The United Nations General Assembly, in 1961, established a 17-member Special Committee, enlarged to 24 members in 1962, to examine the application of the Declaration on decolonization, and to make recommendations on its implementation. Commonly referred to as the Special Committee of 24 on Decolonization, its full title is the Special Committee on the Situation with Regard to the Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples.

The Committee meets annually to discuss the developments in Non-Self-Governing Territories, hears statements from appointed and elected representatives of the Territories and petitioners, dispatches visiting missions to the Territories, and organizes seminars on the political, social, economic and educational situations in the Territories. It formulates proposals and carries out actions approved by the General Assembly in the context of the Second International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism (2001-2010). The Committee also makes recommendations concerning the dissemination of information to mobilize public opinion in support of the decolonization process and examines the assistance provided to the people of the Territories by the specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system.

THE CURRENT MEMBERS OF THE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ARE:

Antigua and Barbuda	Grenada	Saint Lucia
Bolivia	India	Saint Vincent & the Grenadines
Chile	Indonesia	Sierra Leone
China	Iran	Syrian Arab Republic
Congo	Iraq	Tunisia
Côte d'Ivoire	Mali	United Republic of Tanzania
Cuba	Papua New Guinea	Venezuela
Ethiopia	Russian Federation
Fiji	Saint Kitts and Nevis

 

 

 

OPENNING SESSION OF THE SPECIAL COMMITTEE, FEBRUARY 11, 2004

Left to Right: Assistant Secretary-General, Mr. Danilo Turk; Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan; Chairman, H.E. Mr. Robert Guba Aisi.

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