Special Committee on Decolonization explained

Special Committee on Decolonization
Abbreviation:	C24
Leader Title:	Head
Leader Name:	Chair Keisha A. McGuire^[1]
Status:	Active
Headquarters:	New York, United States
Parent Organization:	United Nations General Assembly

The United Nations Special Committee on the Situation with Regard to the Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, or the Special Committee on Decolonization (C-24), is a committee of the United Nations General Assembly that was established in 1961 and is exclusively devoted to the issue of decolonization.^[2]

History

When the United Nations was created, there were 750 million people living in territories that were non-self-governing. However, the Charter of the United Nations included, in Chapter XI, provisions calling for recognition of the rights of inhabitants of territories administered by its Member States. It called for these Member States to aid in the establishment of self-governance through the development of free political institutions, as well as to keep in mind the political aspirations of the peoples.^{[3] [4]}

The Charter also created, in Chapter XII, the international trusteeship system. This system allowed for the administration and supervision of territories placed under the control of the United Nations by Member States wishing to grant independence to their colonial possessions. These "Trust" territories were administered by the United Nations Trusteeship Council, which was created by Chapter XIII of the Charter.^{[5] [6]}

Hoping to speed up the process of decolonization, the General Assembly passed Resolution 1514 (XV), also known as the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples. The Declaration stated that all peoples have the right to self-determination, and that immediate steps should be taken to end colonialism unconditionally.

Original member states

On 27 November 1961, the General Assembly created the precursor to the Special Committee by Resolution 1654 (XVI), which established a Special Committee of 17 member states to examine the application of the Declaration and to make recommendations on how to better implement it. The original member states were:

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On 7 December 1962, the General Assembly added seven seats to the committee, bringing the total number of member states up to 24. The number increased again in 2004, 2008, and 2010.^[7] The number 24 continues to be used when describing the Committee even though it now has 29 member states.

International Decades for the Eradication of Colonialism

In 1990, the General Assembly proclaimed 1990–2000 as the First International Decades for the Eradication of Colonialism by Resolution 43/47, with the ultimate goal being the full implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples. The General Assembly adopted the report of the Secretary-General dated 13 December 1991 as the Plan of Action for the Decade.

On 8 December 2000, the General Assembly proceeded to proclaim the Second International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism, lasting from 2001 to 2010 via Resolution 55/146. The Resolution called upon Member States to redouble their efforts to implement the Plan of Action during the Second Decade.

On 10 December 2010, the General Assembly proclaimed 2010–2020 as the Third International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism via Resolution 65/119. The Resolution called upon Member States to intensify their efforts to continue to implement the Plan of Action during the Third Decade.

In 2020, the General Assembly proclaimed 2021–2030 as the Fourth International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism via Resolution 75/123.^[8]

Working methods

The Committee holds its main session in New York in June, as well as an annual seminar in the Caribbean and Pacific in alternate years. In 2018, the seminar was held in St. George's, Grenada.^[7]

At each main session, the Committee reviews the list of territories to which the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples is applicable and makes recommendations on its implementation and on the dissemination of public information on decolonization to the local population. It also hears statements from Non-Self-Governing Territories (NSGTs), dispatches missions to these NSGTs and organizes seminars on the political, social and economic situation in the NSGTs.^[7]

The Committee reports to the General Assembly on its work through the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization).^[9]

Listed non-self-governing territories

Currently, there are 17 territories on the United Nations list of non-self-governing territories.^[10]

Territory
	Capital	Currency	Language(s)	Population	Administering Power	UN Continental Region	UN Geographical Subregion	Notes	Source(s)
American Samoa^[11]	Pago Pago	United States dollar	English	44,620	United States	Oceania	Polynesia	^[12] ^[13]	^[14]
Anguilla	The Valley	Eastern Caribbean dollar	English	15,753	United Kingdom	Americas	Caribbean		^[15]
Bermuda	Hamilton	Bermudian dollar	English	63,913	United Kingdom	Americas	Caribbean		^[16]
	Road Town	United States dollar^[17]	English	30,030	United Kingdom	Americas	Caribbean		^[18]
Cayman Islands	George Town	Cayman Islands dollar	English	81,546	United Kingdom	Americas	Caribbean		^[19]
Falkland Islands (Malvinas) (disputed)	Stanley	Falkland Islands pound	English	3,662	United Kingdom	Americas	South America	^[20]	^[21]
French Polynesia^[22]	Papeete	CFP franc	French	278,786	France	Oceania	Polynesia	^[23]	^[24]
Gibraltar (disputed)	Gibraltar	Gibraltar pound	English	34,003	United Kingdom	Europe	Southern Europe	^[25]	^[26]
Guam	Hagåtña	United States dollar	English	168,801	United States	Oceania	Micronesia		^[27]
Montserrat	Plymouth	Eastern Caribbean dollar	English	4,390	United Kingdom	Americas	Caribbean		^[28]
New Caledonia	Nouméa	CFP franc	French	271,407	France	Oceania	Melanesia	^[29]	^[30]
Pitcairn^[31]	Adamstown	New Zealand dollar	English	47	United Kingdom	Oceania	Polynesia		^[32]
Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha^[33]	Jamestown	Saint Helena pound	English	5,633	United Kingdom	Africa	Western Africa		^[34]
Tokelau	(none)^[35]	New Zealand dollar	English	1,499	New Zealand	Oceania	Polynesia		^[36]
Turks and Caicos Islands	Grand Turk^[37]	United States dollar	English	44,542	United Kingdom	Americas	Caribbean		^[38]
	Charlotte Amalie	United States dollar	English	87,146	United States	Americas	Caribbean		^[39]
Western Sahara (disputed)	El Aaiún (claimed)	Moroccan dirham^[40]	Arabic Spanish	565,581	Spain (formerly)^[41] (currently)	Africa	Northern Africa		^[42]

These territories do not have representation equivalent to other regions of their parent states., several have rejected a change of status through referendums, such as New Caledonia in 2018, 2020,^[43] and 2021, the Falkland Islands in 2013,^[44] and Gibraltar in 2002.^[45] Likewise, in 2013, the elected Assembly of French Polynesia opposed the territory's inclusion in the list.^[46] Others, such as Guam, have voted for a change in status but been refused by their colonising state.

Membership

The following are the current member states of the committee:^{[7] [47]}

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* Original member state

Controversy

Territories with independence movements are disputed for their qualification as colonial countries and their admission for decolonization. Various current and previous member states on various occasion have disputed and blocked the admission and re-admission of their respective territories for decolonization.^[48]

• China has blocked the admission of Hong Kong, Inner Mongolia, Macao, Tibet, and Xinjiang as non-self governing territories. China considers Hong Kong and Macao as territories forcibly ceded to European powers, the territories are possessions rather than colonies, and that China enjoys sovereignty over these territories. China claims that these regions are currently self-governed and are generally not considered as colonial holdings.^[49] However, the annexations of Tibet and Xinjiang led to their current status as autonomous regions of China, and there have been various accounts of forced sterilization and abortion in Tibet and Xinjiang, forced labor and internment in Xinjiang, and forced assimilation, political control, and stripping of political representation to people of all these regions.^{[50] [51] [52] [53] [54] [55]}
• Indonesia has disputed and hindered the re-admission of West Papua, and the admission of Minahasa for decolonization.^{[56] [57]}
• Russia has disputed at least 26 territories as colonial countries from admissions for decolonization. Among these Russian territories are Adygea, Altai, Bashkortostan, Buryatia, Chechnya, Chukotka, Chuvashia, Crimea, Dagestan, Ingushetia, Kabardino-Balkaria, Kalmykia, Karachay-Cherkessia, Karelia, Khakassia, Khanty-Mansi, Komi, Mari El, Mordovia, Nenets, North Ossetia–Alania, Sakha (Yakutia), Tatarstan, Tuva, Udmurtia, and Yamalo-Nenets.^{[58] [59]} Historically, forced ethnic migrations have been conducted to retain control over certain territories.^[60] Though these territories enjoyed varying degrees of self-governance through sovereignty pacts reached with the Russian Federation, these pacts have since expired, and regional autonomy has gradually eroded.^{[61] [62] [63]}
• The United Kingdom has hindered the British Indian Ocean Territory from decolonization by detaching the Chagos Archipelago from Mauritius. The United Nations General Assembly passed Resolution 2066 on 16 December 1965, which stated its belief that this detachment of part of the colonial territory of Mauritius was against customary international law as recorded earlier in the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples of 14 December 1960. This stated that "Any attempt aimed at the partial or total disruption of the national unity and the territorial integrity of a country is incompatible with the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations".
• The United States retains Puerto Rico as an unincorporated organized territory, which the committee has deemed insufficient in providing them self-determination. However, its Commonwealth status compelled the committee to remove it from the United Nations list of non-self-governing territories in 1952. Despite the United States Virgin Islands being on the list of Non-Self Governing Territories, 81.60% of the voters voted to remain as a U.S. territory with only 13.44% wanting "integration with the U.S." and 4.96% preferring independence in the 1993 United States Virgin Islands status referendum that was albeit invalidated due to less than half of the eligible voters turning out.

Various organizations including the British delegates claimed that the committee is 'no longer relevant' to the United Kingdom Overseas Territories as many of its member states are colonizers themselves, controlling various territories wanting independence.^{[64] [65] [66]}

Bureau

The following make up the bureau of the Special Committee for the 73rd Session of the General Assembly:^[7]

Name	Country	Position
Walton Alfonso Webson		Chair
		Vice-chair
		Vice-chair
Adikalie Foday Sumah		Vice-chair
Bashar Ja’afari		Rapporteur

Recommendation on Puerto Rico

The Special Committee on Decolonization refers to the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico (an unincorporated organized territory of the United States) as a nation in its reports, because, internationally, the people of Puerto Rico are often considered to be a Caribbean nation with their own national identity.^{[67] [68]} Most recently, in a June 2016 report, the Special Committee called for the United States to expedite the process to allow self-determination in Puerto Rico. More specifically, the group called on the United States to expedite a process that would allow the people of Puerto Rico to exercise fully their right to self-determination and independence. ... [and] allow the Puerto Rican people to take decisions in a sovereign manner and to address their urgent economic and social needs, including unemployment, marginalization, insolvency and poverty".^[69] However, the Special Committee removed Puerto Rico from the list of non-self governing territories in 1952 due to it gaining Commonwealth status in the United States.

In one of the referendums on the political status of Puerto Rico held in 2012, only 5.49% of Puerto Ricans voted for independence, while 61.16% voted for statehood and 33.34% preferred free association. Another then-recent referendum was held in 2017 with over 97% voting in favor of statehood over independence, though historically low voter turn-out (23%) has called into question the validity of the poll. Much of the low turn-out has been attributed to a boycott led by the pro-status-quo PPD party and the pro-independence PIP party.^[70] A 2020 referendum also backed statehood 53 percent to 47 percent, with 55 percent turnout.^[71]

On June 22, 2023, while Puerto Rico currently enjoys the status of a free state associated with the United States, the UN Special Committee once again calls on the Government of the United States to assume its responsibility and to take measures that allow the Puerto Rican people to exercise their right to self-determination and independence, as well as to make sovereign decisions, in order to urgently meet the economic and social needs of the country.^[72]

In June 2024, around twenty independence and sovereignist organizations spoke on Puerto Rico during a session of the United Nations Decolonization Committee. The committee affirmed Puerto Rico's right to self-determination and independence. In July 2024, Governor Pedro Pierluisi calls a plebiscite on the status of Puerto Rico in November 2024, for the first time the island's current status as a U.S. territory will not be an option during the non-binding plebiscite. The executive order follows the U.S. House of Representatives' 2022 approval of a bill to help Puerto Rico move toward a change in territorial status. Voters are given the choice of statehood, independence, or independence with free association, the terms of which would be negotiated regarding foreign affairs, U.S. citizenship, and use of the U.S. dollar.^[73]

See also

• Dependent territory
• Proposed political status for Puerto Rico
• Sovereigntism (Puerto Rico)
• Special Political and Decolonization Committee
• United Nations list of non-self-governing territories

External links

• United Nations official website
• United Nations Decolonization Committee home page

Notes and References

1. Web site: Premier attends decolonisation seminar. 10 May 2019. The BVI Beacon.
2. Web site: Committee of 24 (Special Committee on Decolonization) . . n.d. . United Nations and Decolonization . United Nations . 11 March 2019.
3. Web site: Chapter XI . . n.d. . United Nations . 11 March 2019.
4. Web site: History . . n.d. . United Nations Department of Public Information . United Nations . 11 March 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20081222055429/https://www.un.org/Depts/dpi/decolonization/history.htm . 22 December 2008 . dead.
5. Web site: Chapter XII . . n.d. . United Nations . 11 March 2019.
6. Web site: Chapter XIII . . n.d. . United Nations . 11 March 2019.
7. Manhire . Vanessa . 2018 . United Nations Handbook 2018–19 . United Nations Handbook:: An Annual Guide for Those Working within the United Nations . 56th . Wellington . Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of New Zealand . 63–64 . 0110-1951.
8. https://www.un.org/dppa/decolonization/en/history/international-decades United Nations: International Decades for the Eradication of Colonialism
9. Web site: General Assembly and Peacekeeping . . n.d. . United Nations . 9 March 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20171009193143/http://www.un.org/en/peacekeeping/ctte/CTTEE.htm . 9 October 2017 . dead.
10. Web site: Non-Self-Governing Territories . UN.org . 11 January 2024.
11. Also known in the conventional form as the Territory of American Samoa.
12. Political status: Unincorporated unorganized territory of the United States, administered by the Office of Insular Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior.
13. [Swains Island]
14. https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/american-samoa/ American Samoa
15. https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/anguilla/ Anguilla
16. https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/bermuda/ Bermuda
17. The economy is closely tied to the larger and more populous United States Virgin Islands to the west. The U.S. dollar is the legal currency.
18. https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/british-virgin-islands/ British Virgin Islands
19. https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/cayman-islands/ Cayman Islands
20. Political status: Disputed territory. Administered by the United Kingdom as an overseas territory named the Falkland Islands, claimed by Argentina as the Islas Malvinas (see Falkland Islands sovereignty dispute).
21. https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/falkland-islands-islas-malvinas/ Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
22. Also known as the Overseas Country of French Polynesia.
23. Political status: Overseas collectivity and overseas country of France.
24. https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/french-polynesia/ French Polynesia
25. Political status: Disputed territory. Administered by the United Kingdom as an overseas territory, claimed by Spain (see Status of Gibraltar).
26. https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/gibraltar/ Gibraltar
27. https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/guam/ Guam
28. https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/guam/ Guam
29. Political status: Sui generis collectivity of France.
30. https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/new-caledonia/ New Caledonia
31. Officially the Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno Islands.
32. https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/pitcairn-islands/ Pitcairn Islands
33. Officially Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha.
34. https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/saint-helena-ascension-and-tristan-da-cunha/ Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha
35. [Tokelau]
36. https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/tokelau/ Tokelau
37. Commonly known as Cockburn Town.
38. https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/turks-and-caicos-islands/ Turks and Caicos Islands
39. https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/virgin-islands/ U.S. Virgin Islands
40. De facto currency.
41. Although the Spanish government informed the United Nations that it had withdrawn from the territory in February 1976, the UN still considers Spain the administering state, as the legal status of the territory and the issue of sovereignty remain unresolved. The territory is contested by Morocco and the Polisario Front (Popular Front for the Liberation of the Saguia el Hamra and Rio de Oro), which in February 1976 formally proclaimed a government-in-exile, the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), based out of refugee camps near Tindouf, Algeria.
42. https://www.britannica.com/place/Western-Sahara Encyclopædia Britannica: Western Sahara
43. News: 2020-10-04. New Caledonia referendum: South Pacific territory rejects independence from France. en-GB. BBC News. 2021-06-13.
44. News: Falklands referendum: Voters choose to remain UK territory. BBC News. 2016-01-03. Defence correspondent. Caroline Wyatt. 2013-03-12.
45. News: Gibraltar Rejects Power-Sharing Between Britain and Spain . The New York Times. 2002-11-08. 2016-01-03. 0362-4331. Emma. Daly.
46. http://www.radionz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/212251/tahiti-assembly-votes-against-un-decolonisation-bid "Tahiti assembly votes against UN decolonisation bid"
47. Web site: Members . . n.d. . United Nations and Decolonization . United Nations . 11 March 2019.
48. Web site: Special Committee on Decolonization . Owl Apps . 1 October 2021.
49. Web site: Regional Autonomy for Ethnic Minorities in China . Permanent Mission of the People's Republic of China to the United Nations Office at Geneva and Other International Organizations in Switzerland . 12 June 2021.
50. News: Master . Farah . In Macau, Portuguese elites feel squeezed out by Chinese influence . 5 October 2018 . Reuters . 12 June 2021.
51. Web site: Tsung-gan . Kong . Mainlandization: How the Communist Party works to control and assimilate Hong Kong . 15 October 2017 . Hong Kong Free Press . 12 June 2021.
52. Khatchadourian . Raffi . Surviving the Crackdown in Xinjiang . The New Yorker . 12 June 2021.
53. Web site: The CCP Extends its Policy of Assimilation to Inner Mongolia . Jamestown . 12 June 2021.
54. News: Witnesses to China's Shame . The Washington Post . 12 June 2021.
55. Web site: Maizland . Lindsay . China's Repression of Uyghurs in Xinjiang . cfr . Council on Foreign Relations . 12 June 2021.
56. Web site: West Papua independence petition is rebuffed at UN. Ben. Doherty. Kate. Lamb. 30 September 2017. The Guardian. 23 August 2018.
57. Web site: Netralnews.com – House Speaker on Minahasa Wishing Independence: Gov't Should Not Stay Silent. Netralnews.Com. 23 August 2018.
58. Web site: From Siberia to Kaliningrad: the fledgling independence movements gaining traction in Russia. Paul Goble for Window on. Eurasia. part of the New East. network. 15 August 2014. The Guardian. 23 August 2018.
59. Web site: Russia's Separatist Movements – Fair Observer. fairobserver.com. 23 August 2018. 2013-07-13.
60. Web site: Forced Ethnic Migration. 23 August 2018.
61. Web site: 1994-02-18. Tatarstan Reaches Pact With Moscow, Drops Sovereignty Bid. 2021-06-02. Los Angeles Times. en-US.
62. Web site: Smirnova . Lena . 2017-07-25 . Tatarstan, the Last Region to Lose Its Special Status Under Putin . 2022-06-06 . The Moscow Times . en.
63. Web site: Russian 'Federalism' Now Means As Little As It Did In Soviet Times . 2022-06-06 . www.interpretermag.com.
64. Web site: Special Committee on Decolonization 'No Longer Relevant' to Overseas Territories of United Kingdom, Fourth Committee Told – Meetings Coverage and Press Releases. un.org. 23 August 2018.
65. Web site: Special Committee on Decolonization Would Urge Secretary-General to Maintain All Functions of Decolonization Unit of Political Affairs Department – Meetings Coverage and Press Releases. un.org. 23 August 2018.
66. Defending Empire at the United Nations: The Politics of International Colonial Oversight in the Era of Decolonisation. Jessica Lynne. Pearson. 4 May 2017. The Journal of Imperial and Commonwealth History. 45. 3. 525–549. 10.1080/03086534.2017.1332133. free.
67. Book: 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. 23. United Nations. General Assembly. Special Committee on the Situation With Regard to the Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples. United Nations Publications. 1971. 978-92-1-810211-9. 10–11.
68. http://www.nam.gov.za/media/040820.pdf XIV Ministerial Conference of the Movement of Non-Aligned Nations. Durban, South Africa, 2004. See pages 14–15.
69. Web site: Special Committee on Decolonization Approves Text Calling upon United States Government to Expedite Self-Determination Process for Puerto Rico . . 20 June 2016 . United Nations . UN . 21 February 2017.
70. Web site: PDP to boycott status referendum. 20 April 2017.
71. Web site: Budryk . Zack . Puerto Rico votes in favor of US statehood . . 5 November 2020 . 9 December 2020.
72. Web site: United . Nation . Special Committee on Decolonization Approves Resolution Reaffirming Puerto Rico's Inalienable Right to Self-determination, Independence. United Nation . 22 June 2023 . 2 July 2023.
73. Web site: Puerto Rico will include status plebiscite in November's general elections. . July 2024 .