SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON DECOLONIZATION TO HOLD PACIFIC REGIONAL SEMINAR

IN BANDUNG, INDONESIA, 14-16 MAY

 

The Special Committee on the Situation with regard to the Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, also known as the Special Committee of 24 on Decolonization, will hold its annual regional seminar in Bandung, Indonesia, from 14 to 16 May.

The seminar, hosted by the Government of Indonesia and conducted within the framework of the Second International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism (2001-2010), will concentrate on priority areas to advance the decolonization process in the 16 remaining Non-Self-Governing Territories, with a particular focus on the Pacific region.  Among the issues to be discussed during the three-day seminar are the role of the Special Committee in facilitating the implementation of the United Nations decolonization mandate and the perspectives of the Non-Self-Governing Territories, both in the Pacific region and the Caribbean, on recent developments and prospects for decolonization.  The case of Tokelau, which is currently reflecting upon the result of the referendum held in October 2007 regarding their future status, will be discussed.  The seminar will also examine the role of the United Nations system in providing assistance to the Non-Self-Governing Territories.

The participants will include the delegation of the Special Committee and other United Nations Member States, representatives of the administering Powers, representatives of the Non-Self-Governing Territories and a number of experts on decolonization from both the Pacific and Caribbean regions, as well as non-governmental organizations based in the Non-Self Governing Territories.  The seminar’s deliberations will serve as a basis for a report of conclusions and recommendations, which will be considered by the Special Committee at its forthcoming substantive session in June.  Proposals will then be submitted to the General Assembly concerning the fulfilment of the objectives of the Second International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism.

The current membership of the Special Committee consists of the following 27 Member States: Antigua and Barbuda, Bolivia, Chile, China, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Cuba, Dominica, Ethiopia, Fiji, Grenada, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Mali, Papua New Guinea, Russian Federation, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Sierra Leone, Syria, Timor-Leste, Tunisia, United Republic of Tanzania and Venezuela.

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For information media • not an official record