GA/COL/3136
8 June 2006
Decolonization Committee Reaffirms Need for Continuing Reporting by Administering Powers on Conditions in Non-Self-Governing Territories
NEW YORK, 7 June (UN Headquarters) -- The Special Committee on decolonization adopted without a vote this morning a draft resolution calling for the administering Powers of Non-Self-Governing Territories to continue to submit updates on the economic, social and educational conditions, as well as political and constitutional developments, of the Territories under their care.
By the terms of the text submitted by Committee Chairman Julian Hunte (Saint Lucia), the Special Committee reaffirmed that the administering Power of a Territory to which the 1960 Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples applied should continue to regularly transmit such updates, under Article 73 e of the United Nations Charter, to the Secretary-General no later than six months after the close of the administrative year. That included statistical and other technical data on economic, social and educational conditions, as well as information on the Territories' constitutions, legislative acts or executive Governments and the Territories' constitutional relationship to the administering Power.
The Special Committee also requested that the Secretary-General continue to ensure that adequate information was drawn from all available published sources to prepare working papers on the concerned Territories, and that the Special Committee continue to discharge the functions entrusted to it under General Assembly resolution 1970 (XVIII) in line with established procedures.
Also known as the Special Committee on the Situation with regard to the Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, the Special Committee will meet again at 10 a.m. on Monday, 12 June, to consider the question of Puerto Rico and hear petitioners on that subject.
Background
The Special Committee on the Situation with regard to the Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples met this morning to take action on a draft resolution submitted by its Chairman on Information from Non-Self-Governing Territories transmitted under Article 73 e of the United Nations Charter (document A/AC/109/2006/L.5/Rev.1).
The Committee, also known as the Special Committee on decolonization, also met to consider the report of the Secretary-General on Information from Non-Self-Governing Territories transmitted under Article 73 e of the Charter of the United Nations (document A/61/170), which pertains to the transmittal of information from the administering Powers called for under Article 73 e of the United Nations Charter. That information concerns the geography, history and population, as well as updates on the economic, social and educational conditions in the Territories during 2004 and 2005,on New Caledonia (submitted by France); Tokelau (submitted by New Zealand); Western Sahara (submitted by Spain); Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands (Malvinas), Gibraltar, Montserrat, Pitcairn, St. Helena, and Turks and Caicos Islands (submitted by the United Kingdom); and American Samoa, Guam and the United States Virgin Islands (submitted by the United States). The updates on Territories under the administration of New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States also include information on constitutional matters.
The report recommends that information received from the administering Powers on the Non-Self-Governing-Territories be used to prepare working papers of the Secretariat and be discussed by the Special Committee during its annual session.
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