat, Pitcairn, Saint Helena, the Turks and Caicos Islands and the United States Virgin Islands resolutions	—	–
2012	A/RES/66/89A-B	Questions of American Samoa, Anguilla, Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Guam, Montserrat, Pitcairn, Saint Helena, the Turks and Caicos Islands and the United States Virgin Islands resolutions	—	–

This group bundles related documents that are not individually ordered.

What subjects does this mandate have?

18 subjects

American Samoa Question Anguilla Question Bermuda Question British Virgin Islands Question Cayman Islands Question Decolonization Environmental Protection Guam Question Human Rights Information Exchange Montserrat Question Non-Self-Governing Territories Pitcairn Question Programme Implementation Saint Helena Question Self-Determination of Peoples Turks and Caicos Islands Question United States Virgin Islands Question

What’s in this document?

53 operative paragraphs

A

Reaffirms the inalienable right of the peoples of the Territories to self-determination, in conformity with the Charter of the United Nations and with General Assembly resolution 1514 (XV), containing the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples;

Also reaffirms that, in the process of decolonization, there is no alternative to the principle of self-determination, which is also a fundamental human right, as recognized under the relevant human rights conventions;

Further reaffirms that it is ultimately for the peoples of the Territories themselves to determine freely their future political status in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Charter, the Declaration and the relevant resolutions of the General Assembly, and in that connection reiterates its long-standing call for the administering Powers, in cooperation with the territorial Governments and appropriate bodies of the United Nations system, to develop political education programmes for the Territories in order to foster an awareness among the people of their right to self-determination in conformity with the legitimate political status options, based on the principles clearly defined in General Assembly resolution 1541 (XV) and other relevant resolutions and decisions;

Requests the administering Powers to transmit regularly to the Secretary-General information called for under Article 73 e of the Charter;

Stresses the importance of the Special Committee being apprised of the views and wishes of the peoples of the Territories and enhancing its understanding of their conditions, including the nature and scope of the existing political and constitutional arrangements between the Non-Self-Governing Territories and their respective administering Powers;

Reaffirms the responsibility of the administering Powers under the Charter to promote the economic and social development and to preserve the cultural identity of the Territories, and recommends that priority continue to be given, in consultation with the territorial Governments concerned, to the strengthening and diversification of their respective economies;

Requests the Territories and the administering Powers to take all measures necessary to protect and conserve the environment of the Territories against any degradation, and once again requests the specialized agencies concerned to continue to monitor environmental conditions in the Territories and to provide assistance to those Territories, consistent with their prevailing rules of procedure;

Welcomes the participation of the Non-Self-Governing Territories in regional activities, including the work of regional organizations;

Stresses the importance of implementing the plan of action for the Second International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism,3 in particular by expediting the application of the work programme for the decolonization of each Non-Self-Governing Territory, on a case-by-case basis, as well as by ensuring that periodic analyses are undertaken of the progress and extent of the implementation of the Declaration in each Territory, and that the working papers prepared by the Secretariat on each Territory should fully reflect developments in those Territories;

Calls upon the administering Powers to participate in and cooperate fully with the work of the Special Committee in order to implement the provisions of Article 73 e of the Charter and the Declaration, and in order to advise the Special Committee on the implementation of provisions under Article 73 b of the Charter on efforts to promote self-government in the Territories, and encourages the administering Powers to facilitate visiting and special missions to the Territories;

Urges Member States to contribute to the efforts of the United Nations to usher in a world free of colonialism within the Second International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism, and calls upon them to continue to give their full support to the Special Committee in its endeavours towards that noble goal;

Stresses the importance of the constitutional reviews in the respective Territories administered by the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United States of America, and led by the territorial Governments, designed to address internal constitutional structures within the present territorial arrangements, and decides to follow closely the developments concerning the future political status of those Territories;

Requests the Secretary-General to report to the General Assembly at its sixty-fourth session on the implementation of decolonization resolutions adopted since the declaration of the First and Second International Decades for the Eradication of Colonialism;

Reiterates its request that the Human Rights Committee collaborate with the Special Committee, within the framework of its mandate on the right to self-determination as contained in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,5 with the aim of exchanging information, given that the Human Rights Committee is mandated to review the situation, including political and constitutional developments, in many of the Non-Self-Governing Territories that are within the purview of the Special Committee;

Requests the Special Committee to collaborate with the Economic and Social Council and its relevant subsidiary intergovernmental bodies, within the framework of their respective mandates, with the aim of exchanging information on developments in those Non-Self-Governing Territories which are reviewed by those bodies;

Also requests the Special Committee to continue to examine the question of the Non-Self-Governing Territories and to report thereon to the General Assembly at its sixty-fourth session and on the implementation of the present resolution.

B

I.American Samoa

Welcomes the work of the territorial Government and legislature with regard to the recommendations made by the Future Political Status Study Commission in preparation for a constitutional convention addressing issues related to the future status of American Samoa;

Stresses the importance of the invitation previously extended to the Special Committee by the Governor of American Samoa to send a visiting mission to the Territory, calls upon the administering Power to facilitate such a mission if the territorial Government so desires, and requests the Chairperson of the Special Committee to take all the necessary steps to that end;

Requests the administering Power to assist the Territory by facilitating its work concerning a public awareness programme recommended by the Future Political Status Study Commission in its 2007 report, consistent with Article 73 b of the Charter of the United Nations and, in that regard, calls upon the relevant United Nations organizations to provide assistance to the Territory, if requested;

II.Anguilla

Taking note of the working paper prepared by the Secretariat on Anguilla¹⁰ and other relevant information,

¹⁰A/AC.109/2008/7.

Recalling the holding of the 2003 Caribbean regional seminar in Anguilla, hosted by the territorial Government and made possible by the administering Power, the first time that the seminar had been held in a Non-Self-Governing Territory,

Taking note of the internal constitutional review process resumed by the territorial Government in 2006, the work of the Constitutional and Electoral Reform Commission, which prepared its report in August 2006, and the holding of public and other consultative meetings in 2007 on proposed constitutional amendments to be presented to the administering Power, as well as of the territorial Government’s recent decision to revisit the recommendations of the Commission, in order to move the process forward, with the aim of seeking full internal self-government,

Aware that the Government intends to continue its commitment to high-end tourism and the implementation of various regulations in the financial services sector,

Noting the participation of the Territory as an associate member in the Caribbean Community, the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States and the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean,

Welcomes the work of the Constitutional and Electoral Reform Commission and its report of 2006, the holding of public and other consultative meetings in 2007, with the aim of making recommendations to the administering Power on proposed changes to the Constitution of the Territory and the subsequent efforts of the territorial Government to advance the internal constitutional review exercise;

Stresses the importance of the previously expressed desire of the territorial Government for a visiting mission by the Special Committee, calls upon the administering Power to facilitate such a mission, if the territorial Government so desires, and requests the Chairperson of the Special Committee to take all the necessary steps to that end;

Requests the administering Power to assist the Territory by facilitating its work concerning public consultative outreach efforts, consistent with Article 73 b of the Charter of the United Nations and, in that regard, calls upon the relevant United Nations organizations to provide assistance to the Territory, if requested;

III.Bermuda

Taking note of the working paper prepared by the Secretariat on Bermuda¹¹ and other relevant information,

¹¹A/AC.109/2008/10 and Corr.1.

Conscious of the different viewpoints of the political parties on the future status of the Territory, and noting a recent survey by local media on the matter,

Recalling the dispatch of the United Nations special mission to Bermuda in 2005 at the request of the territorial Government and with the concurrence of the administering Power, which provided information to the people of the Territory on the role of the United Nations in the process of self-determination, on the legitimate political status options as clearly defined in General Assembly resolution 1541 (XV) and on the experiences of other small States that have achieved a full measure of self-government,

Stresses the importance of the 2005 report of the Bermuda Independence Commission, which provides a thorough examination of the facts surrounding independence, and regrets that the plans for public meetings and the presentation of a Green Paper to the House of Assembly followed by a White Paper outlining the policy proposals for an independent Bermuda have so far not materialized;

Requests the administering Power to assist the Territory by facilitating its work concerning public educational outreach efforts, consistent with Article 73 b of the Charter of the United Nations and, in that regard, calls upon the relevant United Nations organizations to provide assistance to the Territory, if requested;

IV.British Virgin Islands

Taking note of the working paper prepared by the Secretariat on the British Virgin Islands¹² and other relevant information,

¹²A/AC.109/2008/2.

Recalling the 1993 report of the Constitutional Commissioners, the 1996 debate on the report in the Legislative Council of the Territory, the establishment of the Constitutional Review Commission in 2004, the completion in 2005 of its report providing recommendations on internal constitutional modernization and the debate held in 2005 on the report in the Legislative Council, as well as the negotiations between the administering Power and the territorial Government, which resulted in the adoption of the new Constitution of the Territory in 2007,

Noting that the 2007 Constitution of the British Virgin Islands provides for a Governor, who maintains reserved powers in the Territory, to be appointed by the administering Power,

Noting also the statement made by an expert from the Territory at the 2008 Pacific regional seminar, who presented an analysis of the recently concluded constitutional review process,

Noting further that the Territory continues to emerge as a leading offshore financial centre, with unprecedented growth in its financial and tourism services sectors,

Cognizant of the potential usefulness of regional ties for the development of a small island Territory,

Welcomes the new Constitution of the British Virgin Islands, which took effect in June 2007, and notes the need expressed by the territorial Government for minor constitutional amendments in the years to come;

Requests the administering Power to assist the Territory by facilitating its work concerning public outreach efforts, consistent with Article 73 b of the Charter of the United Nations and, in that regard, calls upon the relevant United Nations organizations to provide assistance to the Territory, if requested;

Welcomes the efforts made by the Territory to focus its economic base more on local ownership and on professional service industries other than financial services;

Appreciates the efforts made to continue the work of the Inter-Virgin Islands Council between the elected Governments of the British Virgin Islands and the United States Virgin Islands to advance cooperation between the two neighbouring Territories;

V.Cayman Islands

Taking note of the working paper prepared by the Secretariat on the Cayman Islands¹³ and other relevant information,

¹³A/AC.109/2008/11.

Aware of the 2002 report of the Constitutional Modernization Review Commission, which contained a draft constitution for the consideration of the people of the Territory, the 2003 draft constitution offered by the administering Power and the subsequent discussions between the Territory and the administering Power in 2003, and the reopening of discussions between the administering Power and the territorial Government on internal constitutional modernization in 2006, with the aim of ascertaining the views of the people by way of referendum,

Noting with interest the establishment of the Cayman Islands Constitutional Review Secretariat, which began its work in March 2007 in support of the Territory’s constitution modernization initiative, which comprises four phases with regard to constitutional reform, including research and publicity, consultation and public education, a referendum on reform proposals, and negotiations between the administering Power and the territorial Government,

Acknowledging the indication by the territorial Government that certain cost-of-living issues, such as inflation, continue to be a cause for concern,

Welcomes the publication by the territorial Government of a consultation paper in January 2008 setting out a number of proposals for constitutional reform, with a view to holding a referendum on those proposals, or revised proposals, later in the year;

Requests the administering Power to assist the Territory by facilitating its work concerning public awareness outreach efforts, consistent with Article 73 b of the Charter of the United Nations and, in that regard, calls upon the relevant United Nations organizations to provide assistance to the Territory, if requested;

Welcomes the efforts made by the territorial Government to address cost-of-living issues in various economic sectors;

VI.Guam

Taking note of the working paper prepared by the Secretariat on Guam¹⁴ and other relevant information,

¹⁴A/AC.109/2008/15.

Aware that under United States law the relations between the territorial Government and the federal Government in all matters that are not the programme responsibility of another federal department or agency are under the general administrative supervision of the Secretary of the Interior,¹⁵

¹⁵United States Congress, Organic Act of Guam, 1950, as amended.

Recalling that, in a referendum held in 1987, the registered and eligible voters of Guam endorsed a draft Guam Commonwealth Act that would establish a new framework for relations between the Territory and the administering Power, providing for a greater measure of internal self-government for Guam and recognition of the right of the Chamorro people of Guam to self-determination for the Territory,

Recalling also the previously expressed requests by the elected representatives and non-governmental organizations of the Territory that Guam not be removed from the list of the Non-Self-Governing Territories with which the Special Committee is concerned, pending the self-determination of the Chamorro people and taking into account their legitimate rights and interests,

Aware that negotiations between the administering Power and the territorial Government on the draft Guam Commonwealth Act ended in 1997 and that Guam has subsequently established a non-binding plebiscite process for a self-determination vote by the eligible Chamorro voters,

Cognizant that the administering Power continues to implement its programme of transferring surplus federal land to the Government of Guam,

Noting that the people of the Territory have called for reform in the programme of the administering Power with respect to the thorough, unconditional and expeditious transfer of land property to the people of Guam,

Aware of deep concerns expressed by civil society and others, including at the 2008 Pacific regional seminar, regarding the potential social and other impacts of the impending transfer of additional military personnel of the administering Power to the Territory,

Aware also of the austerity and fiscal measures undertaken by the territorial Government since 2007, when the Governor declared a financial “state of emergency”,

Conscious that immigration into Guam has resulted in the indigenous Chamorros becoming a minority in their homeland,

Calls once again upon the administering Power to take into consideration the expressed will of the Chamorro people as supported by Guam voters in the referendum of 1987 and as subsequently provided for in Guam law regarding Chamorro self-determination efforts, and encourages the administering Power and the territorial Government to enter into negotiations on the matter;

Requests the administering Power, in cooperation with the territorial Government, to continue to transfer land to the original landowners of the Territory, to continue to recognize and to respect the political rights and the cultural and ethnic identity of the Chamorro people of Guam and to take all measures necessary to address the concerns of the territorial Government with regard to the question of immigration;

Also requests the administering Power to cooperate in establishing programmes for the sustainable development of the economic activities and enterprises of the Territory, noting the special role of the Chamorro people in the development of Guam;

Recalls the previously made request by the elected Governor to the administering Power to lift restrictions to allow for foreign airlines to transport passengers between Guam and the United States of America to provide for a more competitive market and increased visitor arrivals;

Requests the administering Power to assist the Territory by facilitating public outreach efforts, consistent with Article 73 b of the Charter of the United Nations and, in that regard, calls upon the relevant United Nations organizations to provide assistance to the Territory, if requested;

VII.Montserrat

Taking note of the working paper prepared by the Secretariat on Montserrat¹⁶ and other relevant information,

¹⁶A/AC.109/2008/16.

Recalling the 2002 report of the Constitutional Review Commission, the convening of a committee of the House of Assembly in 2005 to review the report and the subsequent discussions between the administering Power and the territorial Government on internal constitutional advancement and devolution of power,

Noting that the negotiating process with the administering Power on a draft constitution, expected to be finalized in the first quarter of 2007, is in progress and that talks, postponed at the request of the territorial Government since more time was needed, are expected to resume in the course of 2008,

Aware that Montserrat continues to receive budgetary aid from the administering Power for the operation of the territorial Government,

Recalling the statements made by participants at the 2007 Caribbean regional seminar encouraging the administering Power to commit sufficient resources to meet the Territory’s special needs,

Noting with concern the continued consequences of the volcanic eruption, which led to the evacuation of three quarters of the Territory’s population to safe areas of the island and to areas outside the Territory, which continues to have enduring consequences for the economy of the island,

Acknowledging the continued assistance provided to the Territory by States members of the Caribbean Community, in particular Antigua and Barbuda, which has offered safe refuge and access to educational and health facilities, as well as employment for thousands who have left the Territory,

Noting the continuing efforts of the administering Power and the territorial Government to deal with the consequences of the volcanic eruption,

Welcomes the efforts of the territorial Government to continue to negotiate improvements to the Constitution of the Territory so as to preserve its ability to move towards greater self-determination at a later stage;

Calls upon the administering Power, the specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system, as well as regional and other organizations, to continue to provide assistance to the Territory in alleviating the consequences of the volcanic eruption;

VIII.Pitcairn

Taking note of the working paper prepared by the Secretariat on Pitcairn¹⁷ and other relevant information,

¹⁷A/AC.109/2008/4.

Taking into account the unique character of Pitcairn in terms of population and area,

Noting that the internal review of the Constitution of the Territory is still deferred,

Aware that the administering Power and the territorial Government are in the process of restructuring the relationship between the Governor’s Office and the territorial Government, based on consultations with the people of the Territory, and that Pitcairn continues to receive budgetary aid from the administering Power for the operation of the territorial Government,

Welcomes all efforts by the administering Power that would devolve operational responsibilities to the territorial Government, with a view to expanding self-government;

Also requests the administering Power to continue its assistance for the improvement of the economic, social, educational and other conditions of the population of the Territory and to continue its discussions with the territorial Government on how best to support economic security in Pitcairn;

IX.Saint Helena

Taking note of the working paper prepared by the Secretariat on Saint Helena¹⁸ and other relevant information,

¹⁸A/AC.109/2008/6.

Taking into account the unique character of Saint Helena in terms of its population, geography and natural resources,

Noting the internal constitutional review process led by the territorial Government since 2001, the completion of a draft constitution following negotiations between the administering Power and the territorial Government in 2003 and 2004, the consultative poll with regard to a new constitution, held in Saint Helena in May 2005, the subsequent preparation of a revised draft constitution as a basis for discussion and the efforts of the territorial Government to keep the constitutional review exercise high on its agenda, including through public meetings,

Noting in that regard the importance of the right to nationality for Saint Helenians and their previously expressed request that the right, in principle, be included in a new constitution,

Aware that Saint Helena continues to receive budgetary aid from the administering Power for the operation of the territorial Government,

Aware also of the efforts of the administering Power and the territorial Government to improve the socio-economic conditions of the population of Saint Helena, in particular in the areas of employment and transport and communications infrastructure,

Noting the efforts of the Territory to address the problem of unemployment on the island and the joint action of the administering Power and the territorial Government in dealing with it,

Noting also the importance of improving the infrastructure and accessibility of Saint Helena,

Welcomes the Territory’s continuing constitutional review process, including the related public meetings, and calls upon the administering Power to take into account the previously expressed concerns of Saint Helenians with regard to the right to nationality;

Requests the administering Power and relevant international organizations to continue to support the efforts of the territorial Government to address the Territory’s socio-economic development challenges, including unemployment, and limited transport and communications infrastructure;

Welcomes the decision by the administering Power to provide funding for the construction of an international airport on Saint Helena, which is to become operational in 2011–2012, including all required infrastructure;

X.Turks and Caicos Islands

Taking note of the working paper prepared by the Secretariat on the Turks and Caicos Islands¹⁹ and other relevant information,

¹⁹A/AC.109/2008/12.

Recalling the dispatch of the United Nations special mission to the Turks and Caicos Islands in 2006, at the request of the territorial Government and with the concurrence of the administering Power,

Recalling also the 2002 report of the Constitutional Modernization Review Body, and acknowledging the Constitution agreed between the administering Power and the territorial Government, which entered into force in 2006,

Noting that the 2006 Constitution of the Turks and Caicos Islands provides for a Governor, who maintains reserved powers in the Territory, to be appointed by the administering Power,

Acknowledging the significant and steady period of economic expansion fuelled by the continuing growth of high-end tourism and related real estate development,

Recalls the Constitution of the Territory, which took effect in 2006, and notes the view of the territorial Government that there remains scope for a degree of delegation of the Governor’s power to the Territory so as to secure greater autonomy;

Welcomes the continuing efforts made by the Government addressing the need for attention to be paid to the enhancement of social cohesion across the Territory;

XI.United States Virgin Islands

Taking note of the working paper prepared by the Secretariat on the United States Virgin Islands²⁰ and other relevant information,

²⁰A/AC.109/2008/17.

²¹United States Congress, Revised Organic Act, 1954.

Aware also of the ongoing Constitutional Convention, the fifth attempt of the Territory to review the existing Revised Organic Act, which organizes its internal governance arrangements, as well as the various related efforts in implementing a public education programme on the Constitution, as outlined in a statement by a participant from the Territory presented to the 2008 Pacific regional seminar,

Cognizant of the potential usefulness of regional ties for the development of a small island Territory,

Welcomes the establishment of the Constitutional Convention in 2007, and requests the administering Power to assist the territorial Government in achieving its political, economic and social goals, in particular the successful conclusion of the ongoing internal Constitutional Convention exercise;

Requests the administering Power to assist the Territory by facilitating its work concerning a public education programme, consistent with Article 73 b of the Charter of the United Nations and, in that regard, calls upon the relevant United Nations organizations to provide assistance to the Territory, if requested;

Reiterates its call for the inclusion of the Territory in regional programmes of the United Nations Development Programme, consistent with the participation of other Non-Self-Governing Territories;

Appreciates the efforts made to continue the work of the Inter-Virgin Islands Council between the elected Governments of the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands to advance cooperation between the two neighbouring Territories.

Who adopted this document and its mandates?

What else is in this group?

What subjects does this mandate have?

What’s in this document?

A

B

I.American Samoa

II.Anguilla

III.Bermuda

IV.British Virgin Islands

V.Cayman Islands

VI.Guam

VII.Montserrat

VIII.Pitcairn

IX.Saint Helena

X.Turks and Caicos Islands

XI.United States Virgin Islands

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