SITUATION IN NON-SELF-GOVERNING TERRITORIES REVIEWED BY SPEAKERS IN CONTINUING DEBATE IN FOURTH COMMITTEE

9 October 1996

Press Release
GA/SPD/85

SITUATION IN NON-SELF-GOVERNING TERRITORIES REVIEWED BY SPEAKERS IN CONTINUING DEBATE IN FOURTH COMMITTEE

19961009 Completion of Decolonization Process Is Urged; Some Delegates Say Self-Determination Is Not Always Choice of Colonial Peoples

The Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) met this morning to continue its debate on the implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples. The Committee also agreed to hear petitioners on New Caledonia and Western Sahara.

No country had the right to establish military bases or installations in the Non-Self-Governing Territories, still less involve them in offensive acts against other States, the representative of China said. Administering Powers must promote economic and social development in the Non-Self-Governing Territories, he added.

The representative of Cuba told the Committee the people of Puerto Rico endured a colonial domination that was painful to the rest of Latin America. There was no credible alternative to self-determination, the representative of Ghana stated; Powers vying for control in some Territories should engage in peaceful negotiations.

The representative of the United States said that the Special Committee on decolonization operated on the basis of a mandate that had been established under circumstances that no longer existed. The United Kingdom said self- determination did not necessarily mean independence; many Territories were content with their current situation.

Statements were also made by the representatives of Uruguay, Algeria, Indonesia, Tunisia, Colombia, Spain, Thailand, Botswana and South Africa. The representative of the United Kingdom spoke in exercise of his right of reply.

The Committee will meet again at 3 p.m. on Thursday, 10 October, to hear petitioners on Western Sahara and conclude its general debate on decolonization questions.

Committee Work Programme

The Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) met this morning to continue its debate on decolonization questions, including the report of the Special Committee on decolonization. It also had before it requests of petitioners to address the Committee on New Caledonia and Western Sahara. (For background information see Press Releases GA/SPD/83 of 1 October 1996 and GA/SPD/84 of 7 October.)

The Committee agreed to hear petitioners on New Caledonia and Western Sahara.

Statements

ROCK WAMYTAN, petitioner, Front de Liberation National Kanak et Socialiste (FLNKS), said the right of self-determination was crucial to the people of small Territories. France had confiscated the Kanak people's sovereignty 149 years ago, and they had struggled since to recover their freedom and dignity. The latest political compromise between the Kanak people and the administering Power were the Matignon Accords of 1988. Although there had been certain political, technical and financial advances based on the Accords, there were still inherent imbalances. Most of the Kanak people lived in rural areas or reservations, and development must be geared towards their situation. The Territory's economy was largely based on nickel, yet the people's share of profits was minimal because added value activities were in the hands of external metallurgical groups.

The referendum on self-determination would be held in 1998. The FLNKS was concerned with the growth of New Caledonia's population, based on an influx from the metropolitan area. The expatriate community held administrative posts at all levels, which reinforced the exclusion of the Kanak people. Furthermore, the new group could influence the 1998 referendum. The work of the Committee was of great importance to the people of small Territories.

ALBERTO GUANI (Uruguay) said the United Nations visiting missions to Territories were of great use in the work of decolonization, and should be enhanced. There were advances worth noting in the work of decolonization. Tokelau was an example of successful cooperation between the Special Committee, the administering Power and indigenous people. New Caledonia had seen renewed cooperation between the parties. In Western Sahara, it was regrettable that the United Nations-based peace process which was to lead to a self-determination referendum had been disrupted. Uruguay reaffirmed its support for the peace process in Western Sahara, and urged its resumption. The recent dialogue between the parties was a great opportunity to finally agree on steps towards peace. The Saharawi people deserved self- determination. The Falkland Island (Malvinas) continued to be of concern to Uruguay because of its relationship with both parties involved.

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Any decolonization solution must be accompanied by sustainable development leading to full autonomy, he continued. Assistance by specialized agencies of the United Nations, and cooperation from administering Powers, were essential in that regard. The international community should think in advance about the transfer of funds which would be available in the future. For example, funds from the cessation of the Special Committee should be used in the future for the development of the newly-autonomous countries.

JACK B. WILMOT (Ghana) called on the administering Powers to cooperate with the Special Committee to promote the best interests of the Non-Self- Governing Territories. He urged those Powers that were vying for control of some of the Territories to engage in peaceful negotiations. However, there was no credible alternative to self-determination. The people of the Territories had the right to participate in negotiations. Other administering Powers would take their cue from New Zealand, which had declared its intention to abide by the wishes of the people of Tokelau. It was necessary that the people of the Territory, the administering Power, and the United Nations work together to achieve genuine self-determination that promoted the best interests of the peoples concerned.

He said the lack of progress on Western Sahara was cause for concern. The people had to be given the right to exercise their right of self- determination. He agreed that the Settlement Plan of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) remained the best option for a long-lasting solution. It was essential to break the stalemate that led to the halt of the work of the Identification Commission. Regarding the other territories, he expressed satisfaction that some military bases and installations in some of the Territories were being downsized. Land used for deployment of nuclear weapons and dumping of nuclear waste should be returned to its rightful owners.

ABDALLAH BAALI (Algeria) said there was no alternative to holding an impartial and authentic referendum to enable the Saharawi people to exercise fully and freely its right to self-determination. The two parties to the dispute in Western Sahara should respond to the Security Council's call for flexibilty and speedy completion of the identification process. The peace dynamic between the two parties had been stalled because the psychological barriers had not been removed. Direct talks between Morocco and the Frente POLISARIO were required.

He said the international community should safeguard the peace process, and the United Nations should not bow to the idea of disengaging from Western Sahara. Such an attitude would undoubtedly have serious consequences for the implementation of the Settlement Plan, as well as on the peace and stability of the whole region. The MINURSO should receive the necessary support to carry out its mission. The Secretary-General should be encouraged to make additional efforts to secure a free and impartial referendum.

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HASSAN WIRAJUDA (Indonesia) said the current world situation was beset with unresolved tensions, wanton violence and persistent insecurity. Foreign domination and racism, as well as the gap between rich and poor nations, had been principal sources of distrust between nations.

The Non-Self-Governing Territories were an aberration of the world arena, he continued. Self-reliance and economic growth in the Territories must be developed. To this end, south-south cooperation should be strengthened for the benefit of Non-Self-Governing Territories. The construction of the projected Centre for South-South Technical Cooperation would be launched in Jakarta next month, as a follow-up to the eleventh summit of the Non-Aligned Movement. In the era of globalization and interdependence, dialogue between the developed and developing countries should take place on the basis of genuine interdependence.

WALID DOUDECH (Tunisia) said the United Nations had achieved considerable success in the process of global self-determination, for which the Organization should be proud and encouraged to move further ahead. The United Nations had the responsibility to complete the decolonization process, and the Special Committee should receive support from Member States.

The Special Committee played a crucial role in the decolonization effort. It was the channel through which Member States became aware of conditions and decided on relevant action. It was also the means by which peoples of the Territories made their needs known. The Committee should consider and take account of the financial difficulties that petitioners from small Territories encountered in addressing the Committee. The proposal to merge the Special Committee with the Fourth Committee should be considered as a possible means of enhancing and streamlining the work of the United Nations.

While self-determination could be the subject of referendums to make the preferences of the people in the Territories known, it could not be imposed by the United Nations, he said. People in some Non-Self-Governing Territories wanted more time to decide on their future relations with the administering Powers. In several cases they preferred maintaining the status quo for the time being; change might lead to a cessation of the economic and financial ties from which they benefited. Foreign investments in the small Territories frequently enabled economic growth.

PEDRO NUNEZ MOSQUERA (Cuba) said the fact that 17 Territories remained on the list of Non-Self-Governing Territories was of concern. Procedural delays or subterfuge should not be permitted to delay the self-determination of those Territories. At its last summit, the Non-Aligned Movement emphasized the right of people under colonial domination to self-determination, regardless of size, geopolitical considerations, population and limited resources, and it had reiterated the need to accelerate complete decolonization.

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One of the most important aspects of the work of the Special Committee was its holding of seminars to ascertain the realities in the Non-Self- Governing Territories. The seminar held in Port Moresby had been important in determining the interests of the people of Guam. The Committee would be holding seminars next year on the Territories of the Caribbean region. Those missions made it possible to gather information needed for assisting the people of the Territories. Support of the administering Powers was also necessary. New Zealand had been doing that on a consistent basis.

He said it was unfortunate to see military installations and bases on the Non-Self-Governing Territories. They should be dismantled. This was a problem that should receive great emphasis from the United Nations. There could not be complete and stable international security until the vestiges of the colonial era no longer existed.

On Western Sahara, he said he supported direct contact between Morocco and POLISARIO, and he trusted a solution could be found. Regarding Puerto Rico, he said the people there had continued to endure a colonial domination which pained the rest of Latin America. He expressed support for their independence.

VICTOR MORRERO (United States) said the United States supported the right of the people of Non-Self-Governing Territories to a full measure of self-government. However, the original resolution of 1960 had reflected a narrow agenda. He did not believe that a single standard applied. His country's experience as an administering Power had been that the majority understood that independence may not be the only outcome. There had been some progress, but the resolutions of the Special Committee did not adequately reflect situations in the Non-Self-Governing Territories. In most of them the majority of the people had elected governments that supported the status quo. They were free to modify that status at any time. The resolutions of the Committee should respect them. There would then be fewer countries on the list of Non-Self-Governing Territories.

He said the Fourth Committee should consider how much longer it needed to continue "operating through the filter of a special committee set up more than 30 years ago under circumstances that no longer exist". The majority of the Territories, he went on, no longer viewed economic factors or military presence as detrimental to their interests. While visiting missions were a means of ascertaining situations in the Territories, it should be recognized that such missions were not necessary in all circumstances.

Responding to the statement of Cuba regarding Puerto Rico, he said the relationship between the United States and Puerto Rico was formally recognized by the United Nations. It had been the subject of repeated plebiscites, the most recent in 1993, in which the vote for independence had gained small support. There was no reason for the Committee to take any action on the matter.

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ALVARO FORERO (Colombia) said decolonization should continue to be a priority for the United Nations as long as the citizens of Non-Self-Governing Territories so desired. How could the Organization explain that its Member States decided the people of Non-Self-Governing Territories no longer had the right to self-determination? Without the United Nations, it would be impossible for the people of the Territories to have autonomy and sovereignty.

It was therefore incomprehensible that the Committee must spend its time insisting on the need to continue this work, he stated. It was very important that the Special Committee be given the resources to fulfil its task. Cooperation of administering Powers was needed, with New Zealand being a positive example. The people of the Territories had the right to be governed on the basis of democratic free will, without pressure or foreign military presence. This right was linked with economic and social development, which should be pursued while respecting culture and environment.

He said that at the recent meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement held in New York, the ministers of external relations and heads of delegations appealed to the international community to protect the interests of Non-Self- Governing Territories to self-determination in keeping with General Assembly resolution 1514 (XV). Administering Powers were urged to take appropriate steps to enhance political, economic, institutional, social and educational advancement in keeping with the Charter of the United Nations. They appealed also for effective coordination between the United Nations and administering Powers. Practical measures should be adopted in order to achieve the goal of eradicating colonialism by the end of the century.

JAVIER PEREZ-GRIFFO (Spain) referred to a statement to the Committe on Monday, by Peter Caruana of Gibraltar, that there had been no change in Spain's position, and said the people of Gibraltar desired representation in the negotiation process, in which only Spain and the United Kingdom were now taking part. The problem was how to fit the people of Gibraltar into the framework for participation in the talks. The people of Gibraltar could not equate themselves with a sovereign State; it was difficult for them to discuss matters in which they lacked decision-making capacity or competence. Spain harboured the greatest respect for the people of Gibraltar, and desired to incorporate them into the negotiation process as soon as possible.

PAUL ARKWRIGHT (United Kingdom) said the United Kingdom had 10 dependent Territories on the agenda of the Fourth Committee. While his country remained firmly committed to the principle of self-determination, he welcomed the Chairman of the Special Committee's emphasis on innovative and pragmatic solutions, on the ground that the world situation had changed.

It was perplexing and distressing that despite some changes, texts of resolutions and decisions still contained language which suggested that the Special Committee was not prepared to accept the realities of the situation in the Territories. Self-determination did not necessarily mean independence;

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the vast number of Territories were content with the status quo. They did not "need to be informed by the Special Committee that they should throw off the so-called yoke of colonialism and alien subjugation".

Each of Britain's dependent Territories held regular and free elections at which all parties were free to advocate any constitutional proposals, he continued. It was therefore not relevant for the Special Committee to request constitutional reviews or political education programmes, or to ascertain through referendums the views of the people of the Territories. The Special Committee should recognize the important role of foreign investment for the small Territories. He urged the Committee to think again before rejecting amendments put forward by the European Union which attempted to redress the glaring bias in the draft resolution.

THAKUR PHANIT (Thailand) said that although his country had not been colonized in its history, it strongly supported the work of the United Nations on decolonization and believed that with political will and combined efforts, all decolonization items could be deleted from the General Assembly's agenda by the year 2000. The options for the remaining Non-Self-Governing Territories were independent statehood, free association or identification with an independent State. All were viable, as long as they were reached by a free decision of the people.

He welcomed the progress that had been achieved in Tokelau, but regretted there had been little progress in the other Non-Self-Governing Territories. Achieving economic self-sufficiency was an important factor in the success of the decolonization process, he continued. That was the responsibility of the administering Power. Specialized agencies of the United Nations should accelerate their work on social and economic progress in the Territories. Thailand stood ready to provide assistance in education and human-centred development.

HE YAFEI (China) said colonialism remained to be completely eliminated as the world was about to enter the twenty-first century. The peoples of the Non-Self-Governing Territories had the inalienable right to self- determination. Administering Powers should cooperate fully with the territorial Governments to insure the exercise of that right. The administering Powers were "duty bound to promote economic and social development in the Territories and to facilitate their diversification".

He said no country had the right to station military forces or establish bases and installations in the Territories, still less involve the Territories in any offensive acts of interference against other States. Administering Powers should also cooperate fully with the United Nations in ensuring full understanding by the peoples of the Non-Self-Governing Territories of the rights to which they were entitled.

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BABOLOKI KOLIO (Botswana) expressed deep concern about the stalemate in the implementation of the Settlement Plan for Western Sahara which had resulted in the suspension of the identification process. Both POLISARIO and the Government of Morocco failed to show political goodwill for the peace process, yet it was in the best interest of both parties to resume the identification process immediately. The international community should persuade the two parties to meet their obligations under the Settlement Plan. He hoped the Secretary-General and his Special Representative would urge parties to resume the identification process. The OAU had played an important role to date, and he hoped it would continue to encourage accommodation between the parties.

Every eligible applicant had the right to be considered for qualification to participate in the referendum, he continued. The identification process should be free and fair and transparent. Both parties were urged to resolve their differences through dialogue so the identification process could be resumed.

PETER SOAL (South Africa) said the current international situation had created favourable conditions for the peaceful resolution of disputes arising from any group or nation striving to exercise self-determination. Parties involved should commit themselves fully to the peaceful settlement of disputes. The continuing impasse in the resolution of the situation in Western Sahara was of grave concern to President Nelson Mandela, who believed consultations between the Special Representative and both parties should continue.

Both parties must recognize that identification was a scrupulous process based on clear principles, he contended. Although the reduction of MINURSO was a matter of concern, he was heartened that the cease-fire was holding. The POLISARIO and the Government of Morocco should enter into high-level negotiations towards the achievement of an acceptable solution. South Africa was willing to assist in facilitating any discussion that would lead to a mutually acceptable agreement between the parties.

Right of Reply

PAUL ARKWRIGHT (United Kingdom) said Uruguay had referred to the dispute on the Falklands. His country's position was well known and had been set out in the document responding to questions submitted by Argentina.

Other Matters

EL HASSANE ZAHID (Morocco) said he had been waiting for a response to the questions he had raised at the Committee's previous session.

The Chairman, ALIOUN KITTIKHOUN (Lao People's Democratic Republic), said he had intended to do so. He gave the floor to the Committee Secretary, ABDUR

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RAZZAQUE KHAN, who went on to list the documents relevant to clarifying questions regarding paragraph 3 of the Secretary-General's report to Committee on Western Sahara.

Mr. ZAHID (Morocco) thanked the Secretary for the detailed information, and asked that the Secretariat provide further clarification. He said the halt in the identification process had not been due to Morocco.

The CHAIRMAN said he would take note of the comments of the Representative of Morocco. He drew attention to documents before the Committee, including that containing amendments submitted by Ireland on behalf of the European Union to the resolution on the question of foreign economic interests.

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