The Process Non-Self-Governing Territories United Nations list MAP Territories to which the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples Continues to Apply (as of '01) Declaration on Decolonization Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples Special Committee Meetings at the United Nations Seminars Scholarships Visiting missions Development assistance Regional commissions The challenges ahead More Information Top page Page on Decolonization

Special Committee on decolonization 1 In 1961, the General Assembly created the Special Committee on decolonization, which has become the focal point for the implementation of the Declaration on decolonization. The Committee (also known as the Committee of Twenty-four because of the number of its members) reviews the political, economic and social situation in each of the remaining Non-Self-Governing Territories on the United Nations list. Each year, the Secretariat prepares for the Committee working papers on the developments in these Territories. During its annual sessions, the Committee hears petitioners from the Territories, who speak about the concerns and aspirations of their people. The Committee also holds annual seminars in the Pacific or in the Caribbean regions in order to better understand the conditions in the remaining Non-Self-Governing Territories and to make it easier for their representatives to communicate with the Committee and with each other. Taking into account all the available information, the Special Committee recommends, and the General Assembly adopts, resolutions aimed at protecting the interests of the peoples of Non-Self-Governing Territories. The principles of the Charter of the United Nations, together with the provisions of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, continue to guide the international community towards a better world where the fundamental rights and freedoms of nations big and small are equally respected. To make colonialism a fact of the past, the General Assembly and the Special Committee appeal to the administering Powers to take necessary steps and to develop a programme of work for the decolonization of each Territory on the list. As each Territory has a unique combination of circumstances and concerns, such programmes can only be developed on a case-by-case basis. In each case, the participation of both the administering Power and the representatives of the Territory is essential. 1 Officially, the Special Committee on the situation with regard to the Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples.