Special Committee of 24 on Decolonization

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.