Several delegates and Western Sahara petitioners today urged the Special Committee on Decolonization to liberate the “last colony in Africa” through a self-determination referendum that includes independence as an option, while other speakers supported Morocco’s autonomy proposal as the most realistic solution for resolving the longstanding question.
Opening the main part of its 2026 session today, the Special Committee on Decolonization approved three draft resolutions on United Nations support for the world’s 17 remaining Non-Self-Governing Territories.
The Special Committee on Decolonization will hold the Caribbean Regional Seminar in Managua from 25 to 27 May within the framework of the fourth International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism (2021-2030).
The United Nations Secretary-General warned today that the enduring legacy of colonialism — marked by entrenched economic exploitation, racism, inequality and exclusion from decision-making — continues to shape the realities of the world’s 17 remaining Non-Self-Governing Territories, calling for inclusive dialogue, youth leadership and urgent climate action to guide their future.
Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks, as delivered by Courtenay Rattray, Chef de Cabinet, at the organizational meeting of the 2026 Session of the Special Committee on Decolonization, in New York today:
In Colombia, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), with its partners and the Government, launched the 2026 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan. Nearly 7 million people need aid this year — roughly one in every eight Colombians — amid conflict between non-State armed groups, which is present in 60 per cent of Colombia’s municipalities.
Continuing its 2025 session, the Special Committee on Decolonization today adopted a new resolution reiterating its position that the sovereignty dispute over the Falkland Islands (Malvinas) must be resolved through peaceful and negotiated means.
Despite a recent landmark agreement between the European Union and the United Kingdom bringing the question of Gibraltar to a historic juncture, the representative of that Territory and the delegate of Spain disagreed on steps forward concerning the decolonization of that Territory, as the Special Committee on Decolonization met today.
