| United Nations | A/RES/48/51 |
General Assembly
Distr. GENERAL
10 December 1993
ORIGINAL:
ENGLISH
A/RES/48/51
75th plenary meeting
10 December 1993
Questions of American Samoa, Anguilla, Bermuda, the British Virgin
Islands, the Cayman Islands, Guam, Montserrat, Tokelau, the Turks
and Caicos Islands and the United States Virgin Islands
A
GENERAL
The General Assembly,
Having considered the questions of American Samoa, Anguilla, Bermuda,
the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Guam, Montserrat, Tokelau, the
Turks and Caicos Islands and the United States Virgin Islands,
Having examined the relevant chapter of the report of the Special
Committee on the Situation with regard to the Implementation of the
Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples,
Recalling its resolution 1514 (XV) of 14 December 1960, containing the
Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples,
and all resolutions and decisions of the United Nations relating to those
Territories, including, in particular, those resolutions adopted by the
General Assembly at its forty-seventh session on the individual Territories
covered by the present resolution,
Recalling also its resolution 1541 (XV) of 15 December 1960, containing
the principles which should guide Member States in determining whether or not
an obligation exists to transmit the information called for under Article 73 e
of the Charter of the United Nations,
Conscious of the need to ensure the full and speedy implementation of
the Declaration in respect of those Territories, in view of the target set by
the United Nations to eradicate colonialism by the year 2000,
Aware of the special circumstances of the geographical location and
economic conditions of each Territory, and bearing in mind the necessity of
promoting economic stability and diversifying and strengthening further the
economies of the respective Territories as a matter of priority,
Taking note of the report of the Pacific Regional Seminar to Review the
Political, Economic and Social Conditions in the Small Island Non-Self-
Governing Territories, held at Port Moresby from 8 to 10 June 1993, and the
information provided at the Seminar by the Lieutenant-Governor of American
Samoa and other participants,
Conscious of the particular vulnerability of the small Territories to
natural disasters and environmental degradation,
Aware of the usefulness both to the Territories and to the Special
Committee of the participation of representatives of the Non-Self-Governing
Territories in the work of the Special Committee,
Mindful that United Nations visiting missions provide a means of
ascertaining the situation in the small Territories, and considering that the
possibility of sending further visiting missions to those Territories at an
appropriate time and in consultation with the administering Powers should be
kept under review,
Noting with appreciation the contribution to the development of some
Territories by specialized agencies and other organizations of the United
Nations system, in particular the United Nations Development Programme, as
well as regional institutions such as the Caribbean Development Bank,
Bearing in mind the fragile economy of the small Territories and their
vulnerability to natural disasters and environmental degradation, and
recalling General Assembly resolutions and the recommendations of the Meeting
of Governmental Experts of Island Developing Countries and Donor Countries and
Organizations, held in New York from 25 to 29 June 1990,
Recalling the conclusions and recommendations of the Regional Seminar to
Review the Special Development Needs of Island Territories, held in connection
with the plan of action of the International Decade for the Eradication of
Colonialism, at St. George's from 17 to 19 June 1992, as well as the position
taken by the territorial Governments contained in the report of the Seminar,
1. Takes note of the chapter of the report of the Special Committee
on the Situation with regard to the Implementation of the Declaration on the
Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples relating to
American Samoa, Anguilla, Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman
Islands, Guam, Montserrat, Tokelau, the Turks and Caicos Islands and the
United States Virgin Islands;
2. Reaffirms the inalienable right of the people of those Territories
to self-determination and independence in conformity with the Charter of the
United Nations and General Assembly resolution 1514 (XV), containing the
Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples;
3. Reaffirms also that it is ultimately for the people of those
Territories themselves to determine freely their future political status in
accordance with the relevant provisions of the Charter, the Declaration and
the relevant resolutions of the General Assembly and in that connection calls
upon the administering Powers, in cooperation with the territorial
Governments, to facilitate programmes of political education in order to
foster an awareness among the people of the possibilities open to them in the
exercise of their right to self-determination, in conformity with the
legitimate political status options clearly defined in General Assembly
resolution 1541 (XV);
4. Reiterates that it is the responsibility of the administering
Powers to create such conditions in the Territories as will enable their
peoples to exercise freely and without interference their inalienable right to
self-determination and independence;
5. Requests the administering Powers to encourage and to facilitate
the participation of elected representatives of the Non-Self-Governing
Territories under their administration and other appropriate authorities or
personalities duly mandated by those representatives in the work of the
Special Committee, its Working Group and its Subcommittee on Small
Territories, Petitions, Information and Assistance, as well as in the work of
its seminars;
6. Reiterates the view that factors such as territorial size,
geographical location, size of population and limited natural resources should
in no way serve as a pretext to delay the speedy exercise by the peoples of
those Territories of their inalienable right to self-determination;
7. Reaffirms the responsibility of the administering Powers under the
Charter to promote the economic and social development and to preserve the
cultural identity of those Territories, and recommends that priority should
continue to be given, in consultation with the territorial Governments
concerned, to the strengthening and diversification of their respective
economies;
8. Urges the administering Powers, in cooperation with the
territorial Governments concerned, to take or continue to take effective
measures to safeguard and guarantee the inalienable right of the peoples of
those Territories to own, develop or dispose of the natural resources of those
Territories, including marine resources, and to establish and maintain control
over the future development of those resources;
9. Also urges the administering Powers to take all necessary measures
to protect and conserve the environment of the Territories under their
administration against any environmental degradation, and requests the
specialized agencies concerned to continue to monitor environmental conditions
in those Territories;
10. Calls upon the administering Powers to continue to take all
necessary measures, in cooperation with the respective territorial
Governments, to counter problems related to drug trafficking;
11. Urges the administering Powers to foster or continue to foster
close relations between the Territories and other island communities in their
respective regions and to promote cooperation between the respective
territorial Governments and regional institutions, as well as the specialized
agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system;
12. Also urges the administering Powers to cooperate or continue to
cooperate with the Special Committee in its work by providing timely and
up-to-date information for each Territory under their administration, in
accordance with Article 73 e of the Charter, and by facilitating the dispatch
of visiting missions to secure firsthand information thereon and to ascertain
the wishes and aspirations of the inhabitants;
13. Appeals to the administering Powers to continue or to resume their
participation in future meetings and activities of the Special Committee and
to ensure the participation in the work of the Special Committee of
representatives of the Non-Self-Governing Territories;
14. Urges Member States to contribute to the efforts of the United
Nations to achieve the eradication of colonialism by the year 2000, and calls
upon them to continue to give their full support to the action of the Special
Committee towards the attainment of that objective;
15. Invites the specialized agencies and other organizations of the
United Nations system to initiate or to continue to take all necessary
measures to accelerate progress in the social and economic life of the
Territories;
16. Requests the specialized agencies and other organizations of the
United Nations system, in formulating their assistance programmes, to take due
account of the text entitled "Challenges and opportunities: a strategic
framework", which was adopted unanimously by the Meeting of Governmental
Experts of Island Developing Countries and Donor Countries and Organizations;
17. Requests the Special Committee to continue the examination of the
question of the small Territories and to recommend to the General Assembly the
most suitable steps to be taken to enable the populations of those Territories
to exercise their right to self-determination and independence, and to report
thereon to the Assembly at its forty-ninth session.
B
INDIVIDUAL TERRITORIES
I. - American Samoa
The General Assembly,
Referring to resolution A above,
Noting that efforts are currently aimed at increasing the production of
food crops for local consumption,
Noting also the announcement by the Governor that his administration was
planning to lay off over one thousand public employees, including some four
hundred permanent career civil servants,
Noting further that American Samoa is the only United States of America
Territory in which employers are allowed to pay workers less than the mainland
minimum wage,
Aware that one third of the population is dependent on village-based
water systems which often lack basic sanitary conditions,
Noting the devastation caused by hurricane Val in December 1991 and the
recovery efforts of the territorial Government in conjunction with the
administering Power and the international community,
Recalling the dispatch in 1981 of a United Nations visiting mission to
the Territory,
1. Calls upon the administering Power, in cooperation with relevant
regional and international institutions, to assist the Territory in increasing
its agricultural output;
2. Also calls upon the administering Power, in cooperation with the
territorial Government, to continue to promote the economic and social
development of the Territory in order to reduce its heavy economic and
financial dependence on the United States of America;
3. Requests additional information from the elected representatives
of American Samoa, the administering Power and/or other sources to enable the
Special Committee on the Situation with regard to the Implementation of the
Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples
to determine its future course of action on the question of American Samoa,
and in this connection expresses its firm conviction that a visiting mission
at this stage would provide an effective means of obtaining information on
developments in the Territory and ascertaining the views of the people of
American Samoa with regard to their future status.
II. - Anguilla
The General Assembly,
Referring to resolution A above,
Having heard the statement of the representative of the United Kingdom
of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, as the administering Power,
Noting the decision of the administering Power to effect a policy change
aimed at enhancing its relations with its Caribbean dependent Territories,
Aware that the educational system in Anguilla is facing severe problems,
including overcrowding and insufficient equipment and supplies in the schools,
as well as a high percentage of untrained teachers and the loss of teachers to
the private sector and to other parts of the civil service,
Aware also of the inability of Anguilla's educational system to
alleviate the problem of scarcity of skilled national personnel, particularly
in the fields of economic management and tourism, and that educational reform
is of paramount importance to the achievement of the long-term economic goals
of the Territory,
Noting that the territorial Government is placing great emphasis on
manpower development and training,
Also noting that the Government's Public Sector Investment Programme for
1991-1995 is expected to be financed by external donors through grants and
concessional loans,
Aware that the exploitation of deep-sea resources would help to reduce
the risk of depleting the Territory's own fishing resources as a result of
overfishing,
Recalling the dispatch of a United Nations visiting mission to the
Territory in 1984,
1. Noting the efforts of the administering Power aimed at improving
its relations with its dependent Territories of the Caribbean;
2. Requests the administering Power, in considering, adopting and/or
implementing policy decisions likely to affect its dependent Territories, to
continue to grant the highest attention to the interests, needs and wishes of
the territorial Government and the people of Anguilla;
3. Calls upon national, regional and international institutions
specializing in the field of education to grant Anguilla funds and equipment
and to make available to the Territory teacher training courses, to enable it
to overcome its educational problems;
4. Also calls upon all countries, institutions and organizations
endowed with expertise in manpower training to grant Anguilla assistance in
this field;
5. Invites the international donor community to contribute generously
to the Government's Public Sector Investment Programme for 1991-1995 and to
grant the Territory all possible assistance to enable it to reach the main
development objectives established by the Executive Council of the Territory;
6. Requests all countries and organizations with deep-sea fishing
experience to facilitate the acquisition by the fishing sector of the
Territory of larger boats and ad hoc fishing equipment and to provide the
Territory's fishermen with deep-sea fishing training programmes;
7. Notes that a period of nine years has elapsed since a United
Nations mission visited Anguilla, and calls upon the administering Power to
facilitate the dispatch of a further visiting mission to the Territory.
III. - Bermuda
The General Assembly,
Referring to resolution A above,
Having heard the statement of the representative of the United Kingdom
of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, as the administering Power,
Noting the negative effects of the world recession on the economy of
Bermuda,
Noting also the recent review of the criminal justice system in the
Territory,
Noting with concern the incidence of crime in the secondary schools, and
noting also the planned restructuring of the public school system,
Reaffirming its strong conviction that the presence of military bases
and installations in the Territory could, in certain circumstances, constitute
an obstacle to the implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of
Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples,
Noting that the Territory has never been visited by a United Nations
visiting mission,
1. Reaffirms its view that it is ultimately for the people of Bermuda
to decide their own future;
2. Requests the administering Power to assist the territorial
Government in its efforts to mitigate the effects of the world recession,
particularly in the domains of tourism and international business;
3. Calls upon the administering Power to ensure that the criminal
justice system is fair to all inhabitants of the Territory;
4. Also calls upon the administering Power to ensure that the planned
restructuring of the public school system is not prejudicial to the
economically less advantaged sectors of the population;
5. Further calls upon the administering Power to ensure that the
presence of military bases and installations in the Territory would not
constitute an obstacle to the implementation of the Declaration on the
Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples nor hinder the
population from exercising its right to self-determination and independence in
conformity with the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United
Nations;
6. Again calls upon the administering Power to facilitate the
dispatch of a United Nations visiting mission to the Territory.
IV. - British Virgin Islands
The General Assembly,
Referring to resolution A above,
Having heard the statement of the representative of the United Kingdom
of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, as the administering Power,
Noting the request of the Territory for a review of its Constitution,
Also noting the statements made by the Chief Minister, the Leader of the
Opposition and members of the public of the Territory concerning the review by
the administering Power of its policy towards, and management of, its
Caribbean dependent Territories,
Aware of the impact of the world economic recession on the economy of
the British Virgin Islands,
Noting the measures taken by the territorial Government to develop the
agricultural, industrial, educational and communications sectors,
Noting also the desire of the Territory for membership in the Food and
Agriculture Organization of the United Nations,
Noting further that, according to the Caribbean Development Bank, the
Territory's unmet manpower requirements continue to be a critical constraint
to its economic growth,
Recognizing the measures being taken by the territorial Government to
prevent drug trafficking and money laundering,
1. Requests the administering Power to take into account any views or
wishes which may be expressed by the territorial Government and the people of
the Territory in connection with the constitutional review;
2. Also requests the administering Power, in implementing its review
of policy towards, and management of, its Caribbean dependent Territories, to
give the highest consideration to the opinions expressed by the Government and
the people of the Territory;
3. Further requests the administering Power and all financial
institutions to grant the Territory economic assistance, including
concessionary funding, to enable it to mitigate the effects of the world
economic recession and to pursue its development programmes;
4. Reiterates its call upon the administering Power to facilitate the
admission of the Territory to associate membership in the Food and Agriculture
Organization of the United Nations, as well as its participation in other
regional and international organizations;
5. Calls upon the United Nations Development Programme to continue
its technical assistance to the British Virgin Islands, bearing in mind the
vulnerability of the Territory to external economic factors and the scarcity
of skilled workers in the Territory;
6. Calls upon all countries and organizations with expertise in the
development of skilled labour to grant the territorial Government every
assistance in the implementation of its educational and manpower training
programmes;
7. Notes with satisfaction the measures being taken by the
territorial Government to prevent drug trafficking and money laundering, and
urges the administering Power to continue its assistance to the Territory in
those endeavours;
8. Notes with regret that a period of seventeen years has elapsed
since a United Nations mission visited the Territory and appeals to the
administering Power to facilitate the dispatch of such a mission.
V. - Cayman Islands
The General Assembly,
Referring to resolution A above,
Having heard the statement of the representative of the United Kingdom
of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, as the administering Power,
Noting the action taken by the territorial Government to implement its
localization programme to promote increased participation of the local
population in the decision-making process in the Cayman Islands,
Also noting that an increased proportion of the labour force of the
Territory consists of expatriates and that there is a need for the training of
nationals in the technical, vocational, managerial and professional fields,
Aware that the general election of November 1992 in the Territory
resulted in the naming of a new Government,
Conscious of the economic priorities recommended by the new territorial
Government, namely, to reduce spending, balance the budget, slow down growth
to manageable levels and increase tourism,
Noting the Territory's dependence on imported agricultural provisions,
Noting with concern the vulnerability of the Territory to drug
trafficking and related activities,
Noting with satisfaction the efforts of the territorial Government, the
Governments of other countries of the region and the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Northern Ireland, as the administering Power, to prevent and
repress illicit activities such as money laundering, funds smuggling, false
invoicing and other related frauds, as well as the use of and trafficking in
illegal drugs,
Recalling the dispatch in 1977 of a United Nations visiting mission to
the Territory,
1. Notes the change of government in the Territory as a result of the
election of November 1992;
2. Notes also that, according to election officials, more than 90 per
cent of the Territory's registered voters participated in that election;
3. Urges the administering Power, in consultation with the
territorial Government, to continue to facilitate the expansion of the current
programme of securing employment for the local population, in particular at
the decision-making level;
4. Requests the administering Power to assist the new territorial
Government in acquiring all required expertise to enable it to achieve its
economic aims;
5. Calls upon the administering Power, in consultation with the
territorial Government, to continue to promote the agricultural development of
the Cayman Islands;
6. Requests the specialized agencies and other organizations of the
United Nations system to continue to increase their programmes of assistance
to the Territory with a view to strengthening, developing and diversifying its
economy;
7. Calls upon the administering Power to continue to take all
necessary measures, in cooperation with the territorial Government, to counter
problems related to money laundering, funds smuggling and other related
crimes, as well as drug trafficking;
8. Notes the importance of sending United Nations visiting missions
to the Non-Self-Governing Territories, and the fact that a period of sixteen
years has elapsed since the last mission was dispatched to the Territory.
VI. - Guam
The General Assembly,
Referring to resolution A above,
Noting that pursuant to the request of the Government of Guam and the
recommendation of the independent Base Relocation and Closure Commission of
the administering Power, the administering Power has approved of the closure
of aviation activities at the Naval Air Station Agana,
Aware that large tracts of land in the Territory continue to be reserved
for the use of the Department of Defense of the administering Power,
Cognizant that the administering Power has undertaken a programme of
transferring surplus federal land to the Government of Guam,
Cognizant also of the potential for diversifying and developing the
economy of Guam through commercial fishing and agriculture,
Conscious that immigration into the Territory has resulted in the
indigenous Chamorros becoming a minority in their homeland and that, in 1990,
50 per cent of the residents were not born in the Territory,
Mindful that discussions between the Guam Commission on Self-
Determination and the executive branch of the administering Power on the draft
Guam Commonwealth Act concluded at the end of the previous administration of
the administering Power, and that the Guam Commission on Self-Determination
has requested the new Administration to appoint a special representative of
the President to lead the administering Power's review of the Guam
Commonwealth Act,
Recalling that in referendums held in Guam in 1987 the people of Guam
endorsed a draft Commonwealth Act that, upon expeditious enactment by the
Congress of the United States of America, would reaffirm the right of the
people of Guam to draft their own constitution and to govern themselves,
Recalling also the dispatch in 1979 of a United Nations visiting mission
to the Territory,
1. Calls upon the administering Power to continue to ensure that the
presence of military bases and installations in the Territory does not
constitute an obstacle to the implementation of the Declaration on the
Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples nor hinder the
population of the Territory from exercising its right to self-determination,
including independence, in conformity with the purposes and principles of the
Charter of the United Nations;
2. Also calls upon the administering Power, in cooperation with the
territorial Government, to continue to expedite the transfer of land to the
people of the Territory and to take the necessary steps to safeguard their
property rights;
3. Notes that discussions held since 1988 between the Government of
the United States of America and the Guam Commission on Self-Determination
have resulted in qualified agreements on the provisions of the Guam
Commonwealth Act, including agreements to disagree on several substantive
portions of the Guam proposal, and that the new Administration of the
administering Power has been requested by Guam to conduct expeditiously its
review of the Guam Commonwealth Act in concert with the Guam Commission on
Self-Determination;
4. Requests the administering Power to take all necessary measures to
respond to the concerns of the territorial Government with regard to the
immigration issue;
5. Reiterates its request to the administering Power to continue to
recognize and respect the cultural and ethnic identity of the Chamorro people,
the indigenous inhabitants of Guam;
6. Urges the administering Power to continue to support appropriate
measures by the territorial Government aimed at promoting growth in commercial
fishing and agriculture;
7. Notes that a period of fourteen years has elapsed since a United
Nations mission visited the Territory and again calls upon the administering
Power to facilitate the dispatch of such a mission.
VII. - Montserrat
The General Assembly,
Referring to resolution A above,
Having heard the statement of the representative of the United Kingdom
of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, as the administering Power,
Aware of the decision of the administering Power to implement a policy
change aimed at establishing better dialogue, coordination and cooperation
between itself and its Caribbean dependent Territories,
Noting the position of the territorial Government that while
independence is both desirable and inevitable, it should be preceded by
economic and financial viability sufficient to sustain Montserrat as an
independent State,
Expressing concern at the high incidence of drug trafficking and money
laundering in the Territory,
Taking into account the membership of Montserrat in regional and
international bodies and the outstanding request of the Territory for
readmission to associate membership in the United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization,
Aware of the Government's policy to continue to train and develop local
human resources,
Recalling that the last United Nations visiting mission to the Territory
took place in 1982,
1. Calls upon the administering Power to consider all suggestions
made by the Territories concerned within the framework of its review of policy
and management of the Caribbean dependent Territories, as well as in the
context of any future policy changes affecting them;
2. Requests the administering Power to work towards promoting the
economic and social development of the Territory with a view to its attaining
self-determination and independence;
3. Notes the territorial Government's expressed preference for
independence within a political union with the Organization of Eastern
Caribbean States;
4. Requests the administering Power, competent regional and
international organizations, as well as countries in a position to do so, to
grant the Government of Montserrat every assistance it requires to achieve its
stated goal of improving the efficiency and productivity of the public service
through training at all levels;
5. Reiterates its call upon the administering Power, in cooperation
with the territorial Government, to take, as a matter of urgency, the
necessary steps to facilitate the readmission of Montserrat as an associate
member of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization;
6. Urges the specialized agencies and other organizations of the
United Nations system, as well as regional and other multilateral financial
institutions, to continue to expand their assistance to the Territory in the
strengthening, development and diversification of the economy of Montserrat in
accordance with its medium-term and long-term development plans;
7. Urges the administering Power to continue its assistance to the
Territory in the prevention of drug trafficking and money laundering;
8. Notes with regret that a period of eleven years has elapsed since
a United Nations mission visited the Territory and calls upon the
administering Power to facilitate the dispatch of such a mission.
VIII. - Tokelau
The General Assembly,
Referring to resolution A above,
Having heard the statement of the representative of New Zealand, the
administering Power,
Noting the continuing devolution of power to the local authority, the
General Fono (Council), and mindful that the cultural heritage and traditions
of the people of Tokelau should be taken fully into account in the evolution
of the political institutions of Tokelau,
Noting also the continuing commitment of New Zealand to assist Tokelau
in attaining a greater degree of self-government and economic self-
sufficiency, and its stated intention to be guided in this regard by the
wishes of the Tokelauan people,
Taking note of the plans to transfer the Office for Tokelau Affairs from
Apia to Tokelau,
Noting the Territory's continuing efforts to strengthen the role of its
local institutions and to assume more responsibility for its own affairs,
while reaffirming its desire to retain its special relationship with New
Zealand,
Noting also the endeavours of Tokelau to develop its marine and other
resources and its efforts to diversify the income-earning ability of its
population,
Noting further the concern of the people of the Territory regarding the
serious consequences of changes in climatic patterns on the future of Tokelau,
Noting with appreciation the assistance extended to Tokelau by the
administering Power, other Member States and specialized agencies, in
particular the United Nations Development Programme and its setting up of a
third country programme for Tokelau for the period 1992-1996,
1. Encourages the Government of New Zealand, the administering Power,
to continue to respect fully the wishes of the people of Tokelau in carrying
out the political and economic development of the Territory in such a way as
to preserve their social, cultural and traditional heritage and to seek
solutions which would meet the unique future needs of Tokelau;
2. Notes with satisfaction the agreement to continue the process of
transferring to Tokelau the responsibility for administration of the
Territory, and the decision by Tokelau to establish a Council of Faipule
(joint chairmen of the General Fono) to provide ongoing government for the
Territory between sessions of the General Fono;
3. Requests the administering Power to take all necessary measures to
facilitate the exercise by the Territory of its political and administrative
functions and, in this regard, takes note of the plans to transfer the Office
for Tokelau Affairs from Apia to Tokelau;
4. Invites all governmental and non-governmental organizations,
financial institutions, Member States and specialized agencies to grant or
continue to grant Tokelau special emergency economic assistance to mitigate
the effects of cyclonic storms and to enable the Territory to meet its medium-
and long-term reconstruction and rehabilitation requirements and address the
issues of changes in climatic patterns;
5. Welcomes the invitation of the administering Power to the Special
Committee on the Situation with regard to the Implementation of the
Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples
to dispatch a visiting mission to Tokelau in 1994.
IX. - Turks and Caicos Islands
The General Assembly,
Referring to resolution A above,
Having heard the statement of the representative of the United Kingdom
of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, as the administering Power,
Noting the different views expressed by the elected representatives of
the Turks and Caicos Islands on the question of the future status of the
Territory,
Aware of the decision of the administering Power to implement a policy
change aimed at establishing better dialogue, coordination and cooperation
between itself and its Caribbean dependent Territories,
Noting the territorial Government's commitment to reform the public
service to achieve greater efficiency and to implement its policy of
localization of employment,
Noting the Government's expressed need for development assistance to
achieve its stated goal of economic independence by the year 1996,
Noting also the Government's decision to establish an investment bank in
order to attract substantial investments world wide for much-needed projects,
Noting further that 90 per cent of the food consumed in the Territory is
imported, and that the Government has exerted efforts to improve the
agricultural and fisheries sectors,
Noting the number of unqualified teachers and the number of expatriate
staff in the educational system of the Territory,
Noting with interest the statement made and the information provided by
an elected member of the Territory's Legislative Council in March 1993 to the
Subcommittee on Small Territories, Petitions, Information and Assistance of
the Special Committee on the Situation with regard to the Implementation of
the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and
Peoples on the overall political, economic and social situation in the Turks
and Caicos Islands,
1. Reiterates that it is ultimately for the people of the Territory
themselves to determine their own future through the exercise of their right
to self-determination, including independence;
2. Invites the administering Power, in implementing policy changes
concerning its dependent Territories, to continue to take fully into account
the wishes and interests of the Government and people of the Turks and Caicos
Islands;
3. Calls upon the territorial Government to continue to promote
alternative employment opportunities for those civil servants whose employment
will be terminated as a result of the public service reform and the planned
reduction of employees in the service;
4. Also calls upon the territorial Government to ensure that the
employment of expatriates in the Territory's labour force is not prejudicial
to the recruitment of suitably qualified and available islanders;
5. Calls upon the specialized agencies and other institutions of the
United Nations system to explore concrete ways of assisting the Turks and
Caicos Government to reach its stated goal of achieving economic independence
by 1996;
6. Notes with satisfaction the increase in aid, particularly
financial assistance, granted to the territorial Government by the Government
of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and invites that
Government to maintain this level of assistance;
7. Calls upon all national, regional, interregional and international
financial institutions, including the International Monetary Fund and the
World Bank, to take all necessary steps to assist the Government of the Turks
and Caicos Islands in the establishment and/or operation of its investment
bank;
8. Urges the administering Power and the relevant regional and
international organizations to assist the territorial Government in increasing
the efficiency of the agricultural and fisheries sectors;
9. Also urges the administering Power and the relevant regional and
international organizations to support the efforts of the territorial
Government to address the problem of environmental pollution and degradation;
10. Calls upon all countries and organizations with experience in the
training of teachers to extend generous assistance to the Territory in this
field, with particular emphasis on the training of its nationals;
11. Draws the attention of the administering Power to the statement
made and the information provided in March 1993 to the Subcommittee on Small
Territories, Petitions, Information and Assistance of the Special Committee on
the Situation with regard to the Implementation of the Declaration on the
Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples by an elected
member of the Territory's Legislative Council on the political, economic and
social situation in the Territory;
12. Notes with regret that a period of thirteen years has elapsed
since a United Nations mission visited the Territory and appeals to the
administering Power to facilitate the dispatch of such a mission.
X. - United States Virgin Islands
The General Assembly,
Referring to resolution A above,
Noting that a referendum on political status in the Territory was held
on 11 October 1993,
Noting also the concerns expressed in the Territory on the issues of
residency requirements for voter eligibility and the availability to all
voters of full information on the political options offered to them in the
referendum and the implications of these options,
Noting further that the Governor, in his State of the Territory address
in January 1993, mentioned the necessity to diversify the Territory's economy
further,
Aware that the insurance crisis in the United States Virgin Islands
affects home-owners and has an adverse impact on the Territory's real estate
market,
Noting that the question of the transfer of Water Island to the
Territory is still under consideration,
Noting also the steps taken by the territorial authorities to acquire
the St. Thomas Harbour, including the West Indian Company,
Noting further the continuing interest of the territorial Government in
seeking associate membership in the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States
and observer status in the Caribbean Community, and its inability, for
financial reasons, to participate in the Food and Agriculture Organization of
the United Nations and the World Health Organization,
Recalling the dispatch in 1977 of a United Nations visiting mission to
the Territory and the request by the territorial Government for the dispatch
of a United Nations mission to the Territory to observe the referendum
process,
1. Notes the consultative character of the referendum which was held
on 11 October 1993;
2. Notes also the concerns raised in the Territory, prior to the
referendum, on the questions of residency requirements and the availability of
information on this political process;
3. Requests the administering Power to assist the territorial
Government in its efforts to attract light manufacturing and other enterprises
to the Territory in order to diversify its economy;
4. Invites the administering Power, as a matter of urgency, to
facilitate the transfer of Water Island to the territorial Government;
5. Reiterates its request to the administering Power to facilitate as
appropriate the participation of the Territory in the Organization of Eastern
Caribbean States and the Caribbean Community, as well as in various
international and regional organizations, including the Caribbean Group for
Cooperation in Economic Development of the World Bank, in accordance with the
policy of the administering Power and the terms of reference of such
organizations;
6. Calls upon the administering Power to respond favourably to the
request of the territorial Government for the dispatch of a United Nations
visiting and observer mission to the Territory.