[ 1972 ] part 1 sec 3 chapter 2 the situation with regard...

538 Trust and non-self-governing territories

T/L1170 and Add.1. Outline of conditions in TrustTerritory of Pacific Islands. Working paper prepared bySecretariat, and draft amendments thereto, adoptedby Council, as basic text for chapter on conditionsIn Trust Territory of Pacific Islands in report ofTrusteeship Council to Security Council, on 16 June1972, meeting 1404, by 4 votes to 0, with 1 abstention.

T/L.1173. Conditions in Trust Territory of Pacific Islands.Report of Drafting Committee, adopted by Council on16 June 1972, meeting 1404, by 3 votes to 0, with2 abstentions. (Annex: Draft conclusions and recom-mendations.)

T/L.1176. Draft report of Trusteeship Council to SecurityCouncil on Trust Territory of Pacific Islands coveringperiod 19 June 1971-16 June 1972. Working paperprepared by Secretariat, adopted by Council on 16 June1972, meeting 1404, by 4 votes to 0, with 1 abstention.

S/10753. Report of Trusteeship Council to SecurityCouncil on Trust Territory of Pacific Islands (19 June1971-16 June 1972) (Security Council Official Records,27th Year, Special Supplement No. 1).

T/1738. Resolutions adopted by Trusteeship Councilduring its 39th session, 23 May-16 June 1972. Otherdecisions, p. 3.

Consideration by Special Committee

Special Committee on Situation with regard to Imple-mentation of Declaration on Granting of Independenceto Colonial Countries and Peoples, meetings 878, 880.

A/8723/Rev.1. Report of Special Committee (covering Itswork during 1972), Chapter XIX. (Section B: Conclu-sions and recommendations adopted by SpecialCommitted, 11 August 1972.)

Other documents

A/8701. Report of Secretary-General on work of theOrganization, 16 June 1971-15 June 1972, Part Two,Chapter II B 2.

A/8702. Report of Security Council, 16 June 1971-15 June1972, Chapter 22.

A/8704. Report of Trusteeship Council, 19 June 1971-16 June 1972, Chapters II-VI.

A/8723/Rev.1. Report of Special Committee (covering itswork during 1972), Chapter XIX.

Chapter II

The situation with regard to the implementation of theDeclaration on the Granting of Independence toColonial Countries and Peoples

During 1972, the General Assembly's Special Com-mittee on the Situation with regard to the Imple-mentation of the Declaration on the Granting ofIndependence to Colonial Countries and Peoples1

continued to discharge its mandate as set forth bythe General Assembly, and to seek suitable meansfor the immediate and full implementation ofthe Declaration in territories which had not yetattained independence.

In this chapter an account is given of the SpecialCommittee's work in general during 1972, theconsideration of its report by the General Assembly

and related action by other United Nations bodies.Details are given of the Special Committee's andthe General Assembly's consideration of andrecommendations on individual territories.

Information on the action taken in 1972 by theGeneral Assembly, the Special Committee andother bodies on matters concerning SouthernRhodesia, Namibia and the territories under Por-tuguese administration will be found in otherchapters (see pp. 111-35, 602-25 and 584-601).

1 See Y.U.N., 1960, pp. 49-50, resolution 1514(XV) of 14 De-cember 1960, containing text of the Declaration.

General questions

System of examination

During 1972, the General Assembly's Special Com-mittee on the Situation with regard to the Imple-mentation of the Declaration on the Granting ofIndependence to Colonial Countries and Peoplescontinued to use the methods of work developed

in preceding years and endorsed by the GeneralAssembly.

Under this procedure, it examined special ques-tions relating to the implementation of the Decla-ration as well as its implementation in individual

Declaration on granting independence to colonial countries and peoples 539

territories, the order of priority being decided onthe basis of recommendations made by its WorkingGroup.

To assist in its examination of conditions ineach territory, the Special Committee normallyhas before it an information paper prepared bythe United Nations Secretariat describing recentpolitical and constitutional developments as wellas current economic, social and educational con-ditions. This information is derived from pub-lished sources and, in relevant cases, from theinformation transmitted by administering powersunder Article 73e of the United Nations Charter.2

In addition, the Special Committee requests theadministering powers to submit information onpolitical and constitutional developments in theterritories they administer. The Committee hearsstatements from the administering powers, invitingthose which are not members of the Committeeto participate in its examination of the territoriesconcerned; similar invitations may be extended toother States which are not members of the Com-mittee and to the representatives of national lib-eration movements from colonial territories. Peti-tions are circulated and the Committee may decideto hear petitioners at its meetings. Also, the Com-mittee is empowered to send visiting groups toterritories for the purpose of obtaining first-handinformation and to hold meetings away fromUnited Nations Headquarters whenever requiredfor the effective discharge of its functions.

The Special Committee adopts its recommen-dations in the form of a consensus formulated byits Chairman or a resolution adopted by vote. Itestablishes sub-committees whenever it considersthem necessary.

Each year, the Special Committee adopts areport to the General Assembly which includesseparate chapters on the situation in each territory

or group of territories which it has considered, aswell as on special questions which it has decidedto take up separately. It is on the basis of thisreport that the Assembly considers the imple-mentation of the Declaration in general and withrespect to individual territories.

The Special Committee held 61 plenary meet-ings and its Working Group and sub-committeesa total of 55 meetings, between 21 January and15 September 1972. The Committee consideredgeneral aspects of the implementation of theDeclaration and also its implementation withrespect to the following territories: SouthernRhodesia, Namibia, the territories under Portu-guese administration, the Seychelles, St. Helena,Spanish Sahara, Gibraltar, the French Territoryof the Afars and the Issas (formerly FrenchSomaliland), the New Hebrides, Niue and theTokelau Islands, the Gilbert and Ellice Islands,Pitcairn, the Solomon Islands, American Samoaand Guam, the Trust Territory of the PacificIslands, the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Papua NewGuinea, Brunei, the Bahamas, Bermuda, theBritish Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Mont-serrat, the Turks and Caicos Islands, the UnitedStates Virgin Islands, Antigua, Dominica, Grenada,St. Kitts-Nevis-Anguilla, St. Lucia and St. Vincent,the Falkland Islands (Malvinas) and British Hon-duras. The Committee also carried out other tasksassigned to it by the General Assembly.

During 1972, the Sub-Committee on Petitionsconsidered 55 communications, 52 of which itdecided to circulate as petitions. It also submittedrecommendations concerning petitions relating toNamibia and the International Convention on theElimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.

2 For text of Article 73e of the Charter see APPENDIX II.

Documentary references

Special Committee on Situation with regard to Imple-mentation of Declaration on Granting of Independenceto Colonial Countries and Peoples, meetings 833-893.

Sub-Committee on Petitions, meetings 170-184.

A/AC.109/L.762 (2 oral), 772, 773, 784-786, 792, 793, 806,811, 816, 825. Reports (163rd-177th) of Sub-Committeeon Petitions.

General aspects of Implementation of the Declaration

Consideration by Special CommitteeThat the goals laid down for dependent peoples

in the United Nations Charter and the Declarationon the Granting of Independence to ColonialCountries and Peoples3 were still far from early,or in some cases peaceful, realization was notedwith regret by a number of members when theSpecial Committee on the Situation with regardto the Implementation of the Declaration on the

Granting of Independence to Colonial Countriesand Peoples convened in 1972. The majority ofCommittee members felt that the situation in thecolonial territories in southern Africa, as well asin Guinea (Bissau) and Cape Verde, had becomein fact more acute and posed a most serious threat

3 See Y.U.N., 1960, pp. 49-50, resolution 1514(XV) of 14 De-cember 1960, containing text of the Declaration.


to international peace and security. The membersexpressing this opinion stressed that the problemsof those territories represented a challenge to thecollective will and determination of the UnitedNations to assist effectively in the elimination ofthe remaining vestiges of colonialism.

Thus, the Committee, in carrying out specifictasks entrusted to it by the General Assembly orarising from its own previous decisions, decidedto give particular attention to the major colonialproblems. At the same time, the Committee, asin previous years, considered a number of generalquestions arising in connexion with the imple-mentation of the Declaration and of other GeneralAssembly resolutions relating thereto. Therefore,the Committee continued its study of the activitiesof foreign economic and other interests impedingthe implementation of the Declaration and itsstudy of military activities and arrangements bycolonial powers in territories under their admin-istration which might be impeding the imple-mentation of the Declaration. It also consideredthe compliance of Member States with the Decla-ration and with other relevant resolutions on thequestion of decolonization, the implementation ofthe Declaration by the specialized agencies andthe international institutions associated with theUnited Nations, the question of sending visitingmissions to the territories, and the question ofpublicity to be given to the work of the UnitedNations in the field of decolonization.

Within the context of General Assembly reso-lutions by which it was authorized to meet else-where than at Headquarters whenever requiredfor the effective discharge of its functions, theSpecial Committee held a series of meetings inAfrica between 10 and 28 April 1972 in order tounderscore the solidarity of the United Nationswith the colonial peoples struggling for freedomand to enhance the Committee's capacity to assistthose peoples in realizing their aspirations. Thesemeetings took place at Conakry (Guinea), Lusaka(Zambia) and Addis Ababa (Ethiopia), at the invi-tation of the Governments concerned. At themeetings away from Headquarters, a number ofrepresentatives of the national liberation move-ments from colonial territories in Africa appearedbefore the Committee.

In addition, the Committee, on the basis of arecommendation made by the Ad Hoc Groupwhich it sent to Africa in 1971,4 and availing itselfof an invitation extended to it by the PartidoAfricano da Independencia da Guiné e CabaVerde (PAIGC), dispatched in early April a specialmission composed of three of its members to theliberated areas of Guinea (Bissau) for the purposeof securing first-hand information on conditionsin those areas. The mission—consisting of the

representative of Ecuador, as Chairman, and therepresentatives of Sweden and Tunisia—visited theliberated areas from 2 to 8 April 1972, and subse-quently submitted a preliminary oral report tothe Special Committee while the Committee wasmeeting at Conakry.

The mission's observations and conclusions,which were reflected in a resolution adopted bythe Committee on 13 April (see page 587 fordetails) were later set out in a written reportwhich the Committee endorsed at a meeting on1 August 1972. Among other things, the Com-mittee, noting that the Government of Portugalno longer exercised any effective control over largeareas occupied by PAIGC and the evident supportwhich the latter received from the population inthose areas, affirmed its recognition of PAIGC asthe only and authentic representative of the peopleof Guinea (Bissau).

During the year, the Special Committee alsopaid close attention to the implementation of theDeclaration in the colonial territories in otherparts of the world and adopted a series of recom-mendations which are described elsewhere in thischapter. At the invitation of New Zealand, theCommittee, in June 1972, dispatched a visitingmission to Niue consisting of its Chairman (theUnited Republic of Tanzania) and two othermembers (Trinidad and Tobago, Sweden) in orderto obtain first-hand information on conditions inthe territory and on the wishes and aspirationsof its people and also to recommend practicalsteps for their advancement as soon as possibletowards self-government and self-determination.

As reflected in the mission's conclusions andrecommendations, which were subsequently en-dorsed by the Committee, the visit enabled theCommittee to become fully apprised of the con-ditions prevailing in Niue, whose particular prob-lems arising from its small size and population,geographic isolation and limited economic re-sources called for specific solutions with respectto the goals set out in the United Nations Charterand the Declaration on granting independence.

On the basis of the information derived by themission from its discussions with a large segmentof the population, the Committee considered thatit was able to confirm that the overwhelmingmajority of the Niuean people were clearly infavour of full internal self-government and ofmaintaining the island's close relationship withNew Zealand. The Committee made a number ofdetailed recommendations concerning the prob-lems confronting the island and its inhabitants(see p. 573).

4 See Y.U.N., 1971, p. 516.

Declaration on granting Independence to colonial countries and peoples 541

Also, in accordance with an earlier decision, theCommittee was represented by two of its members(Afghanistan and Yugoslavia) in the special vis-iting mission dispatched by the Trusteeship Coun-cil to observe the elections to the Third Houseof Assembly of Papua New Guinea, which tookplace in February and March 1972 (see p. 522).

The Special Committee once again examinedthe question of publicity to be given to the workof the United Nations in the field of decoloniza-tion and stressed the need to arouse world publicopinion in order to assist the colonial peoples toachieve their independence. The Committee calledfor intensified, continuous and widespread effortsto disseminate information on the evils anddangers of colonialism, and particularly on thestruggle being waged by the colonial peoples inAfrica and their national liberation movements,and requested all States and organizations withinthe United Nations system, as well as non-govern-mental organizations, to co-operate in these efforts.

In this connexion, the Special Committee con-tinued actively to enlist the support of non-governmental organizations having a special in-terest in the field of decolonization. In additionto the appearance before the Committee of repre-sentatives of such organizations, close contacts weremaintained by the Chairman of the Committeewho, in the course of the year, consulted withseveral non-governmental organizations at theirheadquarters.

On the question of military activities and ar-rangements by colonial powers which might beimpeding the implementation of the Declaration,the Special Committee, on 31 August 1972, adoptedconclusions and recommendations proposed by itsSub-Committee I. Reservations to these were ex-pressed by the representatives of the Ivory Coastand Sweden.

By these conclusions, the Special Committeeamong other things noted with grave concern thatthere had been no compliance with the provisionsof General Assembly resolutions on this question,in particular the resolution of 20 December 1971by which the Assembly had requested the colonialpowers to withdraw immediately and uncondition-ally their military bases and installations fromcolonial territories and to refrain from establishingnew ones.5

Furthermore, nothing had been done to complyin this respect with the programme of action forthe full implementation of the Declaration on theGranting of Independence to Colonial Countriesand Peoples, embodied in the General Assembly'sresolution of 12 October 1970.6

Despite these resolutions, the colonial powerscontinued, particularly in the large colonial terri-tories, to engage in ever-increasing military activ-

ities aimed at subjugating the colonial peoples,providing protection for foreign monopolies andperpetuating colonialist and racist régimes.

The Committee drew particular attention tothe situation prevailing in southern Africa where,it stated, the colonial authorities concerned, actingin concert, continued to strengthen their hold overNamibia, the territories under Portuguese domi-nation and Southern Rhodesia by intensifyingtheir military activities against the national liber-ation movements of those territories. The Govern-ment of South Africa and the illegal régime inSouthern Rhodesia had strengthened their militaryforces, the former with arms and equipment which,the Committee stated, South Africa continued toreceive from certain Western powers.

The Special Committee considered that all suchactivities, particularly the repeated acts of harass-ment and aggression by Portugal against indepen-dent African States neighbouring Guinea (Bissau),had created a critical and explosive situation whichseriously disrupted peace and security in that partof Africa. The Committee also declared that therewas increasing co-operation between the Govern-ment of Portugal and some of its allies within theNorth Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), whichhad enabled that Government to intensify itsefforts to suppress the liberation struggles in itscolonial territories.

With regard to the smaller territories, the Com-mittee noted that the colonial powers and theirallies had continued to use military bases andother installations contrary to the interests of theindigenous peoples. Many small colonial territorieswere in fact being used for military and strategicpurposes.

The Committee concluded that its study revealedonce again that military activities by colonialpowers in the territories under their administra-tion constituted one of the most serious obstaclesto the implementation of the Declaration on theGranting of Independence to Colonial Countriesand Peoples and posed a grave threat to inter-national peace and security.

On the basis of the above conclusions, theSpecial Committee recommended to the GeneralAssembly that it strongly condemn once again themilitary entente between the Governments ofSouth Africa and Portugal and the illegal racistminority régime of Southern Rhodesia aimed atsuppressing by armed force the inalienable rightof the oppressed peoples of the colonial territoriesin southern Africa to self-determination and inde-pendence. The Committee also recommended thatthe Assembly call upon all States to withhold all

5 Ibid., pp. 521-23, text of resolution 2878(XXVI).6 See Y.U.N., 1970, pp. 706-8, text of resolution 2621(XXV).


support and assistance to the Governments ofSouth Africa and Portugal and the illegal minorityregime of Southern Rhodesia.

Further, it asked the Assembly: to demand thecessation forthwith of all colonial wars to suppressnational liberation movements, the withdrawal ofall foreign troops and the dismantling of militarybases in such territories; to condemn Portugal forusing chemical weapons in its war against thefreedom fighters; and to request once again thatcolonial powers cease forthwith from alienatingland for military installations and return landalready alienated.

The Special Committee also asked the Assemblyto request all States responsible for the adminis-tration of colonial and Trust Territories to complyunconditionally with the provisions of the relevantUnited Nations resolutions and to desist fromutilizing the economic and manpower resourcesof the territories for military installations.

Finally, the Committee asked that the Secretary-General be requested to give publicity to theinformation on military activities by colonialpowers in territories under their administrationwhich might be impeding the implementation ofthe Declaration.

In response to a request by the General Assem-bly at its 1971 session, the Special Committee in1972 undertook a study of the question of thecompliance by Member States with the Declarationand with other resolutions on decolonization,particularly those relating to the territories underPortuguese domination, Namibia and SouthernRhodesia. On 28 August 1972, the Committeeadopted a preliminary report on the questionprepared by its Rapporteur and endorsed theconclusions and recommendations contained there-in. Reservations were expressed by the represen-tatives of Venezuela and Sweden.

On the basis of this study, the Committeeconcluded that, whereas the majority of MemberStates had scrupulously fulfilled the requests con-tained in those resolutions and in many cases hadtaken positive steps to assist the colonial peoples,an impasse had been created owing to the opendefiance of United Nations resolutions by thecolonialist and racist powers concerned and therefusal of certain States, particularly the majormilitary allies and trading partners of thosepowers, to co-operate with the United Nations.

In view of the extremely serious situation insuch territories as Namibia, Southern Rhodesiaand territories under Portuguese administration,as well as the slow progress of decolonization inother territories, the Committee considered itimperative that the General Assembly should,among other things, call upon the Governmentsof Portugal and the United Kingdom to take

steps forthwith to transfer all effective powers tothe peoples of the territories under Portugueseadministration and Southern Rhodesia on thebasis of majority rule.

The Committee recommended that the GeneralAssembly should call upon the Government ofPortugal to cease all military operations and re-pressive measures in Angola, Mozambique, andGuinea (Bissau) and Cape Verde, and withdrawall its forces from those territories, and also callupon the Government of the United Kingdom tobring down the rebellious minority régime inSouthern Rhodesia and convene a representativeconstitutional conference of all leaders and na-tional liberation movements. The Committeefurther recommended that the Assembly call uponthe Government of South Africa to withdraw fromNamibia immediately and unconditionally.

The Special Committee recommended that theGeneral Assembly should request all States tocomply strictly with the provisions of its relevantresolutions and with those of the Security Council.To that effect, States should be requested, interalia: to mount a sustained campaign against theactivities and practices of foreign economic, finan-cial and other interests operating in colonialterritories, as well as against all military activitiesand arrangements by colonial powers in thoseterritories; to take measures aimed at enhancingpublic awareness of the need for increased assist-ance to the peoples of those territories and theirnational liberation movements, including in par-ticular the populations in the liberated areas; andto intensify their efforts in the field of dissemina-tion of information on decolonization.

In addition, the Committee considered that theGeneral Assembly should again recommend tothe Security Council that it urgently considertaking effective action under Chapter VII of theUnited Nations Charter7 in order to give fulleffect to the Council's own resolutions and thoseof the Assembly concerning these territories and,in particular: (a) to widen the scope of the sanc-tions against the illegal régime of SouthernRhodesia to include all the measures envisagedin Article 41 of the Charter; (b) to give consider-ation to the question of imposing sanctions againstSouth Africa and Portugal; (c) to give considerationto the question of imposing fully and uncondi-tionally, under international supervision, an em-bargo on arms of all kinds to the Government ofSouth Africa and the illegal régime of SouthernRhodesia; and (d) to consider the adoption ofmeasures to prevent the supply of arms of allkinds to Portugal.

7 For text of Chapter VII of the Charter, including Article 41,see APPENDIX II.


As for the remaining territories, the Committeeconsidered that the General Assembly should urgethe administering powers concerned to applywithout delay the principle of self-determinationin accordance with the Declaration on grantingindependence, and that it should request thosepowers, having regard to the specific problems ofmany of these territories, to take effective measuresto strengthen their economic infrastructure andto promote to the fullest possible extent theireconomic, social and educational advancement.

During its consideration of the question ofvisiting missions to territories, the Special Com-mittee had before it a report by its Chairman onhis consultations on the subject with representa-tives of the administering powers.

The Chairman advised that New Zealand hadexpressed its appreciation of the Committee'sacceptance of its invitation to send a visitingmission to Niue and the Tokelau Islands. Althoughthe mission which visited Niue in 1972 (see p. 540above) had been unable, owing to circumstancesbeyond the control of either the Committee orthe administering power, to include the TokelauIslands in its itinerary, the Chairman had conveyedthe hope that a mission to the latter might beundertaken in the future.

The representative of Australia, the Chairman'sreport continued, referring to arrangementswhereby members of the Special Committee hadparticipated in the visiting missions sent by theTrusteeship Council to Papua New Guinea in1971 and 1972, considered that such joint missionswere most appropriate in view of the fact thatPapua New Guinea fell within the competenceof both the Trusteeship Council and the SpecialCommittee.

Further, the Chairman reported, the UnitedKingdom representative had stated that the basicposition of his Government on the question ofsending visiting missions to colonial territoriesremained unchanged. Although the United King-dom did not categorically exclude for all time thepossibility of receiving a visiting mission, littleencouragement could be given to the SpecialCommittee to believe that it would agree to suchproposals. His Government considered that thematerial already at the disposal of the Committeewas not in any way insufficient.

Finally, the Chairman advised, the United Statesrepresentative had stated that his Government hadagain given careful consideration to the matterand, while it did not exclude the possibility inthe future of making appropriate arrangementsfor a United Nations presence in the territoriesunder its administration, it continued to believethat visiting missions to those territories were notwarranted at the present time.

On 14 August 1972, the Special Committeeunanimously adopted a resolution by which itnoted the constructive results achieved in 1972as a consequence of the dispatch of the visitingmission to Niue at the invitation of New Zealandand the Committee's participation in the specialmission to Papua New Guinea at the invitationof Australia. The Committee, however, deeplyregretted the negative attitude of certain admin-istering powers which continued to ignore therepeated appeals of the General Asssembly andthe Special Committee in that regard, therebyimpeding the full implementation of the Declara-tion on granting independence with respect tothe territories under their administration. It calledupon those administering powers to co-operatefully with the Committee by permitting the accessof visiting missions to the territories under theiradministration, and requested its Chairman tocontinue his consultations with the administeringpowers concerned.

The Special Committee also continued its re-view of the list of territories to which the Declara-tion on the Granting of Independence to ColonialCountries and Peoples was applicable.

The Special Committee adopted a recommen-dation, embodied in its report to the GeneralAssembly, that Hong Kong and Macao and de-pendencies be excluded from the list of territoriesto which the Declaration on the granting of inde-pendence was applicable. The decision was takenwithout objection, it being understood that thereservations expressed by Fiji, Sweden and Vene-zuela would be reflected in the record of themeeting. The Committee adopted its recommen-dation on the basis of a proposal by its WorkingGroup, which had received a letter dated 8 March1972 from China stating that Hong Kong andMacao were part of Chinese territory occupiedby the British and Portuguese authorities. Thesettlement of the questions involved, the letterhad stated, was entirely within China's sovereignright. Consequently, they should not be includedin a list of colonial territories covered by theDeclaration on the granting of independence.China requested that they be removed from thatlist. (See also pp. 625-26.)

With regard to the Comoro Archipelago, theCommittee, on the basis of a study by its Rap-porteur, decided on 25 August 1972, by a roll-callvote of 17 to 0, with 2 abstentions (the IvoryCoast, Sweden), to recommend its inclusion inthe list of territories to which the Declaration wasapplicable.

The Committee also considered the question ofthe applicability of the Declaration to PuertoRico, in the light of communications addressedto it by Cuba, the United States and Chile.


In letters dated 9 February and 25 March 1972,Cuba maintained that Puerto Rico was not anindependent territory but was under the colonialdomination of the United States; the Assembly'sresolution 1514(XV) of 14 December 1960 (on thegranting of independence to colonial countriesand peoples) fully applied to Puerto Rico. On7 June, Cuba transmitted a statement of thePolitical Committee of the Central Committee ofthe Puerto Rican Socialist Party.

In letters dated 28 February and 18 August 1972,the United States maintained that Cuba's requestconstituted interference in the affairs of theUnited States and of Puerto Rico and was aviolation of Article 2, paragraph 7, of the UnitedNations Charter.8 The United States declared thatthe people of Puerto Rico had chosen their formof government in free and open elections. Theyhad chosen to live in a democracy, under a Consti-tution of their choosing in free association withthe United States. By its resolution of 27 Novem-ber 1953, the General Assembly had acknowledgedthat Puerto Rico had achieved self-government.9

On 23 August 1972, Chile transmitted a state-ment by its Foreign Minister expressing the hopethat the Special Committee would decide that theDeclaration on the granting of independence wasapplicable to Puerto Rico.

On 28 August, the Committee, after discussion,adopted a resolution by which, recognizing theinalienable right of the people of Puerto Rico toself-determination and independence in accor-dance with the General Assembly's resolution(1514(XV)) of 14 December 1960, it instructed itsWorking Group to submit at an early date in1973 a report relating specifically to the procedureto be followed by the Committee for the imple-mentation of that resolution with respect to PuertoRico. This resolution was adopted by a roll-callvote of 12 in favour (Bulgaria, China, Czechoslo-vakia, Ecuador, India, Iraq, Mali, Sierra Leone,the Syrian Arab Republic, the USSR, the UnitedRepublic of Tanzania, Yugoslavia) to 0 opposed,with 10 abstentions (Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Fiji,Indonesia, Iran, the Ivory Coast, Sweden, Trinidadand Tobago, Tunisia, Venezuela).

In another action, the Committee—bearing inmind the progress towards independence made bythe national liberation movements in Angola,Guinea (Bissau) and Cape Verde, Mozambique,Namibia and Southern Rhodesia, and mindfulparticularly of the need to maintain contact withthese movements in the effective discharge of themandate entrusted to it by the General Assembly-decided to consider inviting, in consultation withthe Organization of African Unity and throughit, the representatives of the liberation movementsconcerned to participate, whenever necessary and

in an observer capacity, in its proceedings relatingto their respective countries. The Committeefurther decided to recommend to the Assemblythat it make available the necessary funds for thispurpose in 1973.

Consideration by General AssemblyAt its 1972 session, the General Assembly de-

cided to give priority to the question of the im-plementation of the Declaration on the Grantingof Independence to Colonial Countries and Peo-ples. Accordingly, it considered the question atplenary meetings held between 17 October and2 November 1972.

The Assembly had before it the report of theSpecial Committee on the situation with regardto the implementation of the Declaration coveringits work in 1972. Chapters of the Special Com-mittee's report dealing with the situation in spe-cific territories were referred to the Assembly'sFourth Committee.

During the General Assembly's debate on theitem, in which 62 Members participated, themajority of speakers expressed concern not onlyat the slow pace of decolonization generally, butalso, and particularly, at the continuing impassewhich existed in respect of the colonial territoriesin southern Africa and Guinea (Bissau) and CapeVerde, and at the seriousness of the situationresulting therefrom as revealed by the decisionof the Security Council earlier in the year to holda series of meetings in Africa for the purpose ofconsidering questions relating to that continent(see pp. 70-89).

The representative of the United Republic ofTanzania, Chairman of the Special Committee,voicing the view expressed by many other speakers,said that despite positive developments and thegrowing détente in many parts of the world, andthe manifest will of the overwhelming majorityof the world community to eliminate the re-maining vestiges of colonialism, no fewer than28 million people continued to be deprived oftheir right to self-determination and indepen-dence.

Most of those people lived in southern Africaunder régimes which offered little hope, if any,of early or peaceful emancipation. Indeed, thesituation in the colonial territories in southernAfrica remained critical and explosive and posed

8 Article 2, para. 7, of the Charter states: "Nothing containedin the present Charter shall authorize the United Nations tointervene in matters which are essentially within the domesticjurisdiction of any state or shall require the Members to submitsuch matters to settlement under the present Charter; but thisprinciple shall not prejudice the application of enforcementmeasures under Chapter VII."

9 See Y.U.N., 1953, p. 539, text of resolution 748(VIII).


a serious threat to the peace and security of Africaand of the world.

The findings of the Special Committee's missionwhich had visited the liberated areas of Guinea(Bissau) and other information received by theCommittee from the national liberation move-ments bore testimony to the barbarism of Portu-gal's colonial wars and that Government's in-creasing resort to the indiscriminate use of armedforce, which had included acts of harassment andaggression against the peoples in neighbouringAfrican States. As for Southern Rhodesia, theinternational community had witnessed wholesaleviolations of sanctions by a number of States,including a permanent member of the SecurityCouncil. South Africa continued to defy UnitedNations decisions calling for its unconditionalwithdrawal from Namibia.

That the Governments of Portugal and SouthAfrica and the illegal régime in Southern Rhodesiawere able to defy the international communityand continue their ruthless oppression of theAfrican masses was due to the duplicity of certainWestern powers, particularly the military alliesof Portugal and South Africa and their maintrading partners, and the reluctance of thosepowers to co-operate with the United Nations inthe application of effective remedies, the repre-sentative of the United Republic of Tanzaniacontinued.

The meetings in Africa of the Security Counciland of the Special Committee, as well as theCommittee's special mission to the liberated areasof Guinea (Bissau), had served to focus attentionon the burning issue of colonialism in Africa.There was a pressing need to mobilize worldpublic opinion in support of the decolonizationstruggle and a concerted effort should be made inthat connexion by all Governments and nationaland international organizations.

With regard to decolonization problems in otherparts of the world, the representative of the UnitedRepublic of Tanzania appealed to the admin-istering powers concerned to co-operate in carryingout the specific recommendations made by theGeneral Assembly and the Special Committee,particularly to permit access by United Nationsvisiting missions to territories under their admin-istration. In this connexion he cited the construc-tive achievements of the missions to Niue andPapua New Guinea in 1972.

In the course of the debate, most of the speakersstressed their deep concern at the gravity of thesituation prevailing in southern Africa and inGuinea (Bissau) and Cape Verde and at the slowprogress of decolonization in other parts of theworld. The majority of the speakers consideredthat the problems posed by colonialism and racism

in Africa were among the most critical problemsconfronting the United Nations and that energeticand urgent measures for their solution were re-quired in the interests of international peace andsecurity. Among those holding such views werethe representatives of Afghanistan, Albania,Algeria, Argentina, Austria, Bulgaria, Burundi,the Byelorussian SSR, Cameroon, Chile, China,the Congo, Cuba, Czechoslovakia, Egypt, Ethiopia,Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Haiti, Hungary, India,Indonesia, Iran, Israel, the Ivory Coast, Kenya,Kuwait, Liberia, the Libyan Arab Republic,Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico,Mongolia, Morocco, Nepal, Nigeria, Norway,Pakistan, Poland, Romania, Senegal, Sierra Leone,Somalia, Sudan, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia,Turkey, Uganda, the Ukrainian SSR, the USSR,the United Republic of Tanzania, Yemen, Yugo-slavia, Zaire and Zambia.

Many of these speakers—including particularlythe representatives of Albania, Burundi, the Byelo-russian SSR, Cameroon, the Congo, Czechoslovakia,Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Hungary, India,Kenya, Liberia, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritius,Mongolia, Morocco, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan,Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, the Ukrai-nian SSR, the USSR and Zambia—considered thatamong the fundamental reasons for the slow pro-gress of decolonization in southern Africa werethe close military alliance existing between Portu-gal, South Africa and the illegal régime inSouthern Rhodesia and the support and assistancewhich those régimes received from certain Westernpowers which were their military allies and maintrading partners.

These speakers also stressed the important roleplayed by international economic and financialinterests which, they said, were collaborating withthe colonial régimes in the exploitation of theterritories' natural and human resources. Suchsupport had enabled the colonial régimes to sus-tain, and indeed substantially increase, their mili-tary expenditures and their capacity for repression.Member States which directly or indirectly assistedthe colonial régimes, or which failed to preventtheir nationals from rendering such assistance,bore an important responsibility for the perpetua-tion of the colonial situations in southern Africawhich were threatening international peace andsecurity.

Many Members—including for instance Bulgaria,Cameroon, the Congo, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana,Guinea, India, Iran, the Ivory Coast, Kenya,Kuwait, Liberia, the Libyan Arab Republic,Mauritius, Morocco, Nepal, Senegal, Somalia,Sudan, Tunisia, the Ukrainian SSR, the USSR,Yemen and Zambia—referred to the failure of someMember States to carry out effectively the decisions


of the United Nations in the field of decoloniza-tion. Especially mentioned were the mandatorysanctions imposed by the Security Council which,these Members said, were being violated overtlyor covertly by a large number of States, amongthem a permanent member of the Security Council,or by their nationals. The view was expressedthat the sanctions would not succeed unless theywere made comprehensive, effectively supervisedand enforced by all States and unless widespreadpublicity was given to violations. Kenya, amongothers, called for complete severance by MemberStates of all relations with Southern Rhodesia.These Members maintained that the primaryresponsibility for resolving the situation in South-ern Rhodesia lay with the Government of theUnited Kingdom, as the administering power.Among other measures, they urged the UnitedKingdom to secure the release of political prisonersand to convene a constitutional conference of allleaders and national liberation movements repre-senting the people of the territory, with a view toestablishing a representative government based onmajority rule.

Bulgaria, Kenya, Hungary, Mali, Mauritius,Mongolia, Sierra Leone and the Ukrainian SSRconsidered that a further obstacle to decolonizationwas the maintenance by the administering powersor their allies of military bases in the colonialterritories.

Increased support and assistance—including ma-terial aid—to the colonial peoples in Africa andgreater recognition of and contact with theirnational liberation movements was called for bymany speakers. The initiative taken by the SpecialCommittee in sending a mission to the liberatedareas of Guinea (Bissau) and the decision of theAssembly's Fourth Committee to grant observerstatus to the national liberation movements ofAngola, Mozambique and Guinea (Bissau) andCape Verde as the authentic representatives of thetrue aspirations of their peoples were mentionedin this connexion. Speakers urged that the nationalliberation movements concerned be accorded for-mal status in the United Nations and its relatedinstitutions as the authentic representatives oftheir peoples.

In addition, many felt that an intensive andwidespread campaign of publicity should be under-taken, aimed at mobilizing world public opinionin support of the decolonization struggle. Membersexpressing this view included Burundi, Chile,

Romania, Sudan, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisiaand the United Republic of Tanzania.

In this context, 42 Members proposed the hold-ing of an annual week of solidarity with the

colonial peoples of southern Africa and Guinea(Bissau) and Cape Verde who were fighting forindependence and equal rights.

While the majority of statements in the debatedealt principally with colonialism in Africa, anumber of speakers referred also to colonial prob-lems elsewhere, notably in the Pacific and Carib-bean regions. Afghanistan, Egypt, Ghana, the IvoryCoast, Pakistan, Sierra Leone, Trinidad andTobago, and Yugoslavia, among others, consideredthat, although the process of decolonization inthese regions was slow, progress had been achievedin respect of several territories.

Particular mention was made of the positiveresults achieved in regard to Niue and PapuaNew Guinea which had been visited during theyear by members of the Special Committee at theinvitation of New Zealand and Australia. Thesetwo administering powers, it was said, had set anexample in regard to granting access by visitingmissions to territories under their administrationwhich other administering powers were urged tofollow.

At the conclusion of the debate, the represen-tative of Portugal said that his Government hadrepeatedly stated that there were no liberatedareas either in Portuguese Guinea or in any ofits other overseas provinces in Africa. He proposedthat the General Assembly should appoint, inagreement with the Government of Portugal, arepresentative for the purpose of verifying thealleged existence of such areas in the overseasprovince of Guinea.

Speaking in reply, the representative of theUnited Republic of Tanzania said that the exis-tence of liberated areas in Guinea (Bissau),Mozambique and Angola had been attested to byvarious visiting groups, including in particular theSpecial Committee's three-member mission toGuinea (Bissau). The General Assembly, he stated,would not be interested in sending a representativeto the territories merely to confirm what it al-ready knew.

The representative of South Africa said thatthe proposals before the Assembly on this questionevidenced a steady and apparently largely uncon-scious drift of the Organization to a position ofendorsing or condoning violence. The euphemisticuse of words such as "liberation" or "necessarymeans at their disposal" could not cloak the trendwith legitimacy or justification.

On 2 November 1972, the General Assembly,with the adoption of resolution 2908(XXVII), tooka series of decisions on the implementation of theDeclaration on the Granting of Independence toColonial Countries and Peoples.

By the preamble of this resolution, the Assembly

Gabon, Ghana, Hungary, Iran, Liberia, Pakistan,


among other things expressed deep concern that12 years after the adoption of the Declaration onthe granting of independence, millions of personsstill lived under conditions of ruthless colonialistand racialist repression. It deplored the continuedrefusal of colonial powers, especially Portugal andSouth Africa, to implement the Declaration, aswell as the policy of those States which, in defianceof United Nations resolutions, continued to co-operate with Portugal, South Africa and the illegalrégime in Southern Rhodesia.

The Assembly reaffirmed its view that racialdiscrimination in colonial territories could heeradicated fully by implementation of the Decla-ration.

Also, it noted with satisfaction the proposedarrangements for participation in the Special Com-mittee's work of national liberation movementsand leaders of Angola, Mozambique, Guinea(Bissau) and Cape Verde, Namibia and SouthernRhodesia.

Citing the constructive results achieved as aconsequence of the Special Committee's visitingmission to Niue, dispatched at the invitation ofNew Zealand, and of its participation, at theinvitation of Australia, in the United NationsVisiting Mission to observe elections in PapuaNew Guinea, it noted with regret the negativeattitude of other administering powers to thesending of similar visiting missions to territoriesunder their administration.

By the operative part of the resolution, theAssembly among other things:

(1) reaffirmed its resolution of 14 December196010 and all other resolutions on decolonization,and called upon the administering powers to takeall the necessary steps to enable the dependentpeoples of the territories concerned to exercisefully and without further delay their inalienableright to self-determination and independence;

(2) noted with satisfaction the work accom-plished by the Special Committee, including inparticular its successful series of meetings inAfrica in 1972;

(3) approved the report of the Special Com-mittee and its programme of work envisagedfor 1973;

(4) urged all States, in particular the admin-istering powers, and the specialized agencies andother organizations within the United Nationssystem to give effect to the recommendations con-tained in the report of the Special Committee;

(5) reaffirmed that the continuation of coloni-alism in all its forms and manifestations—includingracism, apartheid, foreign economic exploitationand the waging of colonial wars—was incompatiblewith the Charter of the United Nations, the Uni-

versal Declaration of Human Rights and theDeclaration on the Granting of Independence toColonial Countries and Peoples and posed a threatto international peace and security;

(6) reaffirmed its recognition of the legitimacyof the struggle of the colonial peoples and peoplesunder alien domination to exercise their right toself-determination and independence by all thenecessary means at their disposal, and noted withsatisfaction the progress made by the nationalliberation movements of the colonial territories,particularly in Africa, both through their struggleand through reconstruction programmes, towardsthe national independence of their countries;

(7) condemned the policies, pursued by certaincolonial powers in the territories under their domi-nation, of imposing non-representative régimes andarbitrary constitutions, strengthening the positionof foreign economic and other interests, misleadingworld public opinion and encouraging foreignimmigrants while evicting indigenous inhabitants;

(8) urged all States and the specialized agenciesand other organizations within the United Nationssystem to provide moral and material assistanceto all peoples struggling for freedom and inde-pendence in the colonial territories and to thoseliving under alien domination—in particular tothe national liberation movements of the terri-tories in Africa—in consultation, as appropriate,with the Organization of African Unity (OAU);

(9) requested all States, directly and throughtheir action in the specialized agencies and otherorganizations within the United Nations system,to withhold assistance of any kind from theGovernments of Portugal and South Africa andfrom the illegal racist minority régime in SouthernRhodesia until they renounced their policy ofcolonial domination and racial discrimination;

(10) called upon the colonial powers to with-draw immediately and unconditionally their mili-tary bases and installations from colonial territoriesand to refrain from establishing new ones;

(11) requested the Special Committee to con-tinue to seek suitable means for the immediateand full implementation of the Declaration ongranting independence and to formulate specificproposals for the elimination of the remainingmanifestations of colonialism;

(12) requested the Special Committee to makeconcrete suggestions which could assist the SecurityCouncil in considering appropriate measures underthe Charter with regard to developments in colo-nial territories which were likely to threaten inter-national peace and security;

10 See footnote 3.


(13) requested the Special Committee to con-tinue to examine the compliance of Member Stateswith the Declaration and with other resolutionson decolonization;

(14) requested the Special Committee to con-tinue to pay particular attention to the smallterritories and to recommend to the General As-sembly the most appropriate methods to enablethe populations of those territories to exercisefully and without further delay their right toself-determination and independence;

(15) called upon the administering powers toco-operate with the Special Committee in thedischarge of its mandate and, in particular, toparticipate in the work of the Committee relatingto the territories under their administration;

(16) called upon the administering powers con-cerned to co-operate fully with the Special Com-mittee by permitting the access of visiting missionsto the colonial territories in order to secure first-hand information concerning the territories and toascertain the wishes and aspirations of their in-habitants; and

(17) requested the Special Committee to con-tinue to enlist the support of national andinternational organizations having a special in-terest in the field of decolonization in the achieve-ment of the objectives of the Declaration and inthe implementation of the relevant United Nationsresolutions, and in particular to assist the Eco-nomic and Social Council in a study to be madeby the Council's Committee on Non-GovernmentalOrganizations on how those organizations mightassist in achieving the objectives of the Declaration.

General Assembly resolution 2908(XXVII) wasadopted by a roll-call vote of 99 to 5, with 23abstentions, on the proposal of Afghanistan,Algeria, Burundi, Cameroon, Chad, Chile, theCongo, Cyprus, Dahomey, Democratic Yemen,Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Guyana, India,Indonesia, Iraq, the Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Jordan,Kenya, Kuwait, Liberia, the Libyan Arab Re-public, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mali, Mauritania,Mauritius, Mongolia, Morocco, Nepal, Niger,Nigeria, Pakistan, Romania, Rwanda, Senegal,Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, the Syrian ArabRepublic, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia,Uganda, the Ukrainian SSR, the United ArabEmirates, the United Republic of Tanzania, UpperVolta, Yemen, Yugoslavia, Zaire and Zambia.

(For text of resolution and voting details, seeDOCUMENTARY REFERENCES below.)

Reservations to several provisions of the reso-lution were expressed by Argentina, Bolivia,Colombia, Fiji, Greece, Haiti, Honduras, Italy,Turkey and Venezuela. In particular, the repre-sentatives of Bolivia, Greece, Honduras andVenezuela said that they could not agree to the

inclusion in the resolution of phrases implyingthat the status of authentic representation couldbe granted to entities other than sovereign Statesor to phrases implying approval of the use offorce to achieve the objectives of decolonization.

The representative of Cuba interpreted theAssembly's approval of the Special Committee'sreport, which contained a resolution relating toPuerto Rico, as recognition of the applicability toPuerto Rico of the Declaration on the Grantingof Independence to Colonial Countries andPeoples.

Speaking in reply, the United States declaredthat the people of Puerto Rico possessed the rightof self-determination; they had exercised it andwere free to do so again. It was for the people ofPuerto Rico to determine their future.

On 2 November 1972, the General Assemblytook decisions on the question of disseminationof information on decolonization. Among otherthings, the Assembly approved the chapters of theSpecial Committee's report relating to publicityfor the work of the United Nations in the fieldof decolonization, and reaffirmed the vital impor-tance of urgently effecting the widest possibledissemination of information on the evils anddangers of colonialism, the continuing struggle forliberation being waged by the colonial peoplesin Africa, and the efforts being made by the inter-national community to assist in the eliminationof the last vestiges of colonialism in all its forms.

The Assembly asked the Secretary-General tocontinue to take concrete measures through allthe media at his disposal, including publications,radio and television, to give widespread and con-tinuous publicity to the work of the UnitedNations in the field of decolonization, to thesituation in the colonial territories and to thecontinuing struggle for liberation being waged bythe colonial peoples. Also, it asked him: to inten-sify the activities of information centres, particu-larly in Western Europe, and establish additionalinformation centres where appropriate, especiallyin southern Africa; to maintain a close workingrelationship with OAU; to enlist help from non-governmental organizations in the disseminationof relevant information; and to continue to pub-lish certain specified publications in other lan-guages besides English and French.

The Assembly asked Member States, in par-ticular the administering powers, to co-operatefully with the Secretary-General in disseminatinginformation on decolonization.

Also, it invited all States, the specialized agen-cies, other United Nations bodies and non-govern-mental organizations to undertake, in co-operationwith the Secretary-General, and within their re-spective spheres of competence, the large-scale


dissemination of information referred to above.The Assembly asked the Secretary-General, in

consultation with the Special Committee, to collectand prepare on a continuous basis, for redissemi-nation by the Office of Public Information, basicmaterial, studies and articles relating to variousaspects of decolonization. Finally, it asked theSpecial Committee to continue to deal with thismatter.

These decisions were taken when the GeneralAssembly adopted resolution 2909(XXVII), on theproposal of Afghanistan, Algeria, Burundi, Came-roon, the Congo, Cyprus, Dahomey, Egypt, Ethio-pia, Ghana, Guinea, Guyana, Indonesia, Iran,the Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait,Liberia, Madagascar, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali,Mauritania, Mauritius, Morocco, Niger, Nigeria,Pakistan, Romania, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone,Singapore, Somalia, Sudan, the Syrian Arab Re-public, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, the United Repub-lic of Tanzania, Upper Volta, Yemen, Yugoslavia,Zaire and Zambia.

The resolution was adopted by a vote of 113to 2, with 12 abstentions. (For text of resolution,See DOCUMENTARY REFERENCES below.)

The General Assembly also decided to requestthe Secretary-General, in co-operation with theOrganization of African Unity (OAU) to organizeat Oslo, Norway, in 1973, an International Con-ference of Experts for the Support of Victims ofColonialism and Apartheid in Southern Africa.

This decision, which took into account aproposal by OAU to convene an internationalconference against colonialism and apartheid,was embodied in General Assembly resolution2910(XXVII), adopted on 2 November 1972, by118 votes to 2, with 7 abstentions.

(For text of resolution, see DOCUMENTARY RE-FERENCES below.)

The resolution had 68 sponsors, as follows:Afghanistan, Algeria, Argentina, Austria, Barbados,Bulgaria, Burundi, Cameroon, Chad, Chile,Colombia, the Congo, Czechoslovakia, Dahomey,Democratic Yemen, Denmark, Egypt, Ethiopia,Finland, Gabon, the Gambia, Ghana, Guinea,Guyana, Iceland, India, Iran, Ireland, the IvoryCoast, Jamaica, Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait, Lebanon,Liberia, the Libyan Arab Republic, Madagascar,Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Morocco,Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Peru, Poland,Romania, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia,Sudan, Sweden, the Syrian Arab Republic, Togo,Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda,the United Arab Emirates, the United Republicof Tanzania, Upper Volta, Yemen, Yugoslavia,Zaire and Zambia.

In addition, on 2 November 1972, the GeneralAssembly adopted a resolution by which, after

noting with satisfaction the progress towardsnational independence made by the nationalliberation movements in the colonial territoriesof southern Africa and in Guinea (Bissau) andCape Verde, it appealed to the Governments andpeoples of the world to hold annually a Week ofSolidarity with the Colonial Peoples of SouthernAfrica and Guinea (Bissau) and Cape VerdeFighting for Freedom, Independence and EqualRights. The Assembly proposed that the Weekshould begin each year on 25 May, which wasAfrica Liberation Day, and recommended that,during the Week, meetings should be held, appro-priate materials should be published in the pressand broadcast on radio and television and publiccampaigns should be conducted with a view toobtaining contributions to the Assistance Fundfor the Struggle against Colonialism and Apartheidestablished by OAU.

These decisions were set forth in resolution2911(XXVII), which was adopted by 91 votesto 2, with 30 abstentions, on the proposal ofAfghanistan, Algeria, Bulgaria, Burundi, theByelorussian SSR, Cameroon, Chile, the Congo,Cuba, Czechoslovakia, Dahomey, Egypt, Ghana,Guinea, Hungary, India, Jamaica, Jordan, Kuwait,Liberia, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mongolia, Mo-rocco, Nigeria, Pakistan, Poland, Romania,Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan,Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, the Ukrainian SSR, theUSSR, the United Republic of Tanzania, UpperVolta, Yugoslavia and Zambia.

Among those expressing reservations was Guate-mala, which stated that it had supported theresolution on the understanding that the nationalliberation movements referred to in the preamblewere those movements in the colonial territoriesin Africa which had been described as legitimateby the General Assembly. Several Members whichabstained explained their votes; these includedBolivia, Colombia, Italy, Sweden and Venezuela.

At its 1972 session, the General Assembly alsoadopted a resolution—2955(XXVII)—concerningthe importance of the universal realization of theright of peoples to self-determination and of thespeedy granting of independence to colonial coun-tries and peoples for the effective guarantee andobservance of human rights.

By this resolution, which the General Assemblyadopted on 12 December 1972, on the recommen-dation of its Third (Social, Humanitarian andCultural) Committee, the Assembly among otherthings: reaffirmed the legitimacy of the peoples'struggle for self-determination and liberation fromcolonial and alien domination and foreign sub-jugation by all available means consistent withthe United Nations Charter; condemned all thoseGovernments, particularly the Governments of


Portugal and South Africa, which persistentlyrefused to implement the Declaration on theGranting of Independence to Colonial Countriesand Peoples and other relevant resolutions; con-demned the policies of those States members ofNATO and other powers which assisted Portugaland other racist régimes in Africa and elsewherein their suppression of the peoples' human rights;and decided to examine ways and means of ex-tending maximum assistance to the peoples of theliberated areas, colonial territories and territoriesunder alien subjugation. (For text of resolution2955(XXVII), see pp. 438-39.)

Also, by resolution 2993(XXVII), concerning theimplementation of the Declaration on the Strength-ening of International Security, adopted on15 December 1972, on the recommendation of itsFirst Committee, the General Assembly among otherthings urged all States to take measures towardsthe elimination of armed conflicts which threatenedinternational peace and security and of coloni-alism, racism and other situations persisting indifferent areas of the world which prevented peo-ples from exercising their right to self-determina-tion and independence. (For text of resolution2993(XXVII), see pp. 63-64.)



Special Committee on Situation with regard to Implemen-tation of Declaration on Granting of Independence toColonial Countries and Peoples, meetings 833-893.

A/8723/Rev.1 Report of Special Committee (coveringits work during 1972), Chapters I-XXVII.

Consideration by General Assembly

General Assembly—27th sessionFifth Committee, meeting 1517.Plenary meetings 2064-2074, 2078, 2104.

A/8701. Report of Secretary-General on work of theOrganization, 16 June 1971-15 June 1972, Part Two,Chapter I A and C.

A/8701/Add.1. Introduction to report of Secretary-General,August 1972, Section VII, 9th and 10th paras.

A/8723/Rev.1. Report of Special Committee on Situationwith regard to Implementation of Declaration onGranting of Independence to Colonial Countries andPeoples (covering its work during 1972). Chapter I:Establishment, organization and activities of SpecialCommittee; Chapter II: Meetings held away fromHeadquarters, 1972; Chapter III: Compliance of MemberStates with Declaration and with other relevantresolutions on question of decolonization, particularlythose relating to territories under Portuguese domina-tion, Namibia and Southern Rhodesia; Chapter IV:Question of sending visiting missions to territories;Chapter VI: Military activities and arrangements bycolonial powers in territories under their administrationwhich might be impeding implementation of Declaration.

A/8845. Letter of 30 September 1972 from Minister forForeign Affairs of German Democratic Republic toPresident of General Assembly.

A/8853. Note by President of General Assembly (trans-mitting letter of 19 October 1972 from Secretary-Generalof Partido Africano da Independencia da Guiné eCabo Verde).

A/8857. Letter of 20 October 1972 from Portugal.

A/L.677 and Add.1. Afghanistan, Algeria, Burundi, Ca-meroon, Chad, Chile, Congo, Cyprus, Dahomey,Democratic Yemen, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea,Guyana, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Ivory Coast, Jamaica,Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait, Liberia, Libyan Arab Republic,Madagascar, Malaysia, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius,Mongolia, Morocco, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan,

Romania, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia,Sudan, Syrian Arab Republic, Togo, Trinidad andTobago, Tunisia, Uganda, Ukrainian SSR, United ArabEmirates, United Republic of Tanzania, Upper Volta,Yemen, Yugoslavia, Zaire, Zambia: draft resolution.

A/C.5/1455. Administrative and financial implications of55-power draft resolution, A/L.677. Statement bySecretary-General.

A/8708/Add.3, A/8867. Administrative and financialimplications of, inter alia, 55-power draft resolution,A/L.677. Reports of Advisory Committee on Adminis-trative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ) and FifthCommittee.

Resolution 2908(XXVII), as proposed by 55 powers,A/L.677, adopted by Assembly on 2 November 1972,meeting 2078, by roll-call vote of 99 to 5, with23 abstentions, as follows:

In favour: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Argentina,Bahrain, Barbados, Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Bulgaria,Burma, Burundi, Byelorussian SSR, Cameroon, CentralAfrican Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Congo,Cuba, Cyprus, Czechoslovakia, Dahomey, DemocraticYemen, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Ethiopia,Gabon, Ghana, Greece, Guinea, Guyana, Haiti, Hon-duras, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Israel,Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Jordan, Kenya, Khmer Republic,Kuwait, Laos, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libyan ArabRepublic, Madagascar, Malaysia, Maldives, Mall, Malta,Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Mongolia, Morocco,Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Panama, Peru, Philippines,Poland, Qatar, Romania, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia,Senegal, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Somalia, Sri Lanka,Sudan, Swaziland, Syrian Arab Republic, Thailand,Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda,Ukrainian SSR, USSR, United Arab Emirates, UnitedRepublic of Tanzania, Upper Volta, Venezuela, Yemen,Yugoslavia, Zaire, Zambia.

Against: France, Portugal, South Africa, United King-dom, United States.

Abstaining: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil,Canada, Costa Rica, Denmark, El Salvador, Fiji, Finland,Guatemala, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg,Malawi, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Spain,Sweden, Uruguay.

The General Assembly,Recalling the Declaration on the Granting of Inde-

pendence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, containedin its resolution 1514(XV) of 14 December 1960, and


the programme of action for the full implementation ofthe Declaration, contained in its resolution 2621 (XXV)of 12 October 1970,

Recalling all its previous resolutions concerning theimplementation of the Declaration, In particular resolu-tion 2878(XXVI) of 20 December 1971,

Deeply concerned that twelve years after the adoptionof the Declaration many Territories are still under colonialand alien domination and that millions of oppressedpersons live under conditions of ruthless and blatantcolonialist and racialist repression,

Deeply deploring the continued refusal of the colonialPowers, especially Portugal and South Africa, to imple-ment the Declaration and other relevant resolutions ondecolonization, particularly those relating to the Terri-tories under Portuguese domination, Namibia andSouthern Rhodesia,

Strongly deploring the policies of those States which,in defiance of the relevant resolutions of the SecurityCouncil, the General Assembly and the Special Com-mittee on the Situation with regard to the Implementationof the Declaration on the Granting of Independenceto Colonial Countries and Peoples, continue to co-operate with the Governments of Portugal and SouthAfrica and with the illegal racist minority régime inSouthern Rhodesia,

Deeply disturbed at the intransigent attitude of cer-tain administering Powers which, despite the repeatedappeals addressed to them by the General Assemblyand the Special Committee, persist in their refusal toco-operate with the Special Committee In the dischargeof the mandate entrusted to It by the General Assembly,

Reaffirming its view that racial discrimination in co-lonial Territories can be eradicated fully and with thegreatest speed by the faithful and complete implemen-tation of the Declaration,

Noting with satisfaction the proposed arrangementsrelating to the participation in the work of the SpecialCommittee of representatives of the national liberationmovements and leaders of Angola, Mozambique, Guinea(Bissau) and Cape Verde, Namibia and Southern Rho-desia,

Bearing in mind the constructive results achieved asa consequence of the dispatch in June 1972 of the UnitedNations Visiting Mission to Niue, at the Invitation ofthe Government of New Zealand, and of the participationof the Special Committee in the United Nations VisitingMission to observe the elections to the Third House ofAssembly of Papua New Guinea in February 1972,at the invitation of the Government of Australia, andnoting with deep regret the negative attitude of certainadministering Powers which continue to Ignore therepeated appeals made by the General Assembly andthe Special Committee concerning the sending of UnitedNations visiting missions to the Territories under theiradministration,

1. Reaffirms Its resolutions 1514(XV) and 2621 (XXV)and all other resolutions on decolonization, and callsupon the administering Powers, in accordance with thoseresolutions, to take all the necessary steps to enablethe dependent peoples of the Territories concerned toexercise fully and without further delay their inalienableright to self-determination and independence;

2. Notes with satisfaction the work accomplishedby the Special Committee on the Situation with regardto the Implementation of the Declaration on the Grantingof Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples,including in particular its successful series of meetingsheld in Africa in April 1972, and expresses its appreciationto the Special Committee for Its efforts to secure thecomplete and effective implementation of the Declaration;

3. Approves the report of the Special Committeecovering its work during 1972, Including the programmeof work envisaged for 1973;

4. Urges all States, in particular the administeringPowers, and the specialized agencies and other organi-zations within the United Nations system to give effectto the recommendations contained in the report of theSpecial Committee for the speedy implementation ofthe Declaration and the relevant resolutions of theUnited Nations;

5. Reaffirms that the continuation of colonialism Inall its forms and manifestations—including racism,apartheid and activities of foreign economic and otherinterests which exploit colonial peoples, as well as thewaging of colonial wars to suppress the national libera-tion movements of the colonial Territories in Africa—isincompatible with the Charter of the United Nations,the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and theDeclaration on the Granting of Independence to Co-lonial Countries and Peoples and poses a threat tointernational peace and security;

6. Reaffirms its recognition of the legitimacy of thestruggle of the colonial peoples and peoples under aliendomination to exercise their right to self-determinationand independence by all the necessary means at theirdisposal, and notes with satisfaction the progress madeby the national liberation movements of the colonialTerritories, particularly in Africa, both through theirstruggle and through reconstruction programmes, to-wards the national independence of their countries;

7. Condemns the policies, pursued by certain colo-nial Powers in the Territories under their domination,of imposing non-representative régimes and arbitraryconstitutions, strengthening the position of foreign eco-nomic and other interests, misleading world publicopinion and encouraging the systematic Influx of foreignimmigrants while evicting, displacing and transferring theindigenous inhabitants to other areas, and calls uponthose Powers to desist forthwith from such policies;

8. Urges all States and the specialized agencies andother organizations within the United Nations systemto provide moral and material assistance to all peoplesstruggling for their freedom and Independence in thecolonial Territories and to those living under aliendomination—in particular to the national liberationmovements of the Territories In Africa—in consultation,as appropriate, with the Organization of African Unity;

9. Requests all States, directly and through theiraction in the specialized agencies and other organiza-tions within the United Nations system, to withholdor continue to withhold assistance of any kind from theGovernments of Portugal and South Africa and fromthe illegal racist minority regime In Southern Rhodesiauntil they renounce their policy of colonial dominationand racial discrimination;

10. Ca//s upon the colonial Powers to withdrawimmediately and unconditionally their military basesand installations from colonial Territories and to refrainfrom establishing new ones;

11. Requests the Special Committee to continue toseek suitable means for the immediate and full Imple-mentation of General Assembly resolutions 1514(XV)and 2621 (XXV) in all Territories which have not attainedindependence and, In particular, to formulate specificproposals for the elimination of the remaining manifes-tations of colonialism and report thereon to the GeneralAssembly at its twenty-eighth session;

12. Requests the Special Committee to make con-crete suggestions which could assist the Security Councilin considering appropriate measures under the Charterwith regard to developments in colonial Territories that


are likely to threaten international peace and security,and recommends that the Council take such suggestionsfully into consideration;

13. Requests the Special Committee to continue toexamine the compliance of Member States with theDeclaration and with other relevant resolutions on de-colonization, particularly those relating to the Territoriesunder Portuguese domination, Namibia and SouthernRhodesia;

14. Requests the Special Committee to continue topay particular attention to the small Territories and torecommend to the General Assembly the most appro-priate methods and also the steps to be taken to enablethe populations of those Territories to exercise fullyand without further delay their right to self-determinationand independence;

15. Calls upon the administering Powers to co-operatewith the Special Committee in the discharge of itsmandate and, in particular, to participate in the workof the Committee relating to the Territories under theiradministration;

16. Calls upon the administering Powers concernedto co-operate fully with the Special Committee by per-mitting the access of visiting missions to the colonialTerritories in order to secure first-hand information con-cerning the Territories and to ascertain the wishes andaspirations of the inhabitants of those Territories undertheir administration;

17. Requests the Special Committee to continue toenlist the support of national and international organi-zations having a special interest in the field of decoloni-zation in the achievement of the objectives of the Decla-ration and in the implementation of the relevantresolutions of the United Nations, and in particular toassist the Economic and Social Council in the studyenvisaged in Council resolution 1651 (LI) of 29 October1971;

18. Requests the Secretary-General to provide theSpecial Committee with the facilities and personnelnecessary for the implementation of the present reso-lution as well as the various resolutions on decoloniza-tion adopted by the General Assembly and the SpecialCommittee.

A/L.678 and Add.1,2. Afghanistan, Algeria, Burundi,Cameroon, Congo, Cyprus, Dahomey, Egypt, Ethiopia,Ghana, Guinea, Guyana, Indonesia, Iran, Ivory Coast,Jamaica, Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait, Liberia, Madagascar,Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mo-rocco, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Romania, Rwanda,Senegal, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Somalia, Sudan,Syrian Arab Republic, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, UnitedRepublic of Tanzania, Upper Volta, Yemen, Yugoslavia,Zaire, Zambia: draft resolution.

A/C.5/1456 and Corr.1. Administrative and financialimplications of 47-power draft resolution, A/L.678.Statement by Secretary-General.

A/8708/Add.3, A/8867. Administrative and financialimplications of, inter alia, 47-power draft resolutionA/L.678. Reports of ACABQ and Fifth Committee.

Resolution 2909(XXVII), as proposed by 47 powers,A/L.678, adopted by Assembly on 2 November 1972,meeting 2078, by 113 votes to 2, with 12 abstentions.

The General Assembly,Having examined the chapters of the report of the

Special Committee on the Situation with regard to theImplementation of the Declaration on the Granting ofIndependence to Colonial Countries and Peoples relating

to the question of publicity for the work of the UnitedNations in the field of decolonization,

Recalling its resolution 1514(XV) of 14 December1960, containing the Declaration on the Granting ofIndependence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, andits resolution 2621 (XXV) of 12 October 1970, containingthe programme of action for the full implementationof the Declaration,

Recalling further its resolution 2879(XXVI) of 20December 1971 concerning the dissemination of In-formation on decolonization,

Conscious of the urgent need to arouse world publicopinion with a view to assisting effectively the peoplesof the colonial Territories to achieve self-determination,freedom and independence and, in particular, to intensifywidespread and continuous dissemination of informationon the struggle for liberation being waged by thepeoples in the colonial Territories in Africa guided bytheir national liberation movements,

Taking into account the suggestions of the SpecialCommittee as well as the views of the Office of PublicInformation on the implementation of these suggestions,as reflected in the relevant chapters of the report of theSpecial Committee,

Recognizing the importance of publicity as an Instru-ment for furthering the aims and purposes of theDeclaration and the need for the Office of Public In-formation to intensify its efforts to acquaint world publicopinion with all aspects of the problems of decolonization,

Bearing in mind the important role being played Inthe widespread dissemination of relevant informationby a number of non-governmental organizations havinga special interest in the field of decolonization,

Noting with satisfaction the arrangements made bythe Special Committee with a view to assisting the Officeof Public Information in the implementation of theresolutions of the General Assembly and the SpecialCommittee relating to the dissemination of informationon decolonization,

1. Approves the chapters of the report of the SpecialCommittee on the Situation with regard to the Implemen-tation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independenceto Colonial Countries and Peoples relating to thequestion of publicity for the work of the United Nationsin the field of decolonization;

2. Reaffirms the vital importance of urgently effect-ing the widest possible dissemination of information onthe evils and dangers of colonialism, in particular thecontinuing struggle for liberation being waged by thepeoples in the colonial Territories in Africa, as well asthe efforts being made by the international communityto assist in the elimination of the remaining vestiges ofcolonialism in all its forms;

3. Requests the Secretary-General, having regard tothe suggestions of the Special Committee, to continueto take concrete measures through all the media at hisdisposal, including publications, radio and television,to give widespread and continuous publicity to thework of the United Nations in the field of decolonization,to the situation in the colonial Territories and to thecontinuing struggle for liberation being waged by thecolonial peoples and, inter alia:

(a) To intensify the activities of all informationcentres, particularly those located In Western Europe,and also to establish additional information centreswhere appropriate, especially in southern Africa;

(b) To maintain a close working relationship withthe Organization of African Unity by holding periodicconsultations and a systematic exchange of the relevantinformation with that organization;


(c) To enlist, from the non-governmental organiza-tions in consultative status with the Economic andSocial Council and from those non-governmental or-ganizations having a special interest in the field ofdecolonization, support in the dissemination of therelevant information;

Special Committee, selected issues of the periodicalObjective: Justice and the bulletin "United Nations andSouthern Africa" in other languages besides Englishand French;

4. Requests Member States, in particular the ad-ministering Powers, to co-operate fully with the Secre-tary-General in the discharge of the tasks entrusted tohim under paragraph 3 above;

5. Invites all States, the specialized agencies andother organizations within the United Nations systemand non-governmental organizations in consultative statuswith the Economic and Social Council, as well as othernon-governmental organizations having a special interestin the field of decolonization, to undertake or intensify,in co-operation with the Secretary-General and withintheir respective spheres of competence, the large-scaledissemination of the information referred to in paragraph2 above:

6. Requests the Secretary-General, in consultationwith the Special Committee, to collect and prepare ona continuous basis, for redissemination by the Office ofPublic Information, basic material, studies and articlesrelating to various aspects of the problems of decoloni-zation;

7. Requests the Secretary-General to report to theSpecial Committee on the implementation of the presentresolution;

8. Requests the Special Committee to continue toseek suitable means for the effective dissemination ofinformation on decolonization and to report thereon tothe General Assembly at its twenty-eighth session.

A/L.679 and Corr.1 and Add.1-3. Afghanistan, Algeria,Argentina, Austria, Barbados, Bulgaria, Burundi,Cameroon, Chad, Chile, Colombia, Congo, Czecho-slovakia, Dahomey, Democratic Yemen, Denmark, Egypt,Ethiopia, Finland, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea,Guyana, Iceland, India, Iran, Ireland, Ivory Coast,Jamaica, Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait, Lebanon, Liberia,Libyan Arab Republic, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania,Mauritius, Mexico, Morocco, Niger, Nigeria, Norway,Pakistan, Peru, Poland, Romania, Rwanda, Senegal,Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Sweden, Syrian ArabRepublic, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey,Uganda, United Arab Emirates, United Republic ofTanzania, Upper Volta, Yemen, Yugoslavia, Zaire,Zambia: draft resolution.

A/C.5/1457. Administrative and financial implications of68-power draft resolution, A/L.679 and Corr.1. State-ment by Secretary-General.

A/8708/Add.3, A/8867. Administrative and financial impli-cations of, inter alia, 68-power draft resolution,A/L.679 and Corr.1. Reports of ACABQ and FifthCommittee.

Resolution 2910(XXVII), as proposed by 68 powers,A/L.679 and Corr.1, adopted by Assembly on 2 No-vember 1972, meeting 2078, by 118 votes to 2, with7 abstentions.

The General Assembly,Recalling its resolution 2505(XXIV) of 20 November

1969, in which it expressed the firm Intention of theUnited Nations, acting in co-operation with the Organi-zation of African Unity, to intensify its efforts to finda solution to the present grave situation in southernAfrica,

Taking into account the proposal of the Organizationof African Unity to convene an international conferenceagainst colonialism and apartheid,

1. Requests the Secretary-General, In co-operationwith the Organization of African Unity, to organize atOslo in 1973 an International Conference of Expertsfor the Support of Victims of Colonialism and Apartheidin Southern Africa and authorizes him to provide thenecessary staff and services for the Conference;

2. Requests the Secretary-General to report to theGeneral Assembly at its twenty-eighth session on theorganization and results of the Conference.

A/L.680 and Add. 1-3. Afghanistan, Algeria, Bulgaria,Burundi, Byelorussian SSR, Cameroon, Chile, Congo,Cuba, Czechoslovakia, Dahomey, Egypt, Ghana, Guinea,Hungary, India, Jamaica, Jordan, Kuwait, Liberia,Madagascar, Mauritius, Mongolia, Morocco, Nigeria,Pakistan, Poland, Romania, Rwanda, Senegal, SierraLeone, Somalia, Sudan, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda,Ukrainian SSR, USSR, United Republic of Tanzania,Upper Volta, Yugoslavia, Zambia: draft resolution.

Resolution 2911 (XXVII), as proposed by 42 powers,A/L.680, adopted by Assembly on 2 November 1972,meeting 2078, by 91 votes to 2, with 30 abstentions.

The General Assembly,Recalling the Declaration on the Granting of Inde-

pendence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, containedin its resolution 1514(XV) of 14 December 1960,

Noting with satisfaction the progress towards na-tional independence and freedom made by the nationalliberation movements in the colonial Territories ofsouthern Africa and in Guinea (Bissau) and Cape Verdeboth through their struggle and through reconstructionprogrammes,

Conscious of the need of the peoples and the nationalliberation movements of those Territories for assistanceand support in their struggle to achieve freedom andindependence,

1. Appeals to the Governments and the peoples ofthe world to hold annually a Week of Solidarity with theColonial Peoples of Southern Africa and Guinea (Bissau)and Cape Verde Fighting for Freedom, Independenceand Equal Rights and proposes that the Week shouldbegin on 25 May, Africa Liberation Day;

2. Recommends that, on the occasion of the Week,meetings should be held, appropriate materials shouldbe published in the press and broadcast on radio andtelevision and public campaigns should be conductedwith a view to obtaining contributions to the AssistanceFund for the Struggle against Colonialism and Apartheidestablished by the Organization of African Unity.

Membership of Special Committee

A/8655. Letter of 7 January 1972 from Madagascar.A/8846. Letter of 13 October 1972 from Ecuador.A/8992. Letter of 25 January 1973 from President of

General Assembly to Secretary-General.A/8730. Resolutions adopted by General Assembly during

its 27th session, 19 September-19 December 1972.Other decisions, p. 10.

(d) To continue to publish, in consultation with the


Implementation of the Declaration by specialized agencies and otherassociated international institutions

Consideration by Special CommitteeIn 1972, the General Assembly's Special Com-

mittee on the Situation with regard to the Imple-mentation of the Declaration on the Granting ofIndependence to Colonial Countries and Peoples11

again examined the question of the implement-ation of the Declaration by the specialized agenciesand the international institutions associated withthe United Nations. The Committee consideredthis question at plenary meetings held between16 May and 23 August.

The Special Committee had before it a report,submitted by the Secretary-General in accordancewith a General Assembly resolution of 20 Decem-ber 1971,12 containing information on the imple-mentation of the Declaration and other relevantAssembly resolutions by the following specializedagencies and international institutions: the Inter-national Labour Organisation (ILO); the Food andAgriculture Organization of the United Nations(FAO); the United Nations Educational, Scientificand Cultural Organization (UNESCO); the WorldHealth Organization (WHO); the InternationalBank for Reconstruction and Development; theInternational Monetary Fund; the InternationalCivil Aviation Organization (ICAO); the UniversalPostal Union (UPU); the World MeteorologicalOrganization (WMO); the Inter-Governmental Mari-time Consultative Organization (IMCO); the Inter-national Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); the UnitedNations Conference on Trade and Development(UNCTAD); the United Nations Industrial Develop-ment Organization (UNIDO); the United NationsChildren's Fund (UNICEF); the Office of the UnitedNations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR);the United Nations Development Programme(UNDP); the League of Arab States: and the Organ-ization of American States.

The Special Committee also had before it areport by its Chairman on consultations whichhad taken place between him and the Presidentof the Economic and Social Council (see below).

During its consideration of the question, theCommittee took into account the views whichhad been expressed by the representatives of theGeneral Secretariat of the Organization of AfricanUnity (OAU) and by representatives of the nationalliberation movements of colonial territories whohad appeared before it at the meetings which theCommittee held in Africa during April 1972, aswell as the relevant conclusions and recommenda-tions contained in the report of its special missionto Guinea (Bissau). The Committee also heard tes-

timony from a petitioner, Miss Barbara J. Rogers,who appeared before it on 17 August 1972.

In the course of the discussions, the represen-tative of Trinidad and Tobago noted with satis-faction that several specialized agencies had sentmissions to consult with OAU with a view toformulating proposals for assistance in the fieldof education and training to refugees from colonialterritories in Africa. He considered it importantthat the several specialized agencies and institu-tions within the United Nations system whichprovided educational and training assistance shouldwork out a co-ordinated plan of action and heurged that requests for such assistance should bebroadened to include areas in which more thanone agency could participate. He also suggestedthat provision should be made by UNDP to ensurethat the financing of assistance to persons dis-placed from the colonial territories in Africashould not prejudice the development require-ments of African Governments.

Several speakers, specifically Bulgaria, Czecho-slovakia, India and the United Republic ofTanzania, considered that, although a few of thespecialized agencies and organizations -within theUnited Nations system had taken concrete meas-ures towards implementing the Declaration, othershad done little or nothing to comply with therelevant provisions of General Assembly resolu-tions. Both Bulgaria and the United Republic ofTanzania deplored, in particular, the attitude ofthe International Bank and the InternationalMonetary Fund which, they said, had so far givenno material assistance to the colonial peoples inAfrica and had not complied with the Assembly'srequest that they sever all links with Portugal andSouth Africa.

While commending the action taken by ILO, FAO,UNESCO, WHO, UNICEF, UNHCR and UNDP to provideincreased material assistance to refugees from thecolonial territories in Africa, these representativespointed out that as yet only UNESCO was providingassistance to the national liberation movementsof those territories. In their view, assistance torefugees was not sufficient. What was needed wasfor all the specialized agencies and other UnitedNations organizations to draw up, in consultationwith OAU, concrete programmes of assistance tothe national liberation movements of the terri-tories and, through them, to the peoples in the

11 See Y.U.N., 1960, pp. 49-50, resolution 1514(XV) of14 December 1960, containing text of the Declaration.

12 See Y.U.N., 1971, pp. 528-29, text of resolution 2874(XXVI).


colonial territories, and especially in the liberatedareas of those territories. In keeping with therelevant United Nations resolutions, all the spe-cialized agencies and other organizations of theUnited Nations system should redouble theirefforts to alleviate the sufferings of the oppressedcolonial peoples in Africa and should completelyostracize Portugal and South Africa.

On 23 August 1972, the Special Committeeadopted a resolution by which, among otherthings, it:

(1) reaffirmed that recognition by the GeneralAssembly, the Security Council and other UnitedNations bodies of the legitimacy of the struggleof colonial peoples to achieve freedom and inde-pendence entailed the extension by the UnitedNations system of organizations of all the necessarymoral and material assistance to the nationalliberation movements in colonial territories, in-cluding especially the populations in the liberatedareas of those territories;

(2) expressed its appreciation to UNHCR, toUNESCO and to those specialized agencies and otherorganizations which had co-operated in varyingdegrees with the United Nations in the imple-mentation of the relevant Assembly resolutions;

(3) reiterated its appeal to the specialized agen-cies and other organizations within the UnitedNations system and to all States to render, as amatter of urgency, all possible moral and materialassistance to the peoples in Africa struggling forliberation from colonial rule, to initiate or broadencontacts with them in consultation with OAU, andin particular to work out and implement, withthe active co-operation of OAU and, through it, ofthe national liberation movements, concrete pro-grammes of assistance to the peoples of Guinea(Bissau) and Cape Verde, Angola, Mozambique,Southern Rhodesia and Namibia, including inparticular the peoples in the liberated areas ofthose territories and their national liberationmovements;

(4) reiterated its request that the specializedagencies and other organizations, including inparticular UNDP and the International Bank, shouldtake measures, within their respective spheres ofcompetence, to increase the scope of their assis-tance to refugees from colonial territories, in-cluding assistance to the Governments concernedin the preparation and execution of projects bene-ficial to those refugees, and to introduce thegreatest possible measure of flexibility in theirrelevant procedures;

(5) recommended that the General Assemblyshould strongly urge the specialized agencies andother organizations within the United Nationssystem to discontinue all collaboration with theGovernments of Portugal and South Africa, as

well as with the illegal régime in Southern Rho-desia, in accordance with the relevant resolutionsof the Assembly and the Security Council;

(6) recommended that the General Assemblyagain urge the specialized agencies and otherorganizations within the United Nations system,particularly the International Bank and the Inter-national Monetary Fund, to take all necessarymeasures to withhold financial, economic, technicaland other assistance from the Governments ofPortugal and South Africa until they renouncedtheir policies of racial discrimination and colonialdomination;

(7) recommended that the Assembly invite thespecialized agencies to continue to examine, inconsultation with OAU, procedures for the partici-pation in conferences, seminars and other regionalmeetings organized by them, of representatives ofthe national liberation movements of the colonialterritories in Africa, in an appropriate capacity;

(8) recommended that the General Assemblyagain request Governments to intensify theirefforts in the agencies of which they were membersin order to ensure full implementation of theDeclaration on granting independence, accordingpriority to aiding colonial peoples and their na-tional liberation movements and, in this con-nexion, that the Assembly urge that the heads ofthe agencies submit to the respective governingbodies concrete proposals for aid; and

(9) recommended that the General Assemblyask the Secretary-General to prepare a furtherreport on action taken to implement resolutionsdealing with this subject and to assist the agenciesin working out measures to implement this reso-lution.

Also, the Special Committee asked its Chairmanto continue his consultations with the Presidentof the Economic and Social Council and to main-tain contact as appropriate with OAU.

This resolution was adopted unanimously ona proposal by Afghanistan, Bulgaria, Ethiopia,India, Indonesia, Iraq, Sierra Leone, the SyrianArab Republic, the United Republic of Tanzania,and Yugoslavia.

Venezuela expressed reservations with regard tothose provisions of the resolution which, in itsview, did not take into account the constitutionalpositions of the various agencies.

The representative of Sweden stated that hisGovernment, while supporting the idea that theagencies should assist peoples under colonial op-pression and that the form of participation inagency meetings should be explored, did notadvocate giving the national liberation movementsequal status with Governments in the specializedagencies. Also, it opposed the suspension or expul-sion of States from the agencies and did not


support appeals to withdraw aid from certainStates, since those appeals were part of an expul-sion process.

Consideration by Economic and Social CouncilThe implementation by the specialized agencies

and international institutions associated with theUnited Nations of the Declaration on the Grantingof Independence to Colonial Countries and Peo-ples was considered in July 1972 by the Economicand Social Council. Among other things, the Coun-cil discussed the report of its President on thissubject.

In his report, the Council President stated thathe had held consultations with the Chairman ofthe General Assembly's Special Committee on theimplementation of the Declaration. They hadagreed that significant progress had been madein aiding the refugees from colonial territories inAfrica through the efforts of the United NationsHigh Commissioner for Refugees in co-operationwith a number of specialized agencies and insti-tutions within the United Nations system. How-ever, the High Commissioner's capacity to helpthe refugees would be enhanced if host Govern-ments were to give high priority to developmentprojects carried out in co-operation with the agen-cies which would benefit the refugees, and if theGovernments concerned would grant the refugeesadequate legal status, including, among otherthings, work permits.

With regard to the participation of UNDP inassistance projects for African refugees, the Chair-man of the Special Committee had noted the UNDPGoverning Council's approval of a proposal foran agreement with OAU whereby such assistancecould be provided in co-operation with OAU onthe understanding that the host Governmentswould assume all counterpart obligations and thatthe assistance provided would be counted againstthe planning figures for the region. The Presidentand the Chairman, having in mind the desireexpressed by OAU that the assistance envisagedshould not prejudice the development require-ments of the Governments concerned, thoughtthat the Council might consider requesting theGoverning Council of UNDP to review the proposedagreement in consultation with OAU.

In this connexion, the two presiding officersnoted that, following a joint mission of UNESCOand UNDP to Africa in 1971, the UNDP GoverningCouncil had allocated the sum of $353,600 to aproject of educational assistance to peoples fromthe colonial territories residing in Guinea, theUnited Republic of Tanzania, and Zambia. Thisproject had been formulated with the assistanceof UNESCO and OAU and sponsored by the hostGovernments. The World Health Organization and

FAO had also indicated their readiness to assist inthe preparation of other assistance projects. Thetwo presiding officers were of the opinion thatthe formulation of the desired assistance pro-grammes would be greatly facilitated if UNDP wouldfinance the counterpart payments normally re-quired of Governments. They also felt thatwherever possible the scope of assistance pro-grammes should be broadened so as to enableseveral specialized agencies to participate.

In the light of the findings of the Special Com-mittee and of its mission to Guinea (Bissau), asoutlined by the Special Committee's Chairman,there was an acute need for assistance to thenational liberation movements, including thepopulations of areas liberated by them. The twopresiding officers were of the view that the execu-tive heads of the agencies should be invited toformulate and submit to their respective governingbodies or legislative organs, as a matter of priorityand in co-operation with OAU, proposals for con-crete programmes of such assistance.

The Council President also reported that heand the Chairman were concerned that some ofthe organizations of the United Nations systemhad not yet discontinued all collaboration with theGovernments of Portugal and South Africa. Intheir view, compliance with the relevant GeneralAssembly resolutions required that the agenciesshould sever all links with those Governments andrefrain from any action which might imply recog-nition of the legitimacy of those Governments'domination of the colonial territories in Africa;this also implied severance of relations with anyinter-governmental organization which recognizedsuch claim.

On 28 July 1972, the Economic and Social Coun-cil took several decisions on the subject. Amongother things, it endorsed the observations andsuggestions contained in the Council President'sreport and recommended them for action by thespecialized agencies and organizations within theUnited Nations system.

The Council requested its President to continuehis consultations with the Chairman of the SpecialCommittee, to seek, where appropriate, the viewsof OAU and to report thereon to the Council atan early date.

These decisions were set forth in Council reso-lution 1720(LIII), which was adopted, by a roll-callvote of 17 to 2, with 6 abstentions, on a proposaloriginally submitted in the Council's Co-ordinationCommittee by Barbados, Ghana, Hungary, India,Kenya, Niger, Pakistan, Peru, Sudan, Trinidadand Tobago, Tunisia and Zaire. The Co-ordinationCommittee approved the text on 26 July 1972by 23 votes to 2, with 11 abstentions. (For text ofresolution, see DOCUMENTARY REFERENCES below.)


Consideration by General AssemblyGeneral Assembly discussion of the implementa-

tion of the Declaration on the Granting of Inde-pendence to Colonial Countries and Peoples bythe specialized agencies and the internationalinstitutions associated with the United Nationstook place mainly in the Assembly's Fourth Com-mittee.

On M December 1972, the Assembly adopteda resolution setting forth its decisions on thequestion.

By the preamble, the Assembly among otherthings expressed its awareness of the urgent needof the peoples in all colonial territories, and par-ticularly the national liberation movements andthe populations in the liberated areas of some ofthose territories, for assistance from the specializedagencies and other organizations in the UnitedNations system, especially in the fields of educa-tion, training, health and nutrition.

It also noted that it had invited—through OAU—representatives of national liberation movementsto participate as observers in its consideration ofthe territories concerned and had heard theirstatements on their reconstruction programmes inliberated areas.

By the operative provisions of the resolution,the Assembly approved the Special Committee'sreport on the question and reaffirmed that therecognition by the General Assembly, the SecurityCouncil and other United Nations bodies of thelegitimacy of the struggle of colonial peoples toachieve freedom and independence entailed theextension by the United Nations system of organ-izations of all necessary moral and material assis-tance to the national liberation movements,including especially the liberated areas of thecolonial territories.

The Assembly expressed its appreciation toUNHCR, to UNESCO and to those other specializedagencies and organizations which had co-operatedin varying degrees with the United Nations in theimplementation of the relevant resolutions ofthe General Assembly. It reiterated its urgentappeal to all the specialized agencies and otherorganizations within the United Nations systemand to all States to render, as a matter of urgency,all possible moral and material assistance to thepeoples in Africa struggling for their liberationfrom colonial rule and, in particular, to work outwith the active co-operation of OAU and, throughit, of the national liberation movements, concreteprogrammes of assistance to the peoples of Angola,Guinea (Bissau) and Cape Verde, Mozambique,Southern Rhodesia and Namibia, including inparticular the populations in the liberated areasof those territories and their national liberationmovements.

Also, the Assembly reiterated its urgent requestthat the specialized agencies and other organiza-tions within the United Nations system, includingin particular UNDP and the International Bank forReconstruction and Development, should takemeasures, within their respective spheres of com-petence, to increase the scope of their assistanceto refugees from colonial territories, includingassistance to the Governments concerned in thepreparation and execution of projects beneficialto those refugees.

It urged once again that the specialized agenciesand other organizations within the United Nationssystem take all necessary measures to withhold anyfinancial, economic, technical or other assistancefrom the Governments of Portugal and SouthAfrica and the illegal régime in Southern Rhodesia,and discontinue all collaboration with them untilthey renounced their policies of racial discrimina-tion and colonial oppression.

Also, it requested the specialized agencies andinternational organizations concerned, in consul-tation with OAU, to ensure the representation ofthe colonial territories in Africa by their nationalliberation movements, in an appropriate capacity,when dealing with matters pertaining to thoseterritories.

The Assembly recommended that all Govern-ments should intensify their efforts in the spe-cialized agencies and international organizationsof which they were members in order to ensurethe full and effective implementation of theDeclaration on granting independence and otherrelevant United Nations resolutions, and that theyshould accord priority to providing assistance onan emergency basis to the peoples in the colonialterritories and to their national liberationmovements.

In order to facilitate such action, the Assemblyrecommended that the specialized agencies andother organizations within the United Nationssystem should request their executive heads toformulate and submit to their respective governingbodies and legislative organs concrete programmesof all possible assistance to the peoples in colonialterritories and their national liberation move-ments, together with a comprehensive analysis ofany problems involved.

Also, the Assembly asked the Economic andSocial Council to continue to consider, in con-sultation with the Special Committee, appropriatemeasures for co-ordination of the policies andactivities of the specialized agencies and otherorganizations within the United Nations systemin implementing the relevant resolutions of theGeneral Assembly.

Finally, the Assembly asked the Secretary-General to continue to assist those agencies in


working out appropriate measures to implementthis resolution.

The Assembly adopted this resolution—2980(XXVII)-by a recorded vote of 98 to 4, with24 abstentions. It acted on the recommendationof its Fourth Committee, which approved the texton 6 December 1972 by a recorded vote of 85 to 4,with 23 abstentions.

The text was sponsored in the Fourth Com-mittee by Afghanistan, Bulgaria, the ByelorussianSSR, Cameroon, the Congo, Czechoslovakia, Demo-cratic Yemen, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea,Guyana, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq,Kenya, Mali, Mongolia, Nigeria, Romania,Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, the SyrianArab Republic, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia,Uganda, the Ukrainian SSR, the United Republicof Tanzania, Yemen, Yugoslavia, Zaire and Zambia.(For text of resolution and voting details, seeDOCUMENTARY REFERENCES below.)

At the time of the vote in the Fourth Committee,a number of Members, including Mexico, Turkey,Uruguay and Venezuela, expressed reservationsregarding certain paragraphs of the resolution, inparticular those that could give the impressionthat the constitutional limitations of the UnitedNations institutions had not been taken fully intoaccount. These Members—and others such as Fiji,

Greece and Japan, which abstained in the voting-believed that it would be detrimental to the techni-cal and functional role of the specialized agenciesto base their activities on political considerations,as regards the withholding or granting of assistance.Sweden, speaking also on behalf of Denmark,Finland, Iceland and Norway, said that the fiveNordic countries regretted that they had beenobliged to abstain in the vote because of certainprovisions in the text which they could not sup-port. The five Members agreed that the specializedagencies had an important role to play in pro-viding humanitarian and other assistance to thecolonial peoples, but they considered that the textfailed to take into account the limitations imposedby the constitutions of the various agencies. Theydoubted the propriety of attempts to give thenational liberation movements of colonial terri-tories the same status as Governments within thespecialized agencies and they could not agree torecommendations which might be seen as a steptowards the expulsion or suspension of States frommembership in the specialized agencies.

South Africa stated that it had opposed theresolution on the grounds that it sought to injectpolitical controversies into the affairs of the spe-cialized agencies and that some of its provisionswere unconstitutional.


Special Committee, meetings 839, 840, 857-870, 871, 872,882, 883, 885, 886.

Economic and Social Council—53rd sessionCo-ordination Committee, meeting 456.Plenary meeting 1836.

E/5133 and Corr.2. Annual report of AdministrativeCommittee on Co-ordination for 1971-1972, Chapter I B.

E/5147 and Corr.1. Implementation of Declaration onGranting of Independence to Colonial Countries andPeoples by specialized agencies and Internationalinstitutions associated with United Nations. Report ofSecretary-General.

E/5186/Rev.1. Report of Committee for Programme andCo-ordination on its 12th session, 5-23 June 1972,Chapter VII.

E/5187. Report of President of Economic and SocialCouncil.

E/AC.24/L.435. Barbados, Ghana, Hungary, India, Kenya,Niger, Pakistan, Peru, Sudan, Trinidad and Tobago,Tunisia, Zaire: draft resolution, as orally amendedby sponsors, approved by Co-ordination Committeeon 26 July 1972, meeting 456, by 23 votes to 2, with11 abstentions.

E/5197. Report of Co-ordination Committee.

Resolution 1720(LIII), as recommended by Co-ordinationCommittee, E/5197, adopted by Council on 28 July1972, meeting 1836, by roll-call vote of 17 to 2, with6 abstentions, as follows:

In favour: Bolivia, Burundi, Chile, China, Ghana,

Greece, Hungary, Kenya, Lebanon, Madagascar, Ma-laysia, Niger, Peru, Poland, Sri Lanka, Tunisia, USSR.

Against: United Kingdom, United States.Abstaining: Brazil, Finland, France, Italy, Japan,

New Zealand.

The Economic and Social Council,Having considered the Item entitled "Implementation by

the specialized agencies and the international institutionsassociated with the United Nations of the Declaration onthe Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries andPeoples,"

Having examined the report of the Secretary-Generalon the item,

Having examined a/so the report of the President of theEconomic and Social Council and the relevant partsof the report of the Committee for Programme and Co-ordination on its twelfth session and the annual reportof the Administrative Committee on Co-ordination for1971-72,

Recalling General Assembly resolution 1514(XV) of14 December 1960 containing the Declaration on theGranting of Independence to Colonial Countries andPeoples, and all other relevant United Nations resolutions,including in particular General Assembly resolution2874(XXVI) of 20 December 1971 and Council resolution1651(LI) of 29 October 1971,

Mindful of the repeated affirmation of the GeneralAssembly that the recognition by the General Assembly,the Security Council and other United Nations bodiesof the legitimacy of the struggle of colonial peoples toachieve freedom and independence entails, as a corollary,the extension by the United Nations system of organiza-


tions of all necessary moral and material assistance tothem, Including specially those in the liberated areas ofthe colonial territories, and their national liberationmovements,

Bearing in mind the views of representatives of thenational liberation movements concerned, as well asthose of representatives of the Organization of AfricanUnity, concerning the urgent and grave need for furtherand effective assistance from the United Nations systemof organizations to the colonial peoples in southernAfrica, as expressed to the Special Committee on theSituation with regard to the Implementation of theDeclaration on the Granting of Independence to ColonialCountries and Peoples during its meetings In Africa InApril 1972, and taking into account the relevantrecommendations of the Special Committee in that regard,

1. Takes note of the report of the President of theEconomic and Social Council;

2. Endorses the observations and suggestions con-tained therein;

3. Recommends those observations and suggestionsfor action, as a matter of urgency, by the specializedagencies and other organizations within the UnitedNations system and requests these organizations toinclude in their respective reports to the Secretary-General called for under the terms of General Assemblyresolution 2874(XXVI), information on such action as maybe taken or envisaged in Implementation of the presentrecommendation;

4. Requests its President, taking the foregoing intoaccount, and in the light of the tasks entrusted to It bythe General Assembly in paragraph 12 of resolution2874(XXVI), to continue his consultations with theChairman of the Special Committee on the Situation withregard to the Implementation of the Declaration on theGranting of Independence to Colonial Countries andPeoples, to seek, where appropriate, the views of theOrganization of African Unity, and to report thereon tothe Council at an early date;

5. Invites, having regard to the special responsibilityentrusted to it by the General Assembly to continue toseek the most suitable means for the immediate and fullimplementation of Assembly resolution 1514(XV) and ofall other relevant General Assembly resolutions, theattention of the Special Committee to the discussionsthat have taken place at the 456th meeting of the Co-ordination Committee and in the Committee for Pro-gramme and Co-ordination concerning the Item;

6. Decides to transmit to the General Assembly thereports of the President of the Council and of the Com-mittee for Programme and Co-ordination, In order tofacilitate its consideration of the item at the Assembly'stwenty-seventh session.

E/5223. Note by President of Council.

General Assembly—27th sessionFourth Committee, meetings 2001-2008, 2013, 2015.Plenary meeting 2110.

A/8647 and Add.1,2. Report of Secretary-General.A/8701. Report of Secretary-General on work of the

Organization, 16 June 1971-15 June 1972, Part Two,Chapter I C 4.

A/8703. Report of Economic and Social Council on workof Its 52nd and 53rd sessions, Chapter XVI.

A/8723/Rev.1. Report of Special Committee (coveringIts work during 1972), Chapter VII. (Section B:Resolution adopted by Special Committee on 23 August1972.)

A/8862. Report of Secretary-General.

A/C.4/L.1021. Afghanistan, Bulgaria, Byelorussian SSR,Cameroon, Congo, Czechoslovakia, Democratic Yemen,Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Guyana, Hungary,India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Kenya, Mali, Mongolia,Nigeria, Romania, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Somalia,Sudan, Syrian Arab Republic, Trinidad and Tobago,Tunisia, Uganda, Ukrainian SSR, United Republic ofTanzania, Yemen, Yugoslavia, Zaire, Zambia: draftresolution, approved by Fourth Committee on 6 Decem-ber 1972, meeting 2015, by recorded vote of 85 to 4,with 23 abstentions, as follows:

In favour: Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Barbados,Bhutan, Botswana, Bulgaria, Burma, Burundi, Byelo-russian SSR, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad,Chile, China, Colombia, Congo, Costa Rica, Cuba,Czechoslovakia, Dahomey, Democratic Yemen, Egypt,Ethiopia, Gabon, Guatemala, Guinea, Guyana, Hungary,India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Ivory Coast, Jamaica,Jordan, Kenya, Khmer Republic, Kuwait, Lebanon,Liberia, Libyan Arab Republic, Madagascar, Malaysia,Mali, Mauritania, Mexico, Mongolia, Morocco, Nepal,Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Peru, Phil-ippines, Poland, Qatar, Romania, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia,Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan,Syrian Arab Republic, Thailand, Togo, Trinidad andTobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, Ukrainian SSR,USSR, United Arab Emirates, United Republic ofTanzania, Upper Volta, Uruguay, Venezuela, Yugoslavia,Zaire, Zambia.

Against: Portugal, South Africa, United Kingdom,United States.

Abstaining: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium,Brazil, Canada, Denmark, El Salvador, Fiji, Finland,France, Greece, Honduras, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan,Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Para-guay, Sweden.

A/8959. Report of Fourth Committee.

Resolution 2980(XXVII), as recommended by FourthCommittee, A/8959, adopted by Assembly on 14 De-cember 1972, meeting 2110, by recorded vote of 98 to4, with 24 abstentions, as follows:

In favour: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Australia,Bahrain, Bhutan, Botswana, Bulgaria, Burma, Burundi,Byelorussian SSR, Cameroon, Central African Republic,Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Congo, Costa Rica,Cuba, Cyprus, Czechoslovakia, Dahomey, DemocraticYemen, Ecuador, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia,Gabon, Ghana, Guatemala, Guinea, Guyana, Haiti,Hungary, Iceland, *India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Israel,Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Jordan, Kenya, Khmer Republic,Kuwait, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libyan ArabRepublic, Madagascar, Malaysia, Maldives, Mall, Malta,Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Mongolia, Morocco,Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Peru,Philippines, Poland, Qatar, Romania, Rwanda, SaudiArabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Somalia,Sri Lanka, Sudan, Swaziland, Syrian Arab Republic,Thailand, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey,Uganda, Ukrainian SSR, USSR, United Arab Emirates,United Republic of Tanzania, Upper Volta, Venezuela,Yemen, Yugoslavia, Zaire, Zambia.

Against: Portugal, South Africa, United Kingdom,United States.

Abstaining: Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Bolivia,Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Dominican Republic, ElSalvador, Fiji, Finland, France, Greece, Honduras,Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Netherlands, NewZealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Sweden, Uruguay.


* Subsequently Iceland advised the Secretariat thatit had intended to abstain.

The General Assembly,Having considered the item entitled "Implementation

of the declaration on the Granting of Independenceto Colonial Countries and Peoples by the specializedagencies and the international institutions associatedwith the United Nations,"

Recalling the Declaration on the Granting of Inde-pendence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, containedin its resolution 1514(XV) of 14 December 1960, andthe programme of action for the full implementationof the Declaration, contained in its resolution 2621 (XXV)of 12 October 1970, as well as all other relevantresolutions of the General Assembly and the SecurityCouncil,

Taking into account with appreciation the reportssubmitted on the item by the Secretary-General, theEconomic and Social Council and the Special Com-mittee on the Situation with regard to the Implementationof the Declaration on the Granting of Independence toColonial Countries and Peoples,

Bearing in mind the conclusions and recommendationsof the Special Mission of the Special Committee whichvisited the liberated areas of Guinea (Bissau) in April1972,

Mindful of the views and suggestions put forward bythe representatives of the Organization of African Unityand the national liberation movements concerned dur-ing the meetings of the Security Council and the Spe-cial Committee held in Africa in 1972, in particulartheir request for assistance from the specialized agenciesand other international institutions,

Conscious of the urgent and pressing need of thepeoples in all colonial Territories, particularly of thenational liberation movements and the populations inthe liberated areas of some of those Territories, forassistance from the specialized agencies and otherorganizations within the United Nations system, espe-cially in the fields of education, training, health andnutrition,

Having invited, in consultation with the Organizationof African Unity and through it, representatives of thenational liberation movements of the colonial Territoriesin Africa to participate in an observer capacity in itsconsideration of the Territories concerned, and havingheard the statements of the leaders of those liberationmovements relating, in particular, to the reconstructionprogrammes being undertaken by their organizationsin the liberated areas of the Territories,

Recognizing the urgent need for further and moreeffective measures for the full and speedy implementa-tion of the Declaration and other relevant resolutions ofthe General Assembly, the Security Council and theSpecial Committee by all the organizations of the UnitedNations system within their respective spheres of com-petence,

Noting with growing concern that, while several ofthe specialized agencies and organizations within theUnited Nations system have provided considerable as-sistance to refugees from the colonial Territories InAfrica, many of them have not extended their full co-operation to the United Nations in the implementationof the relevant resolutions relating to providing as-sistance to the national liberation movements and dis-continuing all collaboration with the Governments ofPortugal and South Africa, as well as the illegal régimein Southern Rhodesia,

Noting with appreciation that some of the organiza-tions have taken or are taking steps to formulate, Inconsultation with the Organization of African Unity,

concrete programmes for providing assistance, withintheir spheres of competence, to the peoples of thecolonial Territories in Africa striving to liberate them-selves from colonial domination,

Taking into account the views expressed by theOrganization of African Unity on the question of pro-cedures for the participation of representatives of thenational liberation movements of the colonial Terri-tories in Africa in conferences, seminars and otherregional meetings convened by the specialized agencies,

Mindful of the necessity to keep under continuousreview the activities of the specialized agencies andother organizations within the United Nations systemin the implementation of the various United Nationsdecisions relating to decolonization,

1. Approves the chapter of the report of the SpecialCommittee on the Situation with regard to the Imple-mentation of the Declaration on the Granting of Inde-pendence to Colonial Countries and Peoples relatingto the item:

2. Reaffirms that the recognition by the GeneralAssembly, the Security Council and other United Na-tions bodies of the legitimacy of the struggle of co-lonial peoples to achieve freedom and independenceentails, as a corollary, the extension by the UnitedNations system of organizations of all the necessarymoral and material assistance to the national liberationmovements of the colonial Territories, including espe-cially the liberated areas of those Territories;

3. Expresses its appreciation to the Office of theUnited Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, tothe United Nations Educational, Scientific and CulturalOrganization and to those other specialized agenciesand organizations within the United Nations systemwhich have been co-operating in varying degrees withthe United Nations in the implementation of the Decla-ration and other relevant resolutions of the GeneralAssembly;

4. Reiterates its urgent appeal to all specializedagencies and other organizations within the UnitedNations system and to all States to render, as a matterof urgency, all possible moral and material assistanceto the colonial peoples in Africa struggling for theirliberation from colonial rule, to initiate or broadencontacts and co-operation with them In consultationwith the Organization of African Unity and, in particular,to work out and implement, with the active co-operationof the Organization of African Unity and, through it,of the national liberation movements, concrete pro-grammes for such assistance to the peoples of Angola,Guinea (Bissau) and Cape Verde, Mozambique, SouthernRhodesia and Namibia, including in particular the peoplesin the liberated areas of those Territories and theirnational liberation movements;

5. Reiterates its urgent request that the specializedagencies and other organizations within the UnitedNations system, including in particular the United NationsDevelopment Programme and the International Bank forReconstruction and Development, should take measures,within their respective spheres of competence, to increasethe scope of their assistance to refugees from colonialTerritories, including assistance to the Governmentsconcerned in the preparation and execution of projectsbeneficial to those refugees, and in that connexion tointroduce the greatest possible measure of flexibility intheir relevant procedures;

6. Urges once again the specialized agencies andother organizations within the United Nations system,in accordance with the relevant resolutions of theGeneral Assembly and the Security Council, to take allnecessary measures to withhold any financial, economic,technical and other assistance from the Governments


of Portugal and South Africa and the illegal régime inSouthern Rhodesia, and to discontinue all collaborationwith them until they renounce their policies of racialdiscrimination and colonial oppression;

7. Requests the specialized agencies and other or-ganizations within the United Nations system, in con-sultation with the Organization of African Unity, toensure the representation of the Colonial Territories inAfrica by the national liberation movements concerned,in an appropriate capacity, when dealing with matterspertaining to those Territories;

8. Recommends that all Governments should In-tensify their efforts in the specialized agencies andother organizations within the United Nations systemof which they are members to ensure the full and effec-tive implementation of the Declaration and other rel-evant resolutions of the United Nations, and in thatconnexion should accord priority to the question ofproviding assistance, on an emergency basis, to peoplesin the colonial Territories and to their national libera-tion movements;

9. Recommends that the specialized agencies andother organizations within the United Nations system,with a view to facilitating the implementation of para-graph 8 above, should request their executive heads toformulate and submit to their respective governingbodies or legislative organs, as a matter of priority andwith the active co-operation of the Organization ofAfrican Unity, concrete proposals for specific programmes

of all possible assistance to the peoples In colonialTerritories and their national liberation movements,together with a comprehensive analysis of the problems,if any, confronted by these agencies and organizations;

10. Requests the Economic and Social Council tocontinue to consider, in consultation with the SpecialCommittee, appropriate measures for co-ordination ofthe policies and activities of the specialized agenciesand other organizations within the United Nationssystem in implementing the relevant resolutions of theGeneral Assembly;

11. Requests the Secretary-General:(a) To prepare for submission to the relevant bodies

concerned with related aspects of the present Item,with the assistance of the specialized agencies and otherorganizations within the United Nations system, a re-port on the action taken since the circulation of hisprevious report in implementation of the relevant reso-lutions of the United Nations, including the presentresolution;

(b) To continue to assist the specialized agenciesand other organizations within the United Nations systemin working out appropriate measures for implementingthe present resolution and to report thereon to theGeneral Assembly at its twenty-eighth session;

12. Requests the Special Committee to continue toexamine the question and to report to the GeneralAssembly at its twenty-eighth session.

Activities of foreign economic and other interests

Consideration by Special CommitteeOn 31 August 1972, the General Assembly's

Special Committee on the Situation with regardto the Implementation of the Declaration on theGranting of Independence to Colonial Countriesand Peoples13 approved without objection a reportby its Sub-Committee I concerning the activitiesof foreign economic and other interests impedingthe implementation of the Declaration on grantingindependence, in Southern Rhodesia, Namibia,the territories under Portuguese administrationand in all other colonial territories.

The Committee endorsed the conclusions andrecommendations which the Sub-Committee hadreached, among which were the following.

The colonial powers and the States whose na-lionals were engaged in activities in colonial terri-tories had not implemented General Assemblydecisions on the question; especially in Namibia,the territories under Portuguese domination andSouthern Rhodesia no legislative, administrativeor other measures had been taken to put an endto or restrain the activities of those foreign in-terests which continued to deprive the colonialpeoples of their resources needed for a viableindependence.

The foreign monopolies continued to developonly those economic sectors yielding the highestprofits and had reduced the colonial territoriesto the role of suppliers of raw materials and

agricultural products to the metropolitan andother countries. The high profits of the foreignmonopolies were attributable to the special privi-leges granted them by the colonial administrationsand racist régimes and to the existence of a policyof racial discrimination and the low wages paidto indigenous workers, particularly in the terri-tories of southern Africa, where the workers hadno social security benefits and were not permittedto form trade unions to defend their interests.The high profits earned by foreign monopolieswere not invested for the improvement of theeconomic and social conditions of the indigenouspeople, but remained in the hands of the foreigninterests concerned or were shared with the racistregimes. The monopolies supplied the colonialrégimes with funds and other forms of assistance,including military aid, with the aim of liquidatingthe national liberation movements.

In Namibia, a mass strike of African contractworkers which took place in late 1971 and early1972 had temporarily paralysed the economy, andthe ruthlessness with which this strike had beensuppressed had exposed the inhuman system ofslave labour perpetrated by the South Africanrégime for the benefit of big mining companiesand other foreign interests.

13 See Y.U.N., I960, pp. 49-50, resolution 1514(XV) containingtext of the Declaration.


In the territories under Portuguese domination,a major feature in the process of expansion offoreign economic interests was the creation, withthe assistance of big monopolies controlled fromthe United Kingdom, the United States, France,the Federal Republic of Germany and Japan, ofa new military and paramilitary industrial complexunder the aegis of South Africa, which was pene-trating deeply into neighbouring territories ofsouthern Africa. The outward economic thrust wastaking place, inter alia, at the two main points—the4,000-megawatt Cabora Bassa dam already underconstruction on the Zambezi River in Mozambiqueand the 2,000-megawatt Cunene River Basin schemein southern Angola—in which South African finan-cial interests were playing a major role.

With regard to the Cabora Bassa project, theSpecial Committee reiterated its previous conclu-sions as follows:

(a) the aim of Portugal and the minority racistrégimes in southern Africa in undertaking theproject with the help of some foreign monopolieswas to oppress even more the indigenous inhabi-tants and to bring to a halt the national liberationstruggle of the people not only of Mozambiquebut also of Angola, Zimbabwe (Southern Rhodesia)and Namibia;

(b) the project was designed to enable Portugaland the other minority racist régimes in southernAfrica to bring to the area more than 1 millionwhite settlers, who would contribute directly tothe war against the people of the territories;

(c) the project would strengthen the economicbase of the minority racist régimes in southernAfrica, as well as white supremacy in that region;

(d) the project would have grave negative politi-cal implications not only for the independent andthe colonial countries of southern Africa, but forthe continent as a whole, and would lead to inter-national tensions and discord;

(e) any foreign participation in the scheme wastantamount to strengthening the oppressive mi-nority racist régimes in southern Africa.

The construction of the Cabora Bassa dam andthe Cunene Valley development project were notaimed at raising the level of living of the Africanpeoples but at perpetuating Portugal's dominationover those territories. Further, the request ad-dressed by the General Assembly in 1970 and againin 1971 to those States whose companies wereparticipating in the construction of the two pro-jects to put an end to such participation had beenignored, and foreign interests from Canada, theFederal Republic of Germany, France, South Africa,the United Kingdom and the United States con-tinued to support the construction of the CaboraBassa dam.

The Special Committee noted that South Africa

remained the most important source of foreigncapital investment in Mozambique and that, apartfrom playing a dominant role in the Cabora Bassaproject, South African capital was further en-trenching itself in the mining and other sectors.In addition, South Africa continued to be theterritory's leading trade partner after Portugal.During 1972, there had been indications that someinterests in Mozambique were seeking closer eco-nomic integration with South Africa in order togive support to Portugal's continued presence inAfrica.

The Portuguese Government had renewed itsefforts to promote the settlement of non-Africansin Mozambique—especially in the northern areas,particularly in the Zambezi Valley—and was givingthese new settlers substantial financial assistanceand large areas of cleared land to develop agri-culture or ranching. Africans, however, had beenresettled in newly created villages located oninfertile lands with poor resources.

In Angola, Portugal was likewise seeking tostrengthen its domination with the support offoreign economic interests. The concentration offoreign capital investment in the mining sectorhad increased and the exploitation of the terri-tory's mineral resources for export had beenspeeded up. Here also there had been a steadyincrease of South African interests, especially inmining and in the Cunene region. Portugueseencouragement of foreign investment was accom-panied by an intensified effort to change the ruralstructure in the more strategic areas by resettlingthe African population and by introducing about1 million non-African settlers.

Information on the situation in SouthernRhodesia, the Special Committee concluded,showed that there had been no substantive changein the role of foreign economic and other interests.The economy continued to be dominated by thoseinterests, acting in co-operation with, and withthe direct support of, the illegal régime. Foreigneconomic and white settler interests continued topredominate in the non-agricultural sectors of theeconomy and, according to unofficial estimates,between 80 and 90 per cent of the territory'smining industry was foreign-owned. Most of themajor companies involved were subsidiaries ofSouth African, United Kingdom, United Statesand western European interests.

The Special Committee noted in its conclusionsthat the representatives of the national liberationmovements had provided it during its meetingsin Africa with valuable information concerningthe operation of the vast economic and financialinterests from Canada, the Federal Republic ofGermany, France, Japan, South Africa, the UnitedKingdom and the United States which were oper-


ating in Angola, Mozambique, Namibia andSouthern Rhodesia. The representatives of boththe Movimento Popular de Libertaçâo de Angola(MPLA) and the Frente de Libertuçâo de Moçam-bique (FRELIMO) had pointed out, among otherthings, that Western support of Portugal hadcontinued on the economic, the financial and thepolitical levels, as well as on the military level,and that those Stales which were heavily involvedin investments were the same States that suppliedPortugal with weapons and other assistance, there-by enabling it to continue its oppression of thenational liberation movements.

These representatives believed that the CaboraBassa and Cunene River Basin projects, in whichSouth Africa was taking a leading part, weremilitary-economic projects, forming elements ofSouth Africa's aggressive policy against the libera-tion movements in southern Africa and againstneighbouring independent States. Once theseschemes were completed, they felt, the colonialisthold over the region would be further consolidatedand strengthened and a military and politicalpresence would be established to protect them.

The Special Committee noted that during 1972protest campaigns against the involvement offoreign economic interests in the exploitation ofthe colonial territories had taken place all overthe world. In particular, there had been wide-spread and increasing opposition on the part ofnon-governmental organizations, political partiesand labour movements in a number of countriesto the Cabora Bassa and Cunene River Basinprojects and to participation in them by foreigncompanies. The Committee cited a consumer boy-cott of Angolan coffee in the Netherlands and adecision by the World Council of Churches toliquidate its holdings in all corporations andcompanies directly involved in investment in ortrade with South Africa, Southern Rhodesia andthe territories under Portuguese administration.

With regard to the situation in other colonialterritories, including those in the Caribbean andPacific areas, the Special Committee expressed itsconcern over the continued activities of thoseforeign economic and other interests which weredepriving the indigenous people of their rightto enjoy the wealth of their countries, especiallyin those cases where the foreign companies con-cerned enjoyed privileged tax-exempt status to thedetriment of the people of the territories.

The Special Committee recommended to theGeneral Assembly that it:

(a) reaffirm once again that foreign economic,financial and other interests, as they were con-tinuing to operate in the colonial territories,constituted a major obstacle to political indepen-dence and to economic and social justice for the

indigenous people and were impeding the imple-mentation of the Assembly's resolution of 14 De-cember 1960 on the granting of independence tocolonial countries and peoples;

(b) reaffirm once again the inalienable rightof the indigenous population of the colonial terri-tories to their political independence, their sov-ereignty over their natural resources and theirright to enjoy the benefits thereof;

(c) strongly condemn the current activities andoperating methods of those foreign economic andother interests in the territories under colonialdomination which were designed to keep thecolonial peoples subjugated and to thwart theirefforts and initiatives towards self-determinationand independence;

(d) condemn the colonial powers and otherStates which gave their active support to the aboveeconomic and other foreign interests in theirexploitation of the natural and human resourcesof the colonial territories, and call upon thoseStates to take effective measures to stop the supplyof funds and other forms of support, includingmilitary equipment, to colonial régimes whichused such support to repress the national libera-tion movements;

(e) reiterate its urgent request that the colonialpowers and States concerned should take legisla-tive, administrative and other measures in respectof their companies and nationals who owned andoperated enterprises in the colonial territories,particularly in Namibia, Southern Rhodesia andthe territories under Portuguese domination, toput an end to their activities which were detri-mental to the interests of the inhabitants of theterritories;

(f) request the colonial powers and States con-cerned to prevent the systematic influx of foreignimmigrants into those colonial territories, whichdisrupted the integrity and social, political andcultural unity of the peoples under colonialdomination;

(g) strongly condemn once again the continua-tion of the construction of the Cabora Bassa andCunene River Basin projects as being designed tostrengthen and perpetuate colonialist and racistdomination over the territories of southern Africaand as being fraught with serious implications forinternational peace and security in Africa;

(h) call upon all Governments of MemberStates to intensify their efforts to put an end toall forms of economic and financial aid toPortugal, South Africa and the illegal régime inSouthern Rhodesia;

(i) deplore the attitude of the Governments ofCanada, the Federal Republic of Germany, France,the United Kingdom, the United States and otherStates which had failed to prevent their nationals


and companies from participating in the CaboraBassa and Cunene River Basin projects, and urgethem to withdraw their support from the projectsand put an end to participation by companies orindividuals of their nationality in those projects;

(j) request the Secretary-General to give thewidest possible publicity to the adverse effects ofthe activities of foreign economic and other in-terests in Southern Rhodesia, Namibia, the terri-tories under Portuguese domination and all othercolonial territories, and to the resolutions of theGeneral Assembly concerning those activities; and

(k) once again request the colonial powers andStates concerned to comply fully with relevantAssembly resolutions and ask them to adopt effec-tive measures to prevent new investments, particu-larly in southern Africa, which were contrary tothose resolutions.

The USSR representative, commenting on thereport, felt that there were three aspects of foreigneconomic activities in the territories which wereof particular concern to the Special Committee:first, the looting of natural and mineral resourcesand valuable raw materials of the colonial terri-tories was continuing and even increasing; second,the local labour force was being pitilessly ex-ploited; and third, the monopolies with invest-ments in southern Africa had given considerablefinancial assistance to the régimes of Pretoria,Salisbury and Lisbon.

Czechoslovakia referred to the financial resourcesand other forms of assistance, including militaryassistance for the elimination of national libera-tion movements, which monopolistic circles andGovernments of certain powers continued to grantto colonial régimes and felt these activities createdan extremely dangerous situation fraught withexplosive possibilities.

While supporting the report as a whole, theIvory Coast and Sweden expressed certain generalreservations. The Ivory Coast felt that a distinctionshould be drawn between economic interests inthe small territories and economic interests insouthern Africa, and that there should be a specialstudy of the needs of the small territories todetermine to what extent investments could beused to improve the welfare of the population.

Specific reservations were also made by the IvoryCoast and by Venezuela.

Consideration by General AssemblyThe question of the activities of foreign eco-

nomic and other interests in colonial territorieswas discussed during the twenty-seventh session ofthe General Assembly later in 1972, mainly in theAssembly's Fourth Committee.

On the recommendation of the Fourth Com-mittee, the Assembly—on 14 December 1972—took

the following action relating to this question.Deeply disturbed by the increasingly intensified

activities of those foreign economic, financial andother interests which were impeding legitimateaspirations for self-determination, the Assemblyreaffirmed the inalienable right of the peoples ofdependent territories to self-determination andindependence and to the enjoyment of the naturalresources of their territories as well as their rightto dispose of those resources in their best interests.

The Assembly also reaffirmed that the activitiesof foreign economic, financial and other interestsoperating in the colonial territories of SouthernRhodesia and Namibia and the territories underPortuguese domination constituted a major obsta-cle to political independence and enjoyment ofthe natural resources by indigenous inhabitants.

It approved the report relating to foreign eco-nomic interests submitted by the Special Com-mittee on the granting of independence.

The Assembly declared once again that anyadministering power, by depriving the colonialpeoples of the exercise of their rights or by subor-dinating them to foreign economic and financialinterests, violated the obligations it had assumedunder Chapters XI and XII of the Charter ofthe United Nations.14

It condemned the policies of the colonial powersand other States which continued to support thoseforeign economic and other interests engaged inexploiting the natural and human resources ofthe territories without regard to the welfare of theindigenous peoples, thus violating the political,economic and social rights and interests of thosepeoples and obstructing the full and speedy imple-mentation of the Declaration on the granting ofindependence in respect of those territories.

Also, the Assembly strongly condemned thecontinuation of the construction of the CaboraBassa project in Mozambique and the CuneneRiver Basin project in Angola, which were de-signed further to entrench colonialist and racialistdomination over the territories in Africa andwere a source of international tension.

It condemned as well the policies of thoseGovernments which had not yet prevented theirnationals and bodies corporate under their juris-diction from participating in the Cabora Bassaand Cunene River Basin projects, and urgentlyrequested the Governments concerned to take allthe necessary measures to terminate this participa-tion and to have them withdraw immediately fromall activities related to the projects.

It called upon the colonial powers and Statesconcerned to take legislative, administrative and

14 For text of Chapters XI and XII of the Charter, seeAPPENDIX II.


other measures in respect of their nationals whoowned and operated enterprises in colonial terri-tories, particularly in Africa, which were detri-mental to the interests of the inhabitants of thoseterritories, in order to put an end to such enter-prises and to prevent new investments that rancounter to the interests of the inhabitants.

Further, the Assembly asked all States to takeeffective measures to end the supply of funds andother forms of assistance, including military sup-plies and equipment, to those régimes which usedsuch assistance to repress the peoples of the colo-nial territories and their national liberationmovements.

It called upon the administering powers toabolish every discriminatory and unjust wagesystem which prevailed in the territories undertheir administration and to apply in each territorya uniform system of wages to all the inhabitantswithout any discrimination.

In addition, the Assembly asked the Secretary-General to give the widest possible publicity tothe adverse effects of the activities of foreign eco-nomic and other interests in Southern Rhodesia,Namibia, the territories under Portuguese domi-nation and all other colonial territories, as wellas to the decisions of the Special Committee andthe General Assembly on the question.

Finally it requested the Special Committee tocontinue to study this question and to reportthereon to the Assembly at its 1973 session.

These decisions were taken with the adoptionof resolution 2979(XXVII), by a recorded vote of106 to 6, with 15 abstentions. The Fourth Com-mittee approved the text on 8 December 1972by a roll-call vote of 78 to 6, with 14 abstentions.Sponsors of the resolution in the Fourth Com-mittee were the following 29 States: Bulgaria,Burundi, Cameroon, the Central African Republic,Chad, Chile, the Congo, Czechoslovakia, Ghana,Guinea, Guyana, Hungary, Kenya, Madagascar,Mali, Mongolia, Nepal, Nigeria, Romania, SierraLeone, Somalia, Sudan, the Syrian Arab Republic,Uganda, the Ukrainian SSR, the United Republicof Tanzania, Yugoslavia, Zaire and Zambia.

The majority of those taking part in the debateon the question supported the report of the SpecialCommittee. Czechoslovakia, for one, pointed outthat in Namibia, the territories under Portugueseadministration and Southern Rhodesia no mea-sures had been taken to put an end to or restrainthe activities of those foreign interests which con-tinued to deprive the colonial peoples of theresources they needed for a viable independence.The colonial powers tried to disguise their exploi-tation by denying that those activities had anyharmful effect, but there was no doubt that thecapital invested in the Portuguese colonies worked

for the exclusive benefit of Portugal and its alliesin the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

The representative of Cuba condemned theactivities of foreign interests in the colonial terri-tories. He said that multinational corporationsbased in the United States were working throughEuropean and Japanese capitalists to extend theways of imperialism in Africa, projecting thecultural patterns of modern imperialism andhelping to keep control of the resources anddevelopment opportunities of the African con-tinent.

Egypt observed that colonialism had always beenmotivated by the lure of the rich resources of thecolonized territories. Recently, yielding to pressure,colonialism had had to beat an apparent retreat,only to reappear in the form of neo-colonialism,one of the main aspects of which was the mainte-nance and promotion of foreign economic andother interests in the colonial territories. Itamounted to a supranational economic system,fully or partially in the hands of foreigners. Claimsthat the activities of foreign economic interestsbenefited the indigenous population were entirelyunfounded and categorically rejected by manyeminent economists. On the contrary, thoseactivities strengthened the colonial and racistGovernments.

Others, including Mali, Nepal and the SyrianArab Republic, also referred to the plundering ofthe natural resources of the colonial territories.Nepal noted in this connexion that article 1 ofthe International Covenant on Economic, Socialand Cultural Rights provided that, by virtue oftheir right to self-determination, all peoples inpursuing their economic development might freelydispose of their natural wealth and resources.15

Nepal also pointed out that racial discriminationwas a device for maintaining a cheap labour force.

The representative of the USSR said that thecapitalist monopolies and other foreign interests,particularly in their activities in southern Africa,were motivated solely by selfish interests. In orderto increase their profits, they were helping tomaintain colonial rule. The Governments of cer-tain imperialist States took no action whateveragainst enterprises owned by their nationals whichwere violating United Nations resolutions, wereincreasingly active in southern Africa and wereassisting the racist régimes in the area. In southernAfrica, the profits of foreign enterprises went ashigh as 25 per cent, which was more than twicewhat they made in other areas. Many enterprisesand monopolies in the United States, the UnitedKingdom, the Federal Republic of Germany,

15 See Y .U.N. , 1966, pp. 418-23, resolution 2200 A (XXI) of16 December 1966, containing text of the Covenant.


Japan and other countries whose interests wereclosely interrelated were participating in theexploitation of the resources of the colonial terri-tories. The colonialist and racist régimes weretrying to create favourable conditions for thosemonopolies by granting them various privileges,permitting them to export capital, exempting themfrom taxes and supplying them, of course, withcheap labour whose abundance was assured bythe system of apartheid and racial discrimination.The huge profits extracted from the colonial terri-tories accrued not only to the investors but alsoto the Governments of the colonialist countries.

Others, including Bulgaria, the ByelorussianSSR, Ghana, Mongolia, Pakistan, Uganda and theUkrainian SSR, also denounced the role playedby foreign monopolies in supporting the colonialsystem.

South Africa said that it could not accept thesuggestion that economic activity in southernAfrica was totally detrimental to the interests ofthe inhabitants, and it considered that the refer-ences in the Assembly's resolution to South Africaand its policies in South West Africa were totallymisplaced.

The representative of Japan said that hisGovernment's position had been set forth in detailin a letter of 28 November 1972, addressed to theSecretary-General, which had stated that in com-pliance with Security Council resolutions Japanprohibited exportation to South Africa, Portugaland Southern Rhodesia of arms and ammunition,and equipment and plants for manufacturingthem. Also, those areas were excluded from arecent liberalization of direct overseas investment.Certain statements in the Special Committee'sreport were unfounded and contrary to fact, andwere categorically rejected. The representative alsostated that Japan did not support the idea that

all activities of foreign economic and other inter-ests in colonial territories were evil per se.

Uruguay said it had voted for the resolutionbecause its general principles were in accordancewith Uruguay's policies. However, Uruguay hadreservations on the operative paragraph stronglycondemning the continuation of the constructionof the Cabora Bassa and Cunene River Basinprojects, and on the operative paragraph con-demning the policies of Governments which hadnot prevented their nationals and bodies corporateunder their jurisdiction from participating.

Argentina said that while it had voted for theresolution and was opposed to foreign economicand other interests provided it was clearly shownthat they were harmful to the interests of theterritories in which they exerted their influence,it was not possible to affirm that all the activitiesof foreign economic interests in colonial territorieswere bad per se. There should be a thorough studyof the question to determine the circumstanceswherein they might have a beneficial effect.

Sweden also condemned foreign economic inter-ests provided it was demonstrated that they weredetrimental to the territories and opposed thecolonial peoples and their efforts to free them-selves. However, the problem was too complex topermit generalizations of the kind in the resolutionand was too important to be approached ingeneral terms.

Iceland had voted for the resolution in orderto put on record its condemnation of the activitiesand discriminatory practices of foreign economicinterests impeding the granting of independenceto the peoples concerned. However, this vote didnot imply blanket endorsement of all the provi-sions of the resolution. Others expressing reserva-tions included Greece, the Ivory Coast, Turkeyand Venezuela.


Special Committee, meetings 891, 892.

General Assembly—27th sessionFourth Committee, meetings 2001-2008, 2016, 2017, 2020.Plenary meeting 2110.

A/8701. Report of Secretary-General on work of theOrganization, 16 June 1971-15 June 1972, Part Two,Chapter I C 1.

A/8723/Rev.1. Report of Special Committee (coveringits work during 1972), Chapter V.

A/8877. Letter of 28 November 1972 from Japan.A/C.4/L.1024. Bulgaria, Burundi, Cameroon, Central

African Republic, Chad, Chile, Congo, Czechoslovakia,Ghana, Guinea, Guyana, Hungary, Kenya, Madagascar,Mali, Mongolia, Nepal, Nigeria, Romania, Sierra Leone,Somalia, Sudan, Syrian Arab Republic, Uganda, Ukrai-nian SSR, United Republic of Tanzania, Yugoslavia,Zaire, Zambia: draft resolution, approved by Fourth

Committee on 8 December 1972, meeting 2017, byroll-call vote of 78 to 6, with 14 abstentions, as follows:

In favour: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Argentina,Australia, Bahrain, Bhutan, Bulgaria, Burma, Burundi,Byelorussian SSR, Cameroon, Central African Republic,Chad, China, Congo, Cuba, Cyprus, Czechoslovakia,Democratic Yemen, Ecuador, Egypt, Ethiopia, Fiji,Gabon, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Guinea, Guyana,Haiti, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, IvoryCoast, Jamaica, Kenya, Kuwait, Lebanon, Liberia,Libyan Arab Republic, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mall,Mauritania, Mexico, Mongolia, Morocco, Nepal, Oman,Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Romania, Rwanda,Senegal, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Somalia, Sudan,Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey,Uganda, Ukrainian SSR, USSR, United Arab Emirates,United Republic of Tanzania, Upper Volta, Venezuela.Yemen, Yugoslavia, Zambia.


Against: Canada, France, Portugal, South Africa,United Kingdom, United States.

Abstaining: Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Denmark, ElSalvador, Finland, Honduras, Ireland, Japan, Nether-lands, New Zealand, Norway, Spain, Sweden.

A/8958. Report of Fourth Committee.

Resolution 2979(XXVII), as recommended by FourthCommittee, A/8958, adopted by Assembly on 14 De-cember 1972, meeting 2110, by recorded vote of 106to 6, with 15 abstentions, as follows:

In favour: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Argentina,Australia, Bahrain, Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Bulgaria,Burma, Burundi, Byelorussian SSR, Cameroon, CentralAfrican Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Congo,Costa Rica, Cuba, Cyprus, Czechoslovakia, Dahomey,Democratic Yemen, Dominican Republic, Ecuador,Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gabon, Ghana,Greece, Guatemala, Guinea, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras,Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Israel,Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Jordan, Kenya, Khmer Republic,Kuwait, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libyan ArabRepublic, Madagascar, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta,Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Mongolia, Morocco,Nepal, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan,Panama, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Qatar, Romania,Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone,Singapore, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Swaziland,Syrian Arab Republic, Thailand, Togo, Trinidad andTobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, Ukrainian SSR,USSR, United Arab Emirates, United Republic ofTanzania, Upper Volta, Uruguay, Venezuela, Yemen,Yugoslavia, Zaire, Zambia.

Against: Canada, France, Portugal, South Africa,United Kingdom, United States.

Abstaining: Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Denmark, ElSalvador, Finland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg,Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Spain, Sweden.

The General Assembly,Having considered the item entitled "Activities of

foreign economic and other interests which are im-peding the implementation of the Declaration on theGranting of Independence to Colonial Countries andPeoples in Southern Rhodesia, Namibia and Territoriesunder Portuguese domination and in all other Ter-ritories under colonial domination and efforts to elimi-nate colonialism, apartheid and racial discriminationin southern Africa,"

Having examined the chapter of the report of theSpecial Committee on the Situation with regard to theImplementation of the Declaration on the Granting ofIndependence to Colonial Countries and Peoples relat-ing to this question,

Recalling its resolution 1514(XV) of 14 December1960, containing the Declaration on the Granting ofIndependence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, andits resolution 2621(XXV) of 12 October 1970, containingthe programme of action for the full implementationof the Declaration, as well as all other resolutionsadopted by it on the item,

Reaffirming that the administering Powers, In ac-cordance with Chapters XI and XII of the Charter ofthe United Nations, have the obligation to ensure thepolitical, economic, social and educational advance-ment of the inhabitants of the Territories under theiradministration and to protect the human and naturalresources of those Territories against abuses,

Reiterating its conviction that any economic or otheractivity which impedes the Implementation of the Decla-

ration and obstructs efforts aimed at the eliminationof colonialism, apartheid and racial discrimination insouthern Africa and other colonial Territories violatesthe political, economic and social rights and interests ofthe peoples of the Territories and is therefore incom-patible with the purposes and principles of the Charter,

Deeply disturbed by the increasingly intensified activi-ties of those foreign economic, financial and otherinterests in the Territories which, contrary to the relevantresolutions of the General Assembly, assist the Govern-ments of Portugal and South Africa, as well as theillegal racist minority régime in Southern Rhodesia,and impede the realization by the peoples of the Ter-ritories of their legitimate aspirations for self-determina-tion and independence,

1. Reaffirms the inalienable right of the peoples ofdependent Territories to self-determination and inde-pendence and to the enjoyment of the natural resourcesof their Territories, as well as their right to dispose ofthose resources in their best interests;

2. Reaffirms that the activities of foreign economic,financial and other interests operating at present in thecolonial Territories of Southern Rhodesia and Namibia,as well as in those under Portuguese domination, con-stitute a major obstacle to political independence andto the enjoyment of the natural resources of those Ter-ritories by the indigenous inhabitants;

3. Approves the chapter of the report of the SpecialCommittee on the Situation with regard to the Imple-mentation of the Declaration on the Granting of Inde-pendence to Colonial Countries and Peoples relatingto this question;

4. Declares once again that any administering Power,by depriving the colonial peoples of the exercise oftheir rights or by subordinating them to foreign economicand financial interests, violates the obligations It hasassumed under Chapters XI and XII of the Charter ofthe United Nations;

5. Condemns the policies of the colonial Powersand other States which continue to support those foreigneconomic and other interests engaged in exploitingthe natural and human resources of the Territorieswithout regard to the welfare of the indigenous peoples,thus violating the political, economic and social rightsand interests of the indigenous peoples and obstructingthe full and speedy implementation of the Declarationin respect of those Territories;

6. Strongly condemns the continuation of the con-struction of the Cabora Bassa project in Mozambiqueand the Cunene River Basin project in Angola, whichare designed further to entrench colonialist and racialistdomination over the Territories in Africa and are asource of international tension;

7. Condemns the policies of those Governmentswhich have not yet prevented their nationals and bodiescorporate under their jurisdiction from participating Inthe Cabora Bassa and Cunene River Basin projects,and urgently requests the Governments concerned totake all the necessary measures to terminate this par-ticipation and to have them withdraw immediately fromall activities related to the projects;

8. Calls upon the colonial Powers and States con-cerned to take legislative, administrative and othermeasures in respect of their nationals who own andoperate enterprises in colonial Territories, particularlyin Africa, which are detrimental to the Interests of theinhabitants of those Territories, in order to put an endto such enterprises and to prevent new investments thatrun counter to the interests of the inhabitants;

9. Requests all States to take effective measures toend the supply of funds and other forms of assistance,including military supplies and equipment, to those


régimes which use such assistance to repress the peo-ples of the colonial Territories and their national libera-tion movements;

10. Calls upon the administering Powers to abolishevery discriminatory and unjust wage system which pre-vails in the Territories under their administration andto apply in each Territory a uniform system of wagesto all the inhabitants without any discrimination;

11. Requests the Secretary-General to give the

widest possible publicity to the adverse effects of theactivities of foreign economic and other interests InSouthern Rhodesia, Namibia, the Territories underPortuguese domination and all other colonial Territories,as well as to the decisions of the Special Committeeand the General Assembly on this question;

12. Requests the Special Committee to continue tostudy this question and to report thereon to the GeneralAssembly at its twenty-eighth session.

United Nations Educational and Training Programme (or Southern Africa

The United Nations Educational and TrainingProgramme for Southern Africa continued during1971-1972 to grant scholarships for education andtraining, outside their own countries, to personsfrom Namibia, South Africa, Southern Rhodesiaand the territories under Portuguese admin-istration.

Between 1 January and 12 November 1972,voluntary contributions from Slates to the Pro-gramme amounted to $813,188.

The General Assembly, at its 1972 session, again

appealed to all States, to organizations and toindividuals to contribute generously to the Pro-gramme. The Assembly also decided that as afurther transitional measure, provision should bemade under the 1973 regular budget of the UnitedNations for an amount of $100,000 in order toensure continuity of the Programme.

The Assembly took this action with the adoptionof resolution 2981(XXVII) on 14 December. (Forfurther details and text of resolution, seepp. 13941.)

Questions concerning individual territories

The following pages give a brief account of deci-sions taken on various individual territories in1972 by the General Assembly and by its SpecialCommittee on the Situation with regard to theImplementation of the Declaration on the Grant-ing of Independence to Colonial Countries andPeoples.16 (See also pp. 111-35, 602-25, 584-601 and526-38, for details on questions concerning, respec-tively, Southern Rhodesia, Namibia, territoriesunder Portuguese administration, and Papua NewGuinea and the Trust Territory of the PacificIslands.)

For each of the territories considered, the Spe-cial Committee and the Assembly had before thema working paper prepared by the Secretariat con-taining information on actions previously takenand on the latest developments concerning theterritory.

Falkland Islands (Malvinas)The Special Committee considered the question

of the Falkland Islands (Malvinas) on 25 August1972.

On the same date, the Special Committeedecided, without objection, to transmit to theGeneral Assembly the working paper prepared bythe Secretariat, in order to facilitate considerationof the item by the Fourth Committee of the As-sembly and, subject to any Assembly directives,to consider the question in 1973.

In reply to a statement made by the Foreign

Minister of Argentina on 27 September 1972,during the General Debate in the General As-sembly, the Permanent Representative of theUnited Kingdom addressed a letter dated 23 Oc-tober 1972 to the Secretary-General. It was statedin the letter that the United Kingdom should notbe taken to have recognized or to support theposition of Argentina set forth by its ForeignMinister in the Assembly, i.e. that a final solutionto the differences between the Argentine andUnited Kingdom Governments could be noneother than the return of the Malvinas Islands tothe Argentine territorial heritage. The position ofthe United Kingdom remained as described inthe letter addressed by the Permanent Represen-tative of the United Kingdom to the Secretary-General on 26 September 1969, the letter added.

On 18 December 1972, the General Assemblyendorsed, without objection, a recommendationmade on 12 December 1972 by its Fourth Com-mittee that consideration of the question of theFalkland Islands (Malvinas) be postponed to 1973.

French Territory of the Afars and the IssasIn 1972, the Special Committee considered the

question of the French Territory of the Afars andthe Issas on 27 April, during a series of meetingsheld in Africa, and again on 25 August at a

16 See Y.U.N., 1960, pp. 49-50, resolution 1514(XV), con-taining text of the Declaration.


meeting held at United Nations Headquarters,New York. At the April meeting, the Special Com-mittee heard statements by the following represen-tatives of political movements from the territory:Aden Roble Awale, Front de Libération de la Côtedes Somalis (FLCS), and Ahmed Bourhan Omar,Mouvement de Libération de Djibouti (MLD).

At its meeting on 25 August, the Special Com-mittee decided without objection to transmit tothe General Assembly the working paper on theterritory prepared by the Secretariat, in order tofacilitate consideration of the item by the FourthCommittee of the Assembly, and, subject to anyAssembly directives, to consider the questionin 1973.

On 18 December 1972, the General Assemblyendorsed without objection a recommendationmade on 20 November 1972 by its Fourth Com-mittee that consideration of the question be post-poned to its 1973 session.

GibraltarOn 25 August 1972, the Special Committee

decided, without objection, to transmit to theGeneral Assembly the working paper on Gibraltarprepared by the Secretariat, in order to facilitateconsideration of the item by the Fourth Com-mittee of the Assembly and, subject to any As-sembly directives, to consider the question in 1973.

On 18 December 1972, the General Assembly,on a recommendation made on 12 December 1972by its Fourth Committee, decided without objec-tion that consideration of the question of Gibraltarbe postponed to 1973.

Spanish SaharaOn 25 August 1972, the Special Committee

decided without objection to transmit to theGeneral Assembly the working paper on SpanishSahara prepared by the Secretariat, in order tofacilitate consideration of the item by the FourthCommittee of the Assembly, and, subject to anyAssembly directives, to consider the questionin 1973.

On 14 December 1972, on the recommendationof its Fourth Committee, the General Assemblyadopted a resolution by which, among other things,it: reaffirmed the right of the people of the Saharato self-determination and independence, and askedall States to give them all necessary moral andmaterial assistance in their legitimate struggle toexercise that right; declared that the continuedexistence of a colonial situation in the territorywas endangering stability and harmony in north-west Africa; expressed its support for and solidaritywith the people of the Sahara, and called uponthe Spanish Government, as administering power,to take effective measures to create the necessary

conditions for the free exercise by the people oftheir right to self-determination and independence.

The Assembly repeated its invitation to Spainto determine, in consultation with the Govern-ments of Mauritania and Morocco and any otherinterested party, the procedures for holding areferendum under United Nations auspices. Inthis connexion, Spain was invited to take thefollowing measures: (a) create a favourable politi-cal climate for the referendum to be conductedon an entirely free, democratic and impartial basisby permitting, among other things, the return ofpolitical exiles to the territory; (b) ensure thatonly the indigenous inhabitants exercised theirright to self-determination and independence; and(c) receive a United Nations mission and provideit with all necessary facilities to enable it to par-ticipate actively in the implementation of mea-sures making it possible to put an end to thecolonial situation in the territory.

The Assembly also invited all States to complywith its resolutions concerning the activities offoreign economic and financial interests whichwere impeding the implementation of the Decla-ration on the Granting of Independence to Colo-nial Countries and Peoples and to refrain fromhelping to perpetuate the colonial situation inthe territory by means of investments.

It reaffirmed United Nations responsibility inall consultations intended to lead to the freeexpression of the wishes of the people, and urgedthe administering power to respect and implementscrupulously Assembly decisions on decolonizationof the territory.

The Assembly requested the Secretary-General,in consultation with the administering power andthe Special Committee, to appoint immediatelythe special mission provided for in its resolutionof 20 December 196617 and to expedite the dis-patch of the mission to the territory in order torecommend practical steps for the full imple-mentation of the relevant resolutions and, inparticular, to confirm United Nations participationin the preparation and supervision of the ref-erendum.

Finally, the Assembly asked the Special Com-mittee to report to it in 1973 on the situation inthe territory.

These decisions were embodied in resolution2983(XXVII), adopted by recorded vote of 84 to10, with 26 abstentions, on the recommendationof the Assembly's Fourth Committee—which ap-proved the text on 6 December 1972, by a roll-callvote of 82 to 7, with 25 abstentions. The sponsorsof the draft resolution were Burundi, the CentralAfrican Republic, the Congo, Guinea, Kenya,

17 See Y.U.N., 1966, pp. 591-92, text of resolution 2229(XXI).


Madagascar, Mali, Mauritius, Nigeria, Senegal,Sierra Leone, Sudan, Uganda, the United Republicof Tanzania, Yugoslavia and Zambia.

(For text of resolution, see DOCUMENTARY REFER-ENCES below.)

During discussion in the Fourth Committee, theMinister for Foreign Affairs of Morocco reviewedthe action taken by the United Nations withregard to Spanish Sahara over the past decade.Spain had at one time supported self-determina-tion under United Nations control, he said, butit now thought that it alone could decide thefuture of the territory and the timing and formof self-determination. He urged Spain to defineits policy concerning the territory and indicateclearly the decolonization measures it intended totake within the framework of the United Nations.

Mauritania said it had been encouraged by thepositive attitude already shown by Spain towardsdecolonization; however, it regretted that Spainhad not yet taken the opportunity of decolonizingthe Sahara in accordance with United Nationsresolutions. Mauritania therefore appealed oncemore to Spain to promise to hold consultationswithout delay, with a view to holding a referendumon self-determination for the people of SpanishSahara; in particular, it appealed to Spain toreceive a special mission in the territory.

Algeria recalled that, in January 1972, it hadreached agreement with the territory's other neigh-bouring States—Mauritania and Morocco—to co-ordinate action to speed up the liberation of theterritory. The situation in the region was thereforeunusually propitious for consultations to enterupon a decisive phase and for concrete arrange-ments to be made for the referendum. The terri-tory's three neighbours were anxious to avoid astate of tension at their borders and they thereforefound the delay and tardiness in the preparationsfor the referendum regrettable and the reasonsgiven by Spain less and less acceptable, Algeria'sspokesman continued. Also, he added, there wasreason to believe that Spain was consolidating itspresence in the territory and spending large sumson exploiting its mineral wealth.

The representative of Spain said his Govern-ment had made it quite clear that it wished theindigenous inhabitants of the territory to exercisetheir right to self-determination freely and withoutany outside pressure or interference, would acceptwhatever constitution the people desired, andvould co-operate in establishing it as soon as pos-sible. It was for the people to determine, at a timechosen by themselves, the form of that constitu-tion. The Spanish Government was endeavouringto create a favourable political climate for thereferendum to be totally free; the Saharwi peoplewould be deprived of their inalienable rights if

the date of the referendum were set without con-sulting them. The will of the people was the mostimportant consideration governing Spain's actions,he said, and it had completed a difficult censusof a largely nomadic population in order toensure that the Saharwi people alone would parti-cipate in the referendum.

Spain declared that it would respect the in-tegrity of the territory; the United Nations shouldascertain whether the countries bordering SpanishSahara were prepared to do likewise.

Spain regretted that the draft resolution did notdemand as a necessary condition that the integrityof the territory should be respected and that theinterested parties should renounce all territorialclaims.

With regard to development of territorial re-sources, Spain had been guided by the principlethat those resources belonged entirely to the terri-tory's inhabitants, who should be the sole bene-ficiaries. Only Spanish enterprises were partici-pating in the exploitation of the resources of theterritory, to the sole benefit of the Saharwi popu-lation; there were no foreign investments and theSpanish firms were not part of any internationalcartels, the representative added.

The representative of the United Republic ofTanzania said that the main objective of thesponsors of the draft text was to show that theAssembly did not intend to tolerate any longerthe continuation of the colonial situation in theterritory and that it intended to ensure the imple-mentation of the Declaration on granting inde-pendence in respect of Spanish Sahara.

At the plenary meeting of the General Assembly,Costa Rita spoke against the draft resolution,saying among other things that the draft did notcontain conclusive guarantees that whatever pathwas chosen the people's territorial integrity wouldbe respected, which meant territorial claims mustbe renounced at the outset.

Other territoriesIn 1972, the General Assembly and its Special

Committee on the Situation with regard to theImplementation of the Declaration on the Grantingof Independence to Colonial Countries and Peo-ples also considered the situations in the followingadditional territories: American Samoa, Antigua,the Bahamas, Bermuda, British Honduras, theBritish Virgin Islands, Brunei, the Cayman Islands,(he Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Dominica, the Gilbertand Ellice Islands, Grenada, Guam, Montserrat,the New Hebrides, Niue, Pitcairn, St. Helena,St. Kitts—Nevis—Anguilla, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, theSeychelles, the Solomon Islands, the TokelauIslands, the Turks and Caicos Islands and theUnited States Virgin Islands.


The Special Committee referred all except sevenof these territories to its Sub-Committees I, IIand III for consideration and report; Antigua,British Honduras, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts-Nevis-Anguilla, St. Lucia and St. Vincent wereconsidered by the- lull Committee. It adopted theSub-Committees' reports on the territories andendorsed their conclusions and recommendations,in some instances on the understanding that anyreservations made by members or administeringpowers invited to participate would be reflectedin the records of the meetings.

With respect to the seven territories consideredin plenary, as well as Brunei, the Special Com-mittee decided to transmit to the General Assemblythe working papers prepared by the Secretariaton the territories in order to facilitate consider-ation of the item by the General Assembly's FourthCommittee, and, subject to a n y directives whichthe Assembly might give in that connexion, toconsider the territories in 1973.


SEYCHELLES AND ST. HELENA

On 1 August 1972. the Special Committeeadopted the conclusions and recommendationscontained in the report of its Sub-Committee Iconcerning the Seychelles a n d St. Helena.

Among other actions, the Special Committeenoted with serious concern t h a t in the year underreview the basic political structure of the Seychellesremained unchanged and that no legislative orother measures had been taken to promote theprocess of decolonization and to transfer powersto the people of the territory. Expressions of politi-cal opposition to the local authorities had becomemore frequent and led to violence.

The Special Committee expressed profoundregret that the administering power (the UnitedKingdom) had totally disregarded a General As-sembly request of 20 December 19711 8 to receivea special mission of the United Nations and tomake the necessary arrangements for the holdingof a referendum on the f u t u r e status of the terri-tory. It urged the United Kingdom to take imme-diately concrete measures in comply with thatresolution.

The Special Committee reiterated its concernover the continued refusal of the administeringpower to restore the three islands which had beendetached from the Seychelles in 1965 and incor-porated into the so-called British Indian OceanTerritory, and condemned the construction thereof joint military facilities by the United Kingdomand the United States. Reiterating its convictionthat such actions were not in keeping with theinterests of the inhabi tants or of the territory, nor

with those of the African continent, nor with themaintenance of peace and security of neighbouringcountries, the Special Committee called upon theUnited Kingdom to stop the construction of mili-tary bases there and to return the detached islandsto the Seychelles.

It also noted that in the year under review nosteps had been taken to transfer powers to thepeople of St. Helena.

Noting that the economic situation and socialconditions in the two territories remained unsatis-factory, the Special Committee urged the admin-istering power to take further measures towardsthe immediate solution of the most pressing prob-lems in the fields of welfare and education andto take immediate steps to stop the sale of land toforeign firms, to remove existing South Africaninterests from the territories and to prevent neweconomic intervention by South Africa with aview to safeguarding the interests of their peoples.

Finally, the Special Committee considered thatit would be useful to invite representatives ofpolitical parties to participate in its meetings inorder to provide the Committee with detailedfirst-hand information on current developments inthe territories.

Reservations to the conclusions and recommen-dations were recorded by Sweden.

On 23 August, the Special Committee adopteda consensus requesting its Chairman to contactGuy Sinon, Secretary-General of the SeychellesPeople's United Party (SPUP), the opposition party,with a view to obtaining further informationrelating to his allegations in a written petitionthat the local government was carrying out massarrests and detentions of SPUP supporters.

BAHAMAS, BERMUDA, BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS, CAYMANISLANDS, MONTSERRAT, TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS

On I August 1972, the Special Committee, actingon a report by its Sub-Committee III, adopted itsconclusions and recommendations concerning theBahamas, Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, theCayman Islands, Montserrat, and the Turks andCaicos Islands. It thereby reaffirmed the inalien-able right of the people of those territories toself-determination and independence in accor-dance with the Declaration on granting indepen-dence and reiterated its conviction that territorialsize, limited population and restricted resourcesshould in no way delay the full implementationof the Declaration with regard to these territories.

The Special Committee also reiterated its re-quest to the administering power (the UnitedKingdom) to encourage open, free and publicdiscussion of the various alternatives available to

18 See Y.U.N. . 1971, pp. 543-44, text of resolution 2866(XXVI).


the people of the territories for the achievementof the objectives of the Declaration, and to ensurethat they exercised their right to self-determinationand independence in complete freedom.

The Special Committee asked the administeringpower to take all the necessary measures to transferall powers to the people of the territories, ac-cording to their wishes and without any conditionsor reservations, and reiterated its belief that aUnited Nations presence and participation beforeand/or during the procedure was essential.

Reaffirming the paramount importance andextreme usefulness of visiting missions as a meansof securing first-hand, adequate and necessaryinformation, the Special Committee once againurged the administering power to permit the accessof visiting missions to the territories and to extendthem full co-operation and assistance. It alsostressed the importance of inviting representativesof various groups representing different shades ofopinion in each territory to participate in itsmeetings and the meetings of its sub-committees.

The Special Committee expressed its concernover the activities of separate economic and finan-cial entities in some of the territories which werenot subject to the proper control of governmentauthority, and requested the administering powerto take effective measures without further delayto safeguard the rights of the people of the terri-tories regarding development and control of theirresources. The Committee also called upon theadministering power to promote economic diversi-fication in the territories so as to reduce theirdependence on tourism. Finally, taking note of anumber of projects being carried out under UnitedNations auspices in some of the territories, theCommittee expressed the hope that such usefulassistance would be increased.

The Special Committee also set forth recommen-dations and conclusions regarding specific terri-tories.

Taking note of a statement made on 14 June1971 by the Governor of the Bahamas that theterritory would seek independence late in 1973,the Special Committee requested the administeringpower to take immediate steps to safeguard theunity and territorial integrity of (he Bahamas fromsecessionist movements.

It expressed its concern over the continuingracial inequalities prevailing in Bermuda andcalled upon the administering power to take,without further delay, effective measures to ensurethat the people of that territory enjoyed equalopportunities without any distinction. It furtherurged the administering power to take immediatesteps for the full implementation of the Declara-tion with respect to Bermuda.

As for the British Virgin Islands, the SpecialCommittee noted with regret that constitutionalchanges introduced in that territory did not rep-resent a substantial advance which would openthe way towards speedy implementation of theDeclaration there.

Referring to the Cayman Islands, the Com-mittee expressed the hope that the consultationswhich were being held in the territory would bringabout the constitutional advancement that wouldlead to the full implementation of the Declarationwith respect to the territory.

The Special Committee reiterated its hope thatpractical steps would be taken by the admin-istering power leading to the dispatch of a visitingmission to Montserrat, again expressing its hopeand expectation that such a mission would, amongother things, promote further United Nationsassistance to the territory.

Finally, the Special Committee appealed to theadministering power to take positive and effectivesteps, in the political, economic and social fields,that would lead towards the full implementationof the objectives of the Declaration with respectto the Turks and Caicos Islands.

A reservation on these conclusions and recom-mendations was expressed by Sweden.

GILBERT AND ELLICE ISLANDS, PITCAIRN, SOLOMON ISLANDS

On 1 August 1972, the Special Committeeadopted conclusions and recommendations con-cerning the Gilbert and Ellice Islands, Pitcairnand the Solomon Islands, all administered by theUnited Kingdom. The Committee acted on thebasis of a report submitted by its Sub-Committee II.

The Special Committee stated that in the threeterritories the executive heads, as representativesof the administering power, continued to retainextensive executive as well as legislative authorityover all matters affecting the interests of thepeople. The Committee considered it imperativethat this power be transferred as soon as possibleto freely elected political institutions, so as toenable the peoples of the territories to achievewithout further delay the objectives set forth inthe Declaration on granting independence.

The Committee called upon the administeringpower to prepare without delay concrete pro-grammes of assistance and a co-ordinated develop-ment plan to forestall the possibly disastrousimpact of termination of the mining activities onOcean Island on the economic life of the Gilbertand Ellice Islands.

It noted the general improvement of the econ-omy of the Solomon Islands and urged theadministering power to make necessary arrange-ments for the continued provision of adequate


funds to ensure the successful implementation ofthat territory's development plan.

The Special Committee rioted with concern thegrowing number of arrangements being made inthe territories which might involve foreign eco-nomic interests and other activities detrimentalto the interests of their people. It requested theadministering power to take steps to protect andsafeguard the rights and interests of the populationin their natural resources.

The Committee urged the administering powerto consider instituting, at an early date, free andcompulsory education in the territories, at leastthrough the primary level. The Special Committeealso strongly urged the administering power toreconsider its position and to permit access ofvisiting missions to the territories.

Finally, the Committee strongly condemned thedisregard of world public opinion by France inresuming nuclear atmospheric testing in the vi-cinity of Mururoa Atoll, north-west of Pitcairn,and called upon that Government to desist forth-with from engaging in activities endangering thelife and environment of the peoples of the region.

NIUE AND THE TOKELAU ISLANDS

On 14 August 1972, the Special Committeeadopted the report of its June 1972 visiting missionto Niue and endorsed the conclusions and recom-mendations contained therein.

The mission had found an overwhelming ma-jority of the population in favour of full internalself-government, wishing to retain their Niueanidentity. Nevertheless, the people desired con-tinued close relationship with the administeringpower, namely the retention of New Zealandcitizenship and continued New Zealand economicassistance.

While welcoming the Niue Amendment Act,1971, the mission recommended further constitu-tional changes to enable the people of Niue toexercise self-government and self-determination assoon as possible, specifically by empowering theLeader of Government to preside over meetingsof the Executive Committee, appointing a Niueanas President of the Niue Island Legislative As-sembly, and devising a more appropriate alter-native to replace the Resident Commissioner indispensing justice in the territory.

The mission was of the opinion that a proposalto set three years as a time-limit for the attainmentof full internal self-government was fair and rea-sonable and deserved serious consideration.

The Special Committee adopted conclusions andrecommendations on 23 August 1972 concerningthe Tokelau Islands, on the basis of a report byits Sub-Committee II. The Special Committee

noted, among other things, that a final decisionon the future of the territory had not yet beentaken, but it also noted that the Tokelauans hadrejected union with neighbouring island groupsand appeared to consider that migration to adja-cent islands or to New Zealand might provide theanswer to their problems, particularly that ofover-population. It also noted that for this reasonthe administering power was continuing to imple-ment the Resettlement Scheme, whereby Toke-lauans could, at their own choice, be resettled inNew Zealand over a number of years.

NEW HEBRIDES

On 1 August 1972, the Special Committeeadopted conclusions and recommendations con-cerning the New Hebrides, on the basis of a reportby its Sub-Committee II.

The Committee noted with deep regret thatthe intentions of the administering powers (Franceand the United Kingdom) with regard to thefuture of the New Hebrides were unclear. It con-sidered the three parallel administrations (French,British and joint Franco-British) to be an obstacleto the political and economic advancement of thepeople of the territory. It therefore urged theadministering powers to establish a system ofgovernment based on the full participation of thepeople with a view to the speedy implementationof the Declaration on granting independence, andreiterated its hope that constitutional developmentwould take place, including the revision of the1914 Anglo-French Protocol, so as to transfer fullgovernmental authority to the people of theterritory.

Bearing in mind that foreign interests appearedto control seven times more registered land thanthe indigenous population and that the numberof foreign companies registered in the territoryhad increased from 200 to 500 during the periodunder review, the Special Committee reiteratedits serious concern over the rapid multiplicationof foreign economic investments detrimental tothe interests of the people.

It noted that the economy of the territory wasbased on the production of copra, the world priceof which had continued to fall in recent years,and expressed the hope that the administeringpowers would take the steps necessary to diversifythe economy.

The Committee noted with regret that edu-cational conditions lagged far behind the territory'srequirements and urged the administering powersto take steps to ensure continued progress inthat field.

Finally, the Special Committee urged the admin-istering powers to reconsider their position con-


cerning visiting missions and allow a mission tovisit the New Hebrides.

AMERICAN SAMOA AND GUAM

The Special Committee, on 11 August 1972,also endorsed the conclusions and recommenda-tions of its Sub-Committee II concerning AmericanSamoa and Guam.

The Committee reiterated its view that alloptions leading to and including full indepen-dence should be left open to the inhabitants ofboth territories. It urged that steps be taken toreduce the dependence of the territories on theUnited States (the administering power) and thatthe United States should allow the territories'inhabitants to participate fully and freely in anact o f self-determination in conformity with theDeclaration on granting independence. The Spe-cial Committee noted with continued concern thetendency of the administering power to perpetuateits association with the two territories and urgedit not to prejudge or prejudice their future.

The Committee urged the administering powerto give sympathetic consideration to the requestof the Guam Legislature that the United StatesCongress amend its Organic Act of 1950 so as toenable the Legislature to consent to the applica-tion of federal laws in the territory.

The Special Committee would welcome furtherinformation as to how Guam's non-voting delegate,who was to take a seat in the United States Houseof Representatives in 1973, would be able toensure direct and effective representation of thepeople of Guam and make known their aspirations.

It reiterated its view that the dependence ofGuam on military installations and particularlythe presence of military bases should be broughtto an end as soon as possible.

The Special Committee regretted that there hadbeen no significant political progress in AmericanSamoa during the period under review.

Once again, the Committee urged the admin-istering power to reconsider its negative positionon the question of allowing a mission to visitthe territories.

Subsequently, on 17 August, the Special Com-mittee, in approving a report of its Sub-Committeeon Petitions, requested its Chairman to holdconsultations with the administering power, withinthe context of the mandate entrusted to him bya Special Committee decision of 14 August 1972,regarding the dispatch of a United Nations visitingmission to Guam. By that decision, the SpecialCommittee regretted the negative attitude of cer-tain administering powers towards its appeals toallow visiting missions to the territories, calledupon those powers to co-operate fully with the

Special Committee, and asked its Chairman tocontinue consultations with the administeringpowers concerned towards that end and reportthereon to the Special Committee.

The representative of the United States partici-pated in the work of the Special Committee duringits consideration of the item.

COCOS (KEELING) ISLANDS

On 11 August 1972, the Special Committeeadopted conclusions and recommendations con-cerning the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, administeredby Australia, on the basis of a report by its Sub-Committee II.

The Special Committee reaffirmed the inalien-able right of the people of the territory toself-determination and independence in confor-mity with the Declaration on granting indepen-dence. It also reiterated its view that the questionof the territory's size, isolation and limited re-sources should in no way delay the speedy imple-mentation of the Declaration.

UNITED STATES VIRGIN ISLANDS

The Special Committee adopted conclusions andrecommendations concerning the United StatesVirgin Islands on 28 August 1972, on the basisof a report submitted by its Sub-Committee III.

The Special Committee regretted that the admin-istering power (the United States) had not so farimplemented the provisions of the Declaration ongranting independence and other relevant resolu-tions of the General Assembly with regard to theterritory. It invited the administering power totake immediate steps to transfer powers to thepeople of the territory.

The Committee noted various political measurestaken by the administering power, such as theextension of suffrage to a greater number of localinhabitants, the enactment of legislation by theUnited States Congress providing for a non-votingdelegate from the territory to the United StatesHouse of Representatives, and the holding of aConstitutional Convention. While hoping that theproposals, of the Constitutional Convention wouldhelp prepare the people of the territory for amore active role in its political affairs, the SpecialCommittee nevertheless expressed deep concernover the fact that the proposals tended to per-petuate the territory's association with the UnitedStates and that the administering power had notacquainted the local people with their right toself-determination and independence. Accordingly,it urged the administering power not to prejudgeand prejudice the future of the territory. It alsourged the administering power to encourage thepeople of the territory to begin discussing all


alternatives available to them for the realizationof their aspirations for their territory's politicalfuture.

Also, the Special Committee expressed the hopethat the territorial government would intensifyits efforts towards economic diversification andtake steps to reduce the territory's dependence onthe economy of the United States. It noted furtherthat a policy of limited immigration had beeninstituted in May 1970 in order to cope withserious economic and social problems resultingfrom the influx of non-resident or non-immigrantaliens into the territory in recent years. In thisrespect, the Committee stressed the need to im-prove labour relations in the territory.

Finally, the Special Committee again stressedthe importance it attached to the dispatch of aUnited Nations visiting mission to the territoryand urged the administering power to reconsiderits position, enabling the access of a mission tothe territory and extending to it full co-operationand assistance.

Reservations concerning these conclusions andrecommendations were expressed by the represen-tatives of Sweden and of the United States. Thelatter, as the administering power, participated inthe work of the Committee during its consider-ation of the item.

Consideration by General AssemblyLater in 1972, at its twenty-seventh session which

opened in September, the General Assembly tookup the Special Committee's report on the terri-tories.

On 14 December 1972, the Assembly adopted anumber of resolutions and decisions regarding thevarious territories.

With regard to the Seychelles, the Assemblyreaffirmed the inalienable right of the people ofthe territory to self-determination and indepen-dence and called upon the United Kingdom totake all necessary measures to enable them toexercise that right without further delay. It re-quested the United Kingdom to receive the specialmission envisaged by the Assembly's decision of20 December 197119 and to make the necessaryarrangements for holding a referendum on thefuture status of the territory. The Assembly alsorequested the Special Committee to continueexamining the question and to report to it at its1973 session.

These decisions were sel forth in resolution2985(XXVII), adopted by a recorded vote of 103in favour to 4 against, with 15 abstentions. TheAssembly acted on the recommendation of itsFourth Committee, which approved the text on8 December by a roll-call vote of 86 to 4, with

13 abstentions, on a proposal by Cameroon, theCentral African Republic, Chad, Chile, the Congo,Guinea, Guyana, India, Kenya, Mali, Mongolia,Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan,Tunisia, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanza-nia, Yugoslavia and Zambia. (For text of resolu-tion, see DOCUMENTARY REFERENCES below.)

During discussion in the Fourth Committee,the representative of the United Republic ofTanzania said that events which had taken placein the Seychelles since 1971 did not lead one tobelieve the United Kingdom wished to grant inde-pendence to that colony; on the contrary, colonialoperations designed to wipe out the indigenousforces struggling for independence had been inten-sified. He detailed further charges and said alsothat racists from South Africa had been allowedto buy huge chunks of land in the islands.

The United Kingdom representative said thathis Government during the year had informed theUnited Nations that two motions put forwardconcerning a referendum on independence andan invitation for a visiting mission had both beendefeated in the Seychelles Legislative Assembly.The elected majority party had campaigned on aplatform which, among other things, opposedindependence for the territory; the oppositionparty favoured independence. If the two partiesmaintained their present attitudes, the peoplewould be able to vote freely on the issue at thenext elections. The United Kingdom did not wishto delay independence for territories which soughtit nor force it upon those which did not.

The representative stated that there were nomilitary bases in the Seychelles—only a commu-nications facility in the British Indian OceanTerritory.

The Netherlands, Sweden, and Trinidad andTobago, among others, felt that the small terri-tories had long been grossly neglected by theUnited Nations. Sweden suggested that a visitingmission to the Seychelles should be strictly afact-finding body, particularly since there was adivision between the government party and theopposition party on the all-important question ofthe future of the people of the territory. Althoughindependence might eventually be the majoritychoice, it was not for the United Nations to decidethe matter, thereby encroaching on the basic prin-ciple of self-determination. Australia and theNetherlands shared that view.

Japan said it was unable to support the reso-lution, as it had been formulated on the assump-tion that the people of the Seychelles desiredindependence. The establishment of a sovereign

19 Ibid.


and Independent State, the free association orintegration with an independent State or theemergence into any other political status freelydetermined by a people also constituted modes ofimplementing the right of self-determination bythat people, Japan pointed out.

Speaking before the vote on the draft resolutionin the plenary session, Mauritius suggested thatthe Assembly should perhaps start thinking ofbringing the Seychelles under the protective um-brella of the Trusteeship Council if that territorydid not achieve its independence soon.

With regard to the Caribbean territories ofAntigua, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts-Nevis-Anguilla, St. Lucia and St. Vincent, the GeneralAssembly: ( I ) took note of the chapter of thereport of the Special Committee relating to thoseterritories; and (2) requested the Special Com-mittee to continue to give consideration to thequestion in accordance with the provisions of therelevant resolutions of the Assembly, and to reportto it thereon in 1973.

The Assembly took these decisions in adoptingresolution 2987(XXVII), by a recorded vote of117 to 0, with 3 abstentions. It acted on therecommendation of the Fourth Committee, whichapproved the text by a recorded vote of 72 to 0,with 3 abstentions, on 13 December 1972. Thetext had been proposed by Cameroon, Chile, CostaRica, Egypt, Ghana, Guyana, Jamaica, Madagascar,Nigeria, Rwanda, Trinidad and Tobago, theUnited Republic of Tanzania, Yugoslavia andZambia. (For text of resolution, see DOCUMENTARYREFERENCES below.)

In a third action, concerning Niue and theTokelau Islands, the Assembly among other things:(1) reaffirmed the inalienable right of colonialpeoples to self-determination and independencein conformity with the Declaration on the grantingof independence; (2) approved the chapters ofthe report of the Special Committee relating toNiue and the Tokelau Islands: (3) commendedfor the consideration of the New Zealand Govern-ment (the administering power) and the NiueIsland Legislative Assembly the conclusions andrecommendations of the 1972 visiting mission toNiue; (4) expressed its appreciation of the co-operation extended to the United Nations byNew Zealand in connexion with its special studyof the question of Niue and the Tokelau Islands;(5) took note of the decision of the Niue Assemblyconcerning the future status of the territory;(6) expressed the hope that forthcoming constitu-tional talks between the administering power andrepresentatives of the Niuean people would resultin an early realization of the aspirations of theNiuean people regarding their future status, inaccordance with the relevant provisions of the

United Nations Charter and the Declaration ongranting independence; (7) requested the admin-istering power to continue its assistance to theterritories in order to promote their economic,social and educational development and, in thatconnexion, to avail itself of assistance from organ-izations within the United Nations system, aswell as from regional and inter-governmentalorganizations; and (8) requested the administeringpower to take steps to intensify programmes ofpolitical education and to preserve the culturalheritage of the people of both territories.

Among other things, the Assembly also requestedthe Special Committee to continue its examinationof the question and report to it in 1973.

These decisions were set forth in resolution2986(XXVII), adopted by a recorded vote of 119to 0, on the recommendation of the Fourth Com-mittee. On 12 December 1972, by a roll-call voteof 104 to 0, the Fourth Committee approved thetext after rejecting two oral amendments of theLibyan Arab Republic, also by roll-call votes. Thedraft resolution was sponsored by Afghanistan,Australia, Cameroon, Chile, Denmark, Fiji, Ghana,India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Japan, Kenya,Madagascar, Nigeria, the Philippines, Rwanda,Sierra Leone, Sweden, Trinidad and Tobago,Tunisia, the United Republic of Tanzania, Yugo-slavia and Zambia. (For text of resolution, seeDOCUMENTARY REFERENCES below.)

Japan, the Netherlands, Sierra Leone andTrinidad and Tobago were among Members ofthe Fourth Committee who expressed appreciationfor the co-operation extended to the UnitedNations by New Zealand as the administeringpower. Sierra Leone commented that self-determi-nation did not necessarily mean total indepen-dence and severing of all ties with former colonialpowers.

The USSR representative expressed reservationswith respect to certain provisions in the SpecialCommittee's report, where limitations had beenplaced on the application of the Declaration ongranting independence. Thus, he said, while therecommendations of the Special Committee re-ferred to the right of peoples to self-determinationand internal self-government, the Declaration itselfreferred to their right to self-determination leadingto full independence.

Tunisia agreed with the view that factors suchas the size of a territory, geographical situation orlimited resources should not impede the imple-mentation of the Declaration.

New Zealand informed the Fourth Committeethat on 21 November 1972 the Niue Island Legis-lative Assembly, after considering the report ofthe Select Committee on the Constitutional Devel-opment of Niue Island, had reached a decision


that the Government of Niue should inform theGovernment of New Zealand of its wish to achievethe status of full self-government in free associa-tion with New Zealand in 1974.

Two oral amendments to the draft resolution,proposed by the Libyan Aral) Republic, wererejected by roll-call votes in the Fourth Committee.By one of these, the Assembly would have recalledin a preambular paragraph not only the Declara-tion on granting independence but also its reso-lution of 12 October 197020 containing theprogramme of action to implement the Declara-tion. The amendment was rejected by 52 votesagainst to 15 in favour, with 35 abstentions. Bythe second, the Assembly would have reaffirmedthe inalienable right of the people of Niue andthe Tokelau Islands, rather than of colonial peo-ples in general, to self-determination and indepen-dence in conformity with the Declaration. Theproposed amendment was rejected by 55 votesto 16, with 31 abstentions.

By a fourth resolution, (he Assembly tookdecisions concerning 17 territories: AmericanSamoa, the Bahamas, Bermuda, the British VirginIslands, Brunei, the Cayman Islands, the Cocos(Keeling) Islands, the Gilbert and Ellice Islands,Guam, Montserrat, the New Hebrides, Pitcairn,St. Helena, the Seychelles, the Solomon Islands,the Turks and Caicos Islands and the UnitedStates Virgin Islands.

By the preambular paragraphs of the resolution,the Assembly, among other actions: (n) deploredthe intransigent att i tude of the Governments ofthe United Kingdom and France, which continuedto refuse to co-operate with the Special Committeein its examination of the territories under theiradministration; (b) deeply deplored the policy ofthose administering powers which continued tomaintain military bases in territories under theiradministration: (c) deeply deplored also the atti-tude of those administering powers which con-tinued to refuse to allow United Nations missionsto visit the territories under their administration;(d) reiterated its conviction that the dispatch ofsuch missions was indispensable for securing ade-quate and first-hand information on political,economic and social conditions in the territories,as well as the views, wishes and aspirations oftheir peoples; (e) expressed deep concern aboutthe adverse effects of continued nuclear atmos-pheric testing in the South Pacific on the life,welfare and environment of the peoples of non-self-governing territories situated therein andaffirmed the right of those peoples to be free ofthe hazards caused by such tests; (f) noted thatthe above-mentioned territories required the con-tinued attention and assistance of the UnitedNations in the achievement of the objectives of

the Charter and the Declaration on the Grantingof Independence to Colonial Countries and Peo-ples; and (g) expressed awareness of the specialcircumstances of the geographical location andeconomic conditions of those territories.

By the operative paragraphs of the resolution,the Assembly:

(1) approved the chapters of the report of theSpecial Committee on the above-mentioned terri-tories;

(2) reaffirmed the inalienable right of theirpeoples to self-determination and independencein accordance with the Declaration on grantingindependence;

(3) called upon the administering powers con-cerned to take all necessary steps, without furtherdelay, to ensure the full and speedy attainmentof the goals set forth in the Declaration and, inthat regard, to establish, in consultation withfreely elected representatives of the people, a spe-cific time-table for the exercise of the right ofthose peoples to self-determination;

(4) reaffirmed its conviction that the questionsof size, geographical isolation and limited resourcesshould in no way delay the implementation ofthe Declaration;

(5) strongly deprecated any attempt aimed atthe partial or total disruption of the nationaluni ty and territorial integrity of colonial territoriesand the establishment in them of military basesand installations as being incompatible with thepurposes and principles of the Charter and theDeclaration;

(6) called again upon the administering powersconcerned to reconsider their attitude towardsUnited Nations visiting missions and to permitaccess by such missions to territories under theiradministration;

(7) called on the administering powers con-cerned to participate in the relevant proceedingsof the Special Committee and, in particular, toreport to the Special Committee on the imple-mentation of this resolution;

(8) requested the United Nations family oforganizations to assist in accelerating progress inall sectors of the national life of those territories;

(9) called upon the administering power con-cerned, in view of its responsibility towards thewelfare of the peoples of non-self-governing terri-tories in the region, to discontinue any furthernuclear atmospheric testing in the South Pacificarea, in order not to endanger the life and envi-ronment of the peoples of the territories concerned;

(10) invited the Secretary-General, having re-gard to the mandate entrusted to him by itsresolution (2909(XXVII)) of 2 November 1972

20 See Y.U.N., 1970, pp. 706-8, text of resolution 2621(XXV).


(see pp. 552-53), to pay particular regard to theneed to intensify widespread dissemination ofinformation on the process of decolonization inthese territories; and

(11) requested the Special Committee to con-tinue to give full consideration to this question,in particular the dispatch of visiting missions tothe above-mentioned territories, and to reportto the Assembly on the question in 1973.

These decisions were embodied in resolution2984(XXVII), adopted by a recorded vote of 100to 4, with 17 abstentions. The Assembly acted onthe recommendation of its Fourth Committee,which approved the text on 8 December 1972, bya recorded vote of 84 to 4, with 13 abstentions.The sponsors of the draft were Cameroon, theCongo, Ghana, Guinea, Guyana, India, Kenya,Mali, Mongolia, Nigeria, Somalia, Sudan, Uganda,the United Republic of Tanzania, Yugoslavia andZambia. (For text of resolution, see DOCUMENTARYREFERENCES below.)

Kenya and Uganda were among those pointingout, during the discussion in the Fourth Com-mittee, that there had been little change in thestatus of the 17 territories under consideration.Kenya could not accept the argument that someterritories were too small to be independent; anyterritory populated by indigenous inhabitants wasentitled to independence. The Byelorussian SSRsaid it shared the concern expressed over theslowness of the process of decolonization.

Turkey maintained that the small territoriesreferred to posed difficult problems out ofproportion to their limited areas and small popula-tions; however, their special geographical, demo-graphic and economic conditions should notconstitute an obstacle to self-determination andindependence but instead required special atten-

tion by the United Nations and the administeringpowers.

Speaking in explanation of vote, New Zealandsaid that the draft resolution before the Com-mittee perpetuated the unfortunate tradition oflumping together a large number of territories,each with its own problems; thus each territoryreceived only superficial treatment. This was nota realistic method of dealing with their problems.

France considered that artificial elements hadbeen introduced into the text of the resolution,which was essentially concerned with the imple-mentation of the Declaration.

The United Kingdom representative stated thatthe preambular paragraph deploring his Govern-ment's intransigent attitude was totally unaccept-able. The United Kingdom had never refused toconsult with representatives of the Special Com-mittee when asked to do so. In those few territoriesadministered by the United Kingdom where therewere military installations, they had been estab-lished in accordance with the wishes of the inhabi-tants and were not incompatible with the UnitedNations Charter or the Declaration on grantingindependence. It did not believe that visitingmissions were of vital importance in securinginformation about its territories, since they wereopen societies, easily accessible, and informationon them not only was furnished by the UnitedKingdom to the United Nations but also appearedin world news media.

On 18 December 1972, the General Assembly,without adopting a formal resolution, endorsedwithout objection a recommendation made on12 December 1972 by its Fourth Committee "thatconsideration of the question of British Honduras(Belize) be postponed to its 1973 session.


Falkland Islands (Malvinas)

Special Committee on Situation with regard to Imple-mentation of Declaration on Granting of Independenceto Colonial Countries and Peoples, meeting 887.

General Assembly—27th sessionFourth Committee, meetings 2006, 2008, 2021.Plenary meetings 2043, 2114.

A/8723/Rev.1. Report of Special Committee (coveringits work during 1972), Chapter XXV.

A/8866. Letter of 23 October 1972 from United Kingdom.A/8955 (parts I and III). Report of Fourth Committee

(on territories not considered separately), paras. 8and 26.

A/8730. Resolutions adopted by General Assembly duringits 27th session, 19 September-19 December 1972.Other decisions, p. 90.

French Territory of the Afars and the Issas

Special Committee on Situation with regard to Implemen-tation of Declaration on Granting of Independence toColonial Countries and Peoples, meetings 869, 887.

General Assembly—27th sessionFourth Committee, meetings 2002, 2006.Plenary meeting 2114.

A/8701. Report of Secretary-General on work of theOrganization, 16 June 1971-15 June 1972, Part Two,Chapter I B 6.

A/8723/Rev.1. Report of Special Committee (covering itswork during 1972), Chapter XIV.

A/8955 (parts I and III). Report of Fourth Committee(on territories not considered separately), paras. 8and 26.

A/8730. Resolutions adopted by General Assembly


during its 27th session, 19 September-19 December1972. Other decisions, p. 90.

Gibraltar

Special Committee on Situation with regard to Implemen-tation of Declaration on Granting of Independence toColonial Countries and Peoples, meeting 887.

General Assembly—27th sessionFourth Committee, meetings 2006, 2008, 2021.Plenary meeting 2114.


A/8723/Rev.1. Report of Special Committee (coveringits work during 1972), Chapter XIII.

A/8955 (parts I and III). Report of Fourth Committee(on territories not considered separately), paras. 8and 26.

A/6730. Resolutions adopted by General Assemblyduring its 27th session, 19 September-19 December1972. Other decisions, p. 90.

Spanish Sahara

Special Committee on Situation with regard to Implemen-tation of Declaration on Granting of Independence toColonial Countries and Peoples, meeting 887.

General Assembly—27th sessionFourth Committee, meetings 2004-2006, 2008-2012, 2015.Plenary meeting 2110.


A/8723/Rev.1. Report of Special Committee (covering itswork during 1972), Chapter XII.

A/C.4/L.1018 and Corr.1. Burundi, Cameroon, Congo,Ethiopia, Gabon, Guinea, Kenya, Madagascar, Mali,Mauritius, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Somalia, Sudan,Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania, Yugoslavia,Zambia: draft resolution.

A/C.4/L1018/Rev.1. Burundi, Central African Republic,Congo, Guinea, Kenya, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritius,Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Uganda, UnitedRepublic of Tanzania, Yugoslavia, Zambia: reviseddraft resolution, approved by Fourth Committee on6 December 1972, meeting 2015, by roll-call vote of82 to 7, with 25 abstentions, as follows:

In favour: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Australia,Bahrain, Bhutan, Botswana, Bulgaria, Burma, Burundi,Byelorussian SSR, Cameroon, Central African Republic,Chad, China, Congo, Cuba, Czechoslovakia, DemocraticYemen, Denmark, Egypt, Ethiopia, Finland, Gabon,Ghana, Guinea, Guyana, Hungary, Iceland, India,Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan,Kenya, Khmer Republic, Kuwait, Lebanon, Lesotho,Liberia, Libyan Arab Republic, Madagascar, Malawi,Malaysia, Mali, Mauritania, Mexico, Mongolia, Nepal,New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Poland,Qatar, Romania, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, SierraLeone, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Swaziland, Sweden,Syrian Arab Republic, Thailand, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda,Ukrainian SSR, USSR, United Arab Emirates, UnitedRepublic of Tanzania, Upper Volta, Yugoslavia, Zaire,Zambia.

Against: Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama. Paraguay,Portugal, South Africa, Spain.

Abstaining: Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Ca-nada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic,El Salvador, Fiji, France, Greece, Guatemala, Haiti,Ireland, Italy, Morocco, Netherlands, Peru, Turkey,United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Venezuela.

A/C.4/L.1019. Administrative and financial Implicationsof 19-power draft resolution, A/C.4/L.1018. Statementby Secretary-General.

A/8955 (parts I and III). Report of Fourth Committee(on territories not considered separately), draftresolution I.


In favour: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Australia,Bahrain, Bhutan, Botswana, Bulgaria, Burma, Burundi,Byelorussian SSR, Central African Republic, Chad,China, Congo, Cuba, Cyprus, Czechoslovakia, Dahomey,Democratic Yemen, Denmark, Ethiopia, Finland, Gabon,Ghana, Guinea, Guyana, Hungary, Iceland, India,Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Ivory Coast, Jamaica,Japan, Kenya, Khmer Republic, Kuwait, Lebanon,Liberia, Libyan Arab Republic, Madagascar, Malawi,Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico,Mongolia, Nepal, New Zealand, Niger, Nigeria, Norway,Oman, Pakistan, Poland, Qatar, Romania, Rwanda,Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, SriLanka, Sudan, Swaziland, Sweden, Syrian Arab Re-public, Thailand, Togo, Uganda, Ukrainian SSR, USSR,United Arab Emirates, United Republic of Tanzania,Upper Volta, Yemen, Yugoslavia, Zaire, Zambia.

Against: Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Guatemala,Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Portugal,South Africa, Spain.

Abstaining: Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Bolivia,Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador,Fiji, France, Greece, Haiti, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,Malta, Morocco, Netherlands, Peru, Turkey, UnitedKingdom, United States, Uruguay, Venezuela.

The General Assembly,Having examined the chapter of the report of the

Special Committee on the Situation with regard to theImplementation of the Declaration on the Granting ofIndependence to Colonial Countries and Peoples re-lating to the Territory of Spanish Sahara,

Recalling its resolution 1514(XV) of 14 December1960 containing the Declaration on the Granting ofIndependence to Colonial Countries and Peoples,

Recalling also the relevant provisions of its resolu-tion 2621 (XXV) of 12 October 1970 containing theprogramme of action for the full implementation ofthe Declaration,

Taking into consideration the relevant resolutionsadopted by the Ninth Assembly of Heads of State endGovernment of the Organization of African Unity, heldat Rabat, Morocco, from 12 to 15 June 1972, and bythe Conference of Foreign Ministers of Non-AlignedCountries, held at Georgetown, Guyana, from 8 to 12August 1972,

Having regard to the decision of the Heads of Stateof the countries concerned, adopted at the Conferenceheld at Nouadhibou, Mauritania, on 14 September 1970,to intensify their co-oparation in a positive mannerin order to hasten the liberation of so-called SpanishSahara,

Reaffirming its resolutions 2072(XX) of 16 December1965, 2229(XXI) of 20 December 1988, 2354(XXII) of


19 December 1967, 2428(XXIII) of 18 December 1968,2591(XXIV) of 16 December 1969 and 2711(XXV) of14 December 1970,

Deploring that the administering Power has not pro-vided sufficiently clear information on the conditionsand time-table it intends to apply in bringing about thecomplete decolonization of the Territory,

1. Reaffirms the inalienable right of the people ofthe Sahara to self-determination and independence Inaccordance with General Assembly resolution 1514(XV);

2. Reaffirms the legitimacy of the struggle of colonialpeoples and its solidarity with, and support for, thepeople of the Sahara in the struggle they are wagingIn order to exercise their right to self-determination andindependence, and requests all States to give them allnecessary moral and material assistance in that struggle;

3. Declares that the continued existence of a colonialsituation in the Territory Is endangering stability andharmony in north-west Africa;

4. Expresses its support for, and solidarity with,the people of the Sahara, and calls upon the Governmentof Spain, in conformity with its obligations and Itsresponsibility as the administering Power, to takeeffective measures to create the necessary conditionsfor the free exercise of their right to self-determinationand independence;

5. Repeats its invitation to the administering Powerto determine, in consultation with the Governments ofMauritania and Morocco and any other interested party,the procedures for the holding of a referendum underUnited Nations auspices to enable the Indigenouspopulation of the Sahara to exercise freely its right toself-determination and independence and, to this end,invites the Government of Spain:

(a) To create a favourable political climate for thereferendum to be conducted on an entirely free, dem-ocratic and impartial basis by permitting, inter alia, thereturn of political exiles to the Territory;

(b) To take all the necessary steps to ensure thatonly the indigenous inhabitants exercise their right toself-determination and independence, with a view tothe decolonization of the Territory;

(c) To receive a United Nations mission and provideit with all the necessary facilities so that It canparticipate actively in the implementation of measuresmaking it possible to put an end to the colonial situa-tion in the Territory;

6. Invites all States to comply with the resolutionsof the General Assembly on the activities of foreigneconomic and financial Interests and to refrain fromhelping to perpetuate the colonial situation in the Terri-tory by means of investments;

7. Reaffirms the responsibility of the United Nationsin all consultations intended to lead to the freeexpression of the wishes of the people;

8. Urges the administering Power to respect and toimplement scrupulously, under the auspices and guar-antee of the United Nations, the provisions of therelevant resolutions of the General Assembly relatingto the decolonization of so-called Spanish Sahara;

9. Requests the Secretary-General, in consultationwith the administering Power and the Special Com-mittee on the Situation with regard to the Implementationof the Declaration on the Granting of Independence toColonial Countries and Peoples, to appoint immediatelythe special mission provided for in paragraph 5 ofGeneral Assembly resolution 2229(XXI) and to expediteits dispatch to the Sahara in order to recommendpractical steps for the full implementation of the relevantresolutions, and, in particular, to confirm United Nationsparticipation in the preparation and supervision of thereferendum and to submit a report to the Secretary-

General for transmission to the Assembly at Its twenty-eighth session;

10. Calls upon the Special Committee to continueits consideration of the situation In the Territory andto report thereon to the General Assembly at Its twenty-eighth session.

Other territories

CONSIDERATION BY SPECIAL COMMITTEESpecial Committee on Situation with regard to Implemen-

tation of Declaration on Granting of Independence toColonial Countries and Peoples, meetings 875-882,885-887, 889.

CONSIDERATION BY GENERAL ASSEMBLYGeneral Assembly—27th sessionFourth Committee, meetings 2008, 2012, 2016-2018, 2020,

2021, 2023.Plenary meetings 2049, 2110, 2114.


A/8723/Rev.1. Report of Special Committee (coveringIts work during 1972). Chapter XI: Seychelles andSt. Helena; Chapter XV: New Hebrides; Chapter XVI:Niue and Tokelau Islands; Chapter XVII: Gilbert andEllice Islands, Pitcairn and Solomon Islands; ChapterXVIII: American Samoa and Guam; Chapter XIX: TrustTerritory of Pacific Islands; Chapter XX: Cocos(Keeling) Islands and Papua New Guinea; Chapter XXI:Brunei; Chapter XXII: Bahamas, Bermuda, British VirginIslands, Cayman Islands, Montserrat and Turks andCaicos Islands; Chapter XXIII: United States VirginIslands; Chapter XXIV; Antigua, Dominica, Grenada,St. Kitts-Nevis-Anguilla, St. Lucia and St. Vincent;Chapter XXVI: British Honduras.

A/8989. Letter of 14 December 1972 from United Kingdom.

A/C.4/L.1026. Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad,Chile, Congo, Guinea, Guyana, India, Kenya, Mall,Mongolia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Somalia,Sudan, Tunisia, Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania,Yugoslavia, Zambia: draft resolution, approved byFourth Committee on 8 December 1972, meeting 2017,by roll-call vote of 86 to 4, with 13 abstentions, asfollows:

In favour: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Argentina,Australia, Bahrain, Bhutan, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burma,Burundi, Byelorussian SSR, Cameroon, Central AfricanRepublic, Chad, China, Congo, Costa Rica, Cuba,Cyprus, Czechoslovakia, Democratic Yemen, Ecuador,Egypt, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gabon, Ghana,Greece, Guatemala, Guinea, Guyana, Honduras, Hun-gary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ivory Coast,Jamaica, Kenya, Kuwait, Lebanon, Liberia, Libyan ArabRepublic, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mali, Mexico, Mon-golia, Morocco, Nepal, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Peru,Philippines, Poland, Romania, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia,Senegal, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Somalia, Spain,Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syrian Arab Republic, Thailand,Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda,Ukrainian SSR, USSR, United Arab Emirates, UnitedRepublic of Tanzania, Upper Volta, Venezuela, Yemen,Yugoslavia, Zambia.

Against: France, Portugal, South Africa, UnitedKingdom.

Abstaining: Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark,Finland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, NewZealand, Norway, Sweden, United States.


A/8955 (parts II and III). Report of Fourth Committee,draft resolution III.


In favour: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Argentina,Australia, Bahrain, Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil,Bulgaria, Burma, Burundi, Byelorussian SSR, CentralAfrican Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Congo,Costa Rica, Cuba, Cyprus, Czechoslovakia, Dahomey,Democratic Yemen, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, ElSalvador, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gabon, Ghana, Greece,Guatemala, Guinea, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary,Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, IvoryCoast, Jamaica, Kenya, Khmer Republic, Kuwait,Liberia, Libyan Arab Republic, Madagascar, Malawi,Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius,Mexico, Mongolia, Morocco, Nepal, Nicaragua, Niger,Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Peru, Philippines,Poland, Qatar, Romania, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia,Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Spain, Sri Lanka,Sudan, Swaziland, Syrian Arab Republic, Thailand,Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda,Ukrainian SSR, USSR, United Arab Emirates, UnitedRepublic of Tanzania, Upper Volta, Uruguay, Venezuela,Yemen, Yugoslavia, Zaire, Zambia.

Against: France, Portugal, South Africa, United King-dom.

Abstaining: Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark,Equatorial Guinea, Finland, Ireland, Italy, Japan,Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway,Sweden, United States.

The General Assembly,Having considered the question of the Seychelles,Having considered the relevant chapters of the report

of the Special Committee on the Situation with regardto the Implementation of the Declaration on the Grant-ing of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples,

Recalling its resolution 1514(XV) of 14 December1960, containing the Declaration on the Granting ofIndependence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, andits resolution 2621(XXV) of 12 October 1970, containingthe programme of action for the full implementationof the Declaration,

Recalling also its resolution 2866(XXVI) of 20 December1971 concerning the question,

Reaffirming that the Seychelles should accede to in-dependence without any prejudice to their territorialintegrity,

Expressing its deep regret that it has not been pos-sible to send a special mission of the United Nationsto the Territory, as envisaged under resolution 2866(XXVI),

1. Reaffirms the inalienable right of the people ofthe Seychelles to self-determination and independencein conformity with General Assembly resolution 1514(XV),and calls upon the Government of the United Kingdomof Great Britain and Northern Ireland, as the administeringPower, to take all necessary measures to enable thepeople to exercise that right without further delay;

2. Requests the administering Power, in accordancewith the provisions of the relevant resolutions of theGeneral Assembly, to receive the special mission ofthe United Nations envisaged under resolution 2866(XXVI)and to make the necessary arrangements, in consultationwith the special mission, for the holding of a referendumon the future status of the Territory;

3. Requests the Special Committee on the Situationwith regard to the Implementation of the Declaration

on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countriesand Peoples to continue its examination of the question,including in particular the dispatch of the specialmission referred to above, and to report thereon to theGeneral Assembly at its twenty-eighth session.

A/C.4/L.1029 and Rev.1. Cameroon, Chile, Costa Rica,Egypt, Ghana, Guyana, Jamaica, Madagascar, Nigeria,Rwanda, Trinidad and Tobago, United Republic ofTanzania, Yugoslavia, Zambia: draft resolution andrevision, approved by Fourth Committee on 13 De-cember 1972, meeting 2023, by recorded vote of 72to 0, with 3 abstentions, as follows:

In favour: Afghanistan, Algeria, Argentina, Australia,Bahrain, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burma, Burundi,Canada, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China,Costa Rica, Cuba, Czechoslovakia, Democratic Yemen,

Finland, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Guyana, Hungary,India, Iran, Ireland, Italy, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Japan,Kenya, Khmer Republic, Lesotho, Liberia, Libyan ArabRepublic, Madagascar, Mali, Mexico, Mongolia, Mo-rocco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Oman,Qatar, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Somalia, SriLanka, Sudan, Sweden, Syrian Arab Republic, Trinidadand Tobago, Tunisia, Uganda, Ukrainian SSR, USSR,United Arab Emirates, United Republic of Tanzania,Upper Volta, Venezuela, Yugoslavia, Zambia.

Against: None.Abstaining: Belgium, France, United States.

A/8955 (parts II and III). Report of Fourth Committee,draft resolution V.


In favour: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Argentina,Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana,Brazil, Bulgaria, Burma, Burundi, Byelorussian SSR,Canada, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China,Colombia, Congo, Costa Rica, Cuba, Cyprus, Czecho-slovakia, Dahomey, Democratic Yemen, Denmark,Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, EquatorialGuinea, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, Gabon, Ghana, Greece,Guatemala, Guinea, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary,Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel,Italy, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, KhmerRepublic, Kuwait, Lebanon, Liberia, Libyan ArabRepublic, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia,Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico,Mongolia, Morocco, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand,Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan,Panama, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Qatar, Romania,Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia,Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Swaziland, Sweden, SyrianArab Republic, Thailand, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago,Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, Ukrainian SSR, USSR, UnitedArab Emirates, United Republic of Tanzania, UpperVolta, Uruguay, Venezuela, Yemen, Yugoslavia, Zaire,Zambia.

Against: None.Abstaining: Belgium, France, United States.

The General Assembly,Having considered the question of Antigua, Dominica,

Grenada, St. Kitts-Nevis-Anguilla, St. Lucia and St.Vincent,

Recalling its resolution 1514(XV) of 14 December

Denmark, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Fiji,


1960, containing the Declaration on the Granting ofIndependence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, andits resolution 2621 (XXV) of 12 October 1970, containingthe programme of action for the full implementationof the Declaration,

Recalling further Its previous resolutions relating tothe question, in particular resolutions 2593(XXIV) of16 December 1969 and 2867(XXVI) of 20 December 1971,

Having examined the relevant chapter of the reportof the Special Committee on the Situation with regardto the Implementation of the Declaration on the Grantingof Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples,

Reaffirming the inalienable right of the peoples ofAntigua, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts-Nevis-Anguilla,St. Lucia and St. Vincent to achieve independence inconformity with the provisions of resolution 1514(XV),

1. Takes note of the chapter of the report of theSpecial Committee on the Situation with regard to theImplementation of the Declaration on the Granting ofIndependence to Colonial Countries and Peoples re-lating to Antigua, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts-Nevis-An-guilla, St. Lucia and St. Vincent;

2. Requests the Special Committee to continue togive consideration to this question in accordance withthe provisions of the relevant resolutions of the Gen-eral Assembly, and to report thereon to the Assemblyat its twenty-eighth session.

A/C.4/757. Note verbale of 5 December 1972 fromNew Zealand.

A/C.4/L.1027 and Rev.1. Afghanistan, Australia, Came-roon, Chile, Denmark, Fiji, Ghana, India, Indonesia,Iran. Iraq, Japan, Kenya, Madagascar, Nigeria, Phil-ippines, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Sweden, Trinidad andTobago, Tunisia, United Republic of Tanzania, Yugo-slavia, Zambia: draft resolution and revision, approvedunanimously by Fourth Committee on 12 December1972, meeting 2021, by roll-call vote of 104 to 0, asfollows:

In favour: Afghanistan, Algeria, Argentina, Australia,Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Bhutan, Brazil, Bulgaria,Burma, Burundi, Byelorussian SSR, Cameroon, Canada,Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Congo, Costa Rica,Cuba, Czechoslovakia, Democratic Yemen, Denmark,Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland,France, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Guinea, Guyana,Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia,Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Ivory Coast, Jamaica,Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Khmer Republic, Kuwait,Lebanon, Lesotho, Libyan Arab Republic, Madagascar,Malaysia, Mali, Mexico, Mongolia, Morocco, Nepal,Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Norway,Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Qatar, Romania,Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Sin-gapore, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Swaziland, Sweden,Syrian Arab Republic, Thailand, Togo, Trinidad andTobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, Ukrainian SSR,USSR, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, UnitedRepublic of Tanzania, United States, Venezuela, Yemen,Yugoslavia, Zaire, Zambia.

Against: None.

A/8955 (parts II and III). Report of Fourth Committee,draft resolution IV.

Resolution 2986(XXVII), as recommended by FourthCommittee, A/8955, adopted by Assembly on 14 De-cember 1972, meeting 2110, by recorded vote of 119to 0, as follows:

In favour: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Argentina,

Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Bhutan, Bolivia,Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burma, Burundi, Byelo-russian SSR, Canada, Central African Republic, Chad,Chile, China, Colombia, Congo, Costa Rica, Cuba,Cyprus, Czechoslovakia, Dahomey, Democratic Yemen,Denmark, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Ethiopia,Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, Ghana, Greece, Guate-mala, Guinea, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary,Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel,Italy, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, KhmerRepublic, Kuwait, Lebanon, Liberia, Libyan ArabRepublic, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia,Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico,Mongolia, Morocco, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand,Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan,Panama, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Qatar, Romania,Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia,Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Swaziland, Sweden, SyrianArab Republic, Thailand, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago,Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, Ukrainian SSR, USSR, UnitedArab Emirates, United Kingdom, United Republic ofTanzania, United States, Upper Volta, Uruguay,Venezuela, Yemen, Yugoslavia, Zaire, Zambia.

Against: None.

The General Assembly,Having considered the question of Niue and the

Tokelau Islands,Noting that, at the invitation of the Government of

New Zealand, the administering Power, a United Nationsmission visited Niue in June 1972,

Having examined the relevant chapters of the reportof the Special Committee on the Situation with regardto the Implementation of the Declaration on the Grantingof Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples,including in particular the report of the United NationsVisiting Mission to Niue, 1972,

Recalling its resolution 1514(XV) of 14 December1960 containing the Declaration on the Granting ofIndependence to Colonial Countries and Peoples,

Recalling its resolution 2868(XXVI) of 20 December1971,

Having heard the statements of the representative ofthe administering Power,

Noting with satisfaction that, following the visit ofthe United Nations Visiting Mission to Niue, the SelectCommittee on Constitutional Development, establishedby the Niue Island Legislative Assembly, concludedpopular consultations on measures for the further con-stitutional advancement of the Territory of Niue, in-cluding the establishment of a time-table for the attain-ment of self-government,

Stressing the special responsibility of the Governmentof New Zealand, as the administering Power, to continueto assist the peoples of Niue and the Tokelau Islandsfreely to decide their own future,

Mindful that Niue and the Tokelau Islands requirethe continued attention and assistance of the UnitedNations in the achievement by their peoples of theobjectives embodied in the Charter of the United Nationsand in the Declaration on the Granting of Independenceto Colonial Countries and Peoples,

1. Reaffirms the inalienable right of colonial peoplesto self-determination and Independence In conformitywith General Assembly resolution 1514(XV);

2. Approves the relevant chapters of the report ofthe Special Committee on the Situation with regard tothe Implementation of the Declaration on the Grantingof Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples;

3. Commends the conclusions and recommendationscontained in the report of the United Nations VisitingMission to Niue, 1972, to the Government of New Zealand,

Declaration on granting independence to colonial countries end peoples 583

as the administering Power, and to the Niue IslandLegislative Assembly for consideration;

4. Expresses its appreciation of the co-operationextended to the United Nations by the Government ofNew Zealand in connexion with its special study of thequestion of Niue and the Tokelau Islands;

5. Takes note of the decision of the Niue IslandLegislative Assembly concerning the future status ofthe Territory;

6. Expresses the hope that the forthcoming consti-tutional talks between the administering Power andthe representatives of the people of Niue will result inan early realization of the aspirations of the Niueanpeople regarding their future status in accordance withthe relevant provisions of the Charter of the UnitedNations and the Declaration on the Granting of Inde-pendence to Colonial Countries and Peoples;

7. Requests the administering Power to continue itsassistance to the Territories in order to promote theireconomic, social and educational development and, inthat connexion, to avail itself of assistance from thespecialized agencies and other organizations within theUnited Nations system, as well as from competent re-gional and intergovernmental organizations;

8. Requests the administering Power to take thenecessary measures to intensify programmes of politicaleducation as well as to preserve the cultural heritageof the people of these Territories;

9. Requests the Special Committee to continue toexamine this question and to report thereon to theGeneral Assembly at its twenty-eighth session.

A/8827. Note verbale of 18 September 1972 from UnitedKingdom (communicating text of Agreement dated23 November 1971 between United Kingdom andBrunei, amending Agreement of 29 September 1959).

A/C.4/L.1025. Cameroon, Congo, Ghana, Guinea, Guyana,India, Kenya, Mali, Mongolia, Nigeria, Somalia, Sudan,Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania, Yugoslavia,Zambia: draft resolution, approved by Fourth Com-mittee on 8 December 1972, meeting 2017, by recordedvote of 84 to 4, with 13 abstentions, as follows:

In favour: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Argentina,Australia, Bahrain, Bhutan, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burma,Burundi, Byelorussian SSR, Cameroon, Central AfricanRepublic, Chad, China, Congo, Costa Rica, Cuba,Cyprus, Czechoslovakia, Democratic Yemen, Ecuador,Egypt, & Salvador, Ethiopia, Fiji, Ghana, Greece,Guatemala, Guinea, Guyana, Honduras, Hungary, Ice-land, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ivory Coast, Jamaica,Kenya, Kuwait, Liberia, Libyan Arab Republic, Mada-gascar, Malaysia, Mali, Mexico, Mongolia, Morocco,Nepal, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines,Poland, Romania, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone,Singapore, Somalia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Swaziland,Syrian Arab Republic, Thailand, Togo, Trinidad andTobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, Ukrainian SSR, USSR,United Arab Emirates, United Republic of Tanzania,Upper Volta, Venezuela, Yemen, Yugoslavia, Zambia.

Against: France, Portugal, South Africa, United King-dom.

Abstaining: Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark,Finland, Gabon, Ireland, Japan, Netherlands, NewZealand, Norway, Sweden, United States.

A/8955 (parts I and III). Report of Fourth Committee,draft resolution II.

Resolution 2984(XXVII), as recommended by FourthCommittee, A/8955, adopted by Assembly on 14 De-

cember 1972, meeting 2110, by recorded vote of 100to 4, with 17 abstentions, as follows:

In favour: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Argentina,Australia, Bahrain, Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil,Bulgaria, Burma, Burundi, Byelorussian SSR, CentralAfrican Republic, Chile, China, Colombia, Congo, CostaRica, Cuba, Cyprus, Czechoslovakia, Dahomey, Demo-cratic Yemen, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, ElSalvador, Ethiopia, Fiji, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala,Guinea, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland,India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Ivory Coast,Jamaica, Kenya, Khmer Republic, Kuwait, Lebanon,Liberia, Libyan Arab Republic, Madagascar, Malawi,Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius,Mexico, Mongolia, Morocco, Nepal, Nicaragua, Niger,Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Peru, Philippines,Poland, Qatar, Romania, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia,Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan,Swaziland, Syrian Arab Republic, Thailand, Togo,Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, Uganda, Ukrainian SSR,USSR, United Arab Emirates, United Republic ofTanzania, Upper Volta, Uruguay, Venezuela, Yemen,Yugoslavia, Zaire, Zambia.

Against: France, Portugal, South Africa, UnitedKingdom.

Abstaining: Austria, Belgium, Canada, Chad, Denmark,Finland, Gabon, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg,Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Spain, Sweden,United States.

The General Assembly,Having considered the question of American Samoa,

Bahamas, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Brunei,Cayman Islands, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Gilbert andEllice Islands, Guam, Montserrat, New Hebrides, Pit-cairn, St. Helena, Seychelles, Solomon Islands, Turksand Caicos Islands and United States Virgin Islands,

Having examined the relevant chapters of the reportof the Special Committee on the Situation with regardto the Implementation of the Declaration on theGranting of Independence to Colonial Countries andPeoples,

Recalling its resolution 1514(XV) of 14 December1960, containing the Declaration on the Granting ofIndependence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, andits resolution 2621 (XXV) of 12 October 1970, containingthe programme of action for the full implementation ofthe Declaration,

Recalling its previous resolutions relating to thoseTerritories, in particular resolution 2869(XXVI) of 20December 1971,

Deploring the intransigent attitude of the Governmentsof the United Kingdom of Great Britain and NorthernIreland and France, in contravention of the provisionsof the relevant resolutions of the General Assembly,and their persistence in refusing to co-operate withthe Special Committee in its examination of theTerritories under their administration,

Deeply deploring the policy of those administeringPowers which continue to maintain military bases Insome of the Territories under their administration, Incontravention of the relevant resolutions of the GeneralAssembly,

Deeply deploring also the attitude of those admin-istering Powers which continue to refuse to allowUnited Nations missions to visit the Territories undertheir administration,

Bearing in mind in particular the positive resultsachieved as a consequence of the visits by UnitedNations missions to other colonial Territories andreiterating its conviction that the dispatch of visiting


missions to the above-mentioned Territories is indis-pensable for securing adequate and first-hand informa-tion in regard to political, economic and social condi-tions in the Territories and to the views, wishes andaspirations of the peoples therein,

Deeply concerned about the adverse effects of con-tinued nuclear atmospheric testing in the South Pacificon the life, welfare and environment of the peoples ofthe Non-Self-Governing Territories situated therein, andaffirming that those peoples have the right to befree of the hazards to their lives, welfare and environ-ment caused by such tests,

Mindful that the Territories listed above require thecontinued attention and assistance of the United Na-tions in the achievement by their peoples of the objec-tives embodied In the Charter of the United Nationsand in the Declaration on the Granting of Independenceto Colonial Countries and Peoples,

Aware of the special circumstances of the geograph-ical location and the economic conditions of thoseTerritories,

1. Approves the chapters of the report of the SpecialCommittee on the Situation with regard to the Implemen-tation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independenceto Colonial Countries and Peoples relating to the Terri-tories listed above;

2. Reaffirms the inalienable right of the peoples ofthose Territories to self-determination and independencein accordance with the Declaration on the Granting ofIndependence to Colonial Countries and Peoples;

3. Ca//s upon the administering Powers concernedto take all the necessary steps, without further delay,to ensure the full and speedy attainment of the goalsset forth in the Declaration with respect to the Territoriesand, in that regard, to establish, in consultation withthe freely elected representatives of the people, aspecific time-table for the free exercise by the peoplesof those Territories of their right to self-determinationand independence;

4. Reaffirms its conviction that the questions ofterritorial size, geographical isolation and limited re-sources should in no way delay the implementation ofthe Declaration with respect to the Territories concerned;

5. Strongly deprecates any attempt aimed at thepartial or total disruption of the national unity andterritorial integrity of colonial Territories and the estab-

lishment of military bases and installations In thoseTerritories, as being incompatible with the purposesand principles of the Charter of the United Nations andof General Assembly resolution 1514(XV);

6. Once again calls upon the administering Powersconcerned to reconsider their attitude towards the re-ceiving of United Nations visiting missions to the above-mentioned Territories and to permit access by suchmissions to Territories under their administration;

7. Calls upon the administering Powers concerned toparticipate in the relevant proceedings of the SpecialCommittee relating to the Territories under theiradministration and, in particular, to report to the SpecialCommittee on the implementation of the presentresolution;

8. Requests the organizations of the United Nationssystem to assist in accelerating progress in all sectorsof the national life of those Territories;

9. Calls upon the administering Power concerned,in view of its responsibility towards the welfare of thepeoples of the Non-Self-Governing Territories In theregion, to discontinue any further nuclear atmospherictesting in the South Pacific area, in order not to endangerthe life and environment of the peoples of the Territoriesconcerned;

10. Invites the Secretary-General, having regard tothe mandate entrusted to him in General Assemblyresolution 2909(XXVII) of 2 November 1972, to payparticular regard to the need to Intensify widespreaddissemination of Information on the process of decoloni-zation in respect of the Territories listed above;

11. Requests the Special Committee to continue togive full consideration to this question, Including Inparticular the dispatch of visiting missions to thoseTerritories, and to report to the General Assembly atits twenty-eighth session on the implementation of thepresent resolution.

British HondurasA/8832. Letter of 6 October 1972 from United Kingdom.A/8955 (parts I and III). Report of Fourth Committee,

paras. 8 and 26.A/8730. Resolutions adopted by General Assembly during

its 27th session, 19 September-19 December 1972.Other decisions, p. 90.

Chapter III

Territories under Portuguese administration

During 1972, various aspects of the situation inthe Portuguese-administered territories of Angola,Mozambique, Guinea, called Portuguese Guinea,the Cape Verde Archipelago, São Tomé e Principe,and Timor were discussed by the Security Council,the General Assembly and the Assembly's SpecialCommittee on the Situation with regard to theImplementation of the Declaration on the Grant-ing of Independence to Colonial Countries andPeoples.

The General Assembly also discussed a reportby the Secretary-General on the United NationsEducational and Training Programme for South-ern Africa, which included the Portuguese-admin-istered territories.

Decisions of Security Councilmeeting in Addis Ababa

At its meetings held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia,from 28 January to 4 February 1972, the Security

[ 1972 ] part 1 sec 3 chapter 2 the situation with regard...

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