Self-Determination, Sovereignty of 17 Remaining Non-Self-Governing Territories ‘Diminished by Our Delay’, Speaker Says as Fourth Committee Opens Debate (excerpts from the Press release)

04 October 2024

Seventy-ninth Session,
2nd Meeting (AM)

(Excerpt)

“It is unacceptable to prolong the decolonization processes of the 17 existing Non-Self-Governing Territories,” Costa Rica’s delegate said today as the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) began its general debate on decolonization and related agenda items.

The representative added that these Territories represent generations of Indigenous Peoples whose inalienable right to self-determination and the exercise of their sovereignty is “diminished by our delay”. In that vein, several speakers urged delegations to remain steadfast in their commitment to decolonization.

In opening remarks, the President of the General Assembly, Philémon Yang (Cameroon), said that the Committee addresses some of the most pressing global challenges of our time. These include decolonization, the review of peacekeeping and special political missions and, increasingly, issues related to the exploration of outer space. “We must approach this work with clear, focused and innovative solutions, building on the spirit of the Pact for the Future,” he said.

Noting that since the last session, conflicts around the world have spread and intensified — from Gaza and Haiti to Lebanon, Sudan and Ukraine — he emphasized that the recent escalation of violence in the Middle East underscores the vital work of this Committee. “Diplomatic solutions must take precedence over brutal force,” he stressed, calling for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon and for all hostages to be freed immediately and unharmed.

Highlighting the Committee’s crucial role in supporting the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), he emphasized that millions of Palestinian refugees in Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria continue to struggle in the harshest of circumstances. Only a two-State solution, based on relevant UN resolutions, can guarantee lasting peace and security for both the people of Israel and Palestine and for the rest of the region, he asserted. “Together, we can address the challenges before us and make meaningful progress towards our shared goals,” he told delegates.

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Speaking from the perspective of a former colony, the representative of South Africa voiced disappointment that 79 years after the establishment of the UN, many people, including those in Western Sahara and Palestine, “are yet to exercise their right to self-determination”.  He said “the existence of colonialism and occupation in any form is inconsistent with both the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights”.  His country supports the Sahrawi people.  Turning to the situation in the Middle East, he warned that the ongoing war must not overshadow the quest of the Palestinian people for their statehood.

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With the decolonization debate taking place against the background of the deepening Middle East crisis, several delegates highlighted the mass killing of civilians in Gaza and Lebanon and reiterated the importance of the two-State solution.  The representative of Iraq said, “these crimes are shameful and they show the barbarity and aggression of the occupation forces”.  Palestine must be admitted to the United Nations as a Member State.  The Palestinian cause is a priority of Saudi Arabia’s foreign policy, that country’s delegate said, condemning Israel’s killings, bombings and use of hunger as a weapon against defenceless Palestinians.  Bangladesh’s delegate also expressed concern about the illegal occupation of Palestinian territories by Israel, and reaffirmed support for an independent, viable and sovereign Palestinian State, with East Jerusalem as its capital, under a two-State solution based on pre‑1967 borders.

The representative of Bahrain urged a comprehensive ceasefire as did the representative of the United Arab Emirates who also stressed the importance of the release of all hostages and prisoners. Calling on Iran to “immediately end its occupation of the three UAE islands of Greater Tonb, Lesser Tonb and Abu Musa”, he said his country will spare no efforts to peacefully defend its claims.

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