Trusteeship Council
At the end of World War I, control over territories that had once been part of the German and Ottoman Empires was transferred by the League of Nations to other European countries. These territories, referred to as League of Nations Mandates, were renamed United Nations Trust Territories once the UN Charter came into force in late 1945.
The UN Trusteeship Council Chamber in 1952
Under Article 77 of the Charter, the Trusteeship System applied to:
- Territories held under Mandates established by the League of Nations after the First World War;
- Territories detached from "enemy States" as a result of the Second World War;
- Territories voluntarily placed under the System by States responsible for their administration.
The Trusteeship Council was established to provide international supervision for 11 Trust Territories and to make sure that adequate steps were taken to prepare the Territories for self government or independence.[1]
The eleven Trust Territories were:
Became fully self-governing in free Association with the United States in 1990
(b) Republic of the Marshall Islands
Became fully self-governing in free Association with the United States in 1990
(c) Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
Became fully self-governing as Commonwealth of the United States in 1990
(d) Palau
Became fully self-governing in free Association with the United States in 1994
By 1994, all Trust Territories had attained self-government or independence, either as separate States or by joining neighbouring independent countries. The last to do so was the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands —Palau— which was administered by the United States and became the 185th UN Member State.
One month after Palau’s independence, the Trusteeship Council suspended its operations. Although the Council’s work has been completed, the formal elimination of the Trusteeship Council would require the revision of the UN Charter. As the Charter states, "amendments to the present Charter shall come into force for all Members of the United Nations when they have been adopted by a vote of two thirds of the members of the General Assembly and ratified in accordance with their respective constitutional processes by two thirds of the Members of the United Nations, including all the permanent members of the Security Council."

Under Article 77 of the Charter, the Trusteeship System applied to:
- Territories held under Mandates established by the League of Nations after the First World War;
- Territories detached from "enemy States" as a result of the Second World War;
- Territories voluntarily placed under the System by States responsible for their administration.
The Trusteeship Council was established to provide international supervision for 11 Trust Territories and to make sure that adequate steps were taken to prepare the Territories for self government or independence.[1]
The eleven Trust Territories were:
- Togoland (under British administration)
- Somaliland (under Italian administration)
- Togoland (under French administration)
- Cameroons (under French administration)
- Cameroons (under British administration)
- Tanganyika (under British administration)
- Ruanda-Urundi (under Belgian administration)
- Western Samoa (under New Zealand administration)
- Nauru (administered by Australia on behalf of Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom)
- New Guinea (administered by Australia)
- Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands:
Became fully self-governing in free Association with the United States in 1990
(b) Republic of the Marshall Islands
Became fully self-governing in free Association with the United States in 1990
(c) Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
Became fully self-governing as Commonwealth of the United States in 1990
(d) Palau
Became fully self-governing in free Association with the United States in 1994
By 1994, all Trust Territories had attained self-government or independence, either as separate States or by joining neighbouring independent countries. The last to do so was the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands —Palau— which was administered by the United States and became the 185th UN Member State.
One month after Palau’s independence, the Trusteeship Council suspended its operations. Although the Council’s work has been completed, the formal elimination of the Trusteeship Council would require the revision of the UN Charter. As the Charter states, "amendments to the present Charter shall come into force for all Members of the United Nations when they have been adopted by a vote of two thirds of the members of the General Assembly and ratified in accordance with their respective constitutional processes by two thirds of the Members of the United Nations, including all the permanent members of the Security Council."