SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON DECOLONIZATION ADOPTS TEXTS ON QUESTION OF GUAM AND VISITING MISSIONS TO TERRITORIES

Press Release
GA/COL/2993

SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON DECOLONIZATION ADOPTS TEXTS ON QUESTION OF GUAM AND VISITING MISSIONS TO TERRITORIES

The United States, as the administering Power, would be called upon to cooperate with Guam's Commission on Decolonization for the Implementation and Exercise of Chamorro Self-Determination to facilitate the Territory's decolonization, according to one of three resolutions adopted, without a vote, this afternoon by the Special Committee on decolonization.

By other terms of the text, the Special Committee called upon the administering Power to consider the expressed will of the Chamorro people as endorsed by the people of Guam. The administering Power and the territorial Government of Guam were encouraged to continue negotiations on the matter.

Under a text on the question of visiting missions, the Special Committee stressed the need to dispatch those missions to facilitate the full, speedy and effective implementation of the General Assembly Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples. The Administering Powers were called upon to cooperate with the United Nations by receiving United Nations visiting missions in the Territories under their administration.

Also this afternoon, the Special Committee approved its report to the General Assembly.

The Special Committee on the Situation with regard to the Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples is scheduled to meet again tomorrow, 12 August, at 11 a.m., to conclude its work for the year.

Special Committee Work Programme

The Special Committee on decolonization met this afternoon to consider outstanding matters before it.

By a draft resolution sponsored by Papua New Guinea on the question of Guam (document A/AC.109/L.1883), the Special Committee would call upon the administering Power to cooperate with Guam's Commission on Decolonization for the Implementation and Exercise of Chamorro Self-Determination in order to facilitate Guam's decolonization, and to keep the Secretary-General informed of the progress to that end. Also by the draft, the Special Committee would call upon the administering Power to take into consideration the expressed will of the Chamorro people as endorsed by the people of Guam, and would encourage the administering Power and the territorial Government of Guam to continue negotiations on the matter.

By other terms of the draft, the Special Committee would request the administering Power to assist the elected territorial Government in achieving its political, economic and social goals. It would also request the administering Power, in cooperation with the territorial Government, to transfer land to the people of the Territory. Further by the draft, the administering Power would be requested to continue to recognize and respect the political rights and the cultural and ethnic identity of the Chamorro people of Guam, and to take all necessary measures to respond to the concerns of the territorial Government with regard to the immigration issues.

By a draft resolution submitted by the Acting Chairman on the question of sending visiting missions to Territories (document A/AC.109/L.1884), the Special Committee would stress the need to dispatch those missions to facilitate the full, speedy and effective implementation of the General Assembly Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples.

Administering Powers would be called upon to cooperate or continue to cooperate with the United Nations by receiving United Nations visiting missions in the Territories under their administration. They would be asked to consider new approaches in the work of the Special Committee, and to cooperate with the Committee in its efforts. The Acting Chairman of the Special Committee would be requested to continue consultations with the administering Powers of Territories to be visited by the missions and to report to the Committee as appropriate. He would also be requested to consult with the administering Power of Guam (United States) to facilitate the dispatch of a United Nations mission to that Territory.

The draft report of the Special Committee (document A/AC.109/L.1886) covers its activities during the year and future work programme. On the question of holding meetings away from Headquarters, as authorized under relevant General Assembly resolutions, the Committee decided to accept invitations in 1999 when particulars of such meetings become known. It recommended that the General Assembly make appropriate budgetary provisions for the Special Committee to be represented during 1999 at seminars, meetings

Decolonization Committee - 3 - Press Release GA/COL/2993 1499th Meeting (PM) 11 August 1998

and conferences organized by United Nations bodies and other intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations active in the field of decolonization.

The Special Committee intended, during 1999, to pursue its efforts in bringing to a speedy and unconditional end colonialism in all its forms and manifestations, in accordance with the General Assembly Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples contained in its resolution 1514 (XV) of 14 December 1960. Given the significance of the end of the International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism, the Special Committee said that it would endeavour to look at its own work critically, making an assessment of the effectiveness of its activities and the areas where it could effect improvements. In order to discharge its responsibilities, it would continue to review developments concerning each Territory, and also continue to seek the views of their representatives.

Action on Draft Texts

JIMMY OVIA (Papua New Guinea) said that Fiji wished also to sponsor the draft text on the question of Guam. Because of new developments, amendments had been made to last year's text. The current text would form the basis for future consultations with the administering Power. It was hoped, in that regard, that Guam and the administering Power would hold their own consultations on the substance of the draft. Adoption of the text would take the work of the Committee forward.

The draft resolution on the question of Guam was approved by the Special Committee without a vote.

The draft on the question of visiting missions was also approved without a vote.

The Committee then approved without a vote its report on the situation with regard to the implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries.

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