Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks at the organizational meeting of the 2020 session of the Special Committee on Decolonization in New York today:
Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks at the organizational meeting of the 2020 session of the Special Committee on Decolonization in New York today:
United Nations support for the right to self-determination — while slower than it was at its historic peak in the twentieth century — remains both a source of pride for the Organization and a crucial pillar of its work going forward, Secretary-General António Guterres told the Special Committee on Decolonization today.
The United Nations Special Committee on Decolonization, currently chaired by Keisha Aniya McGuire (Grenada), will undertake a visiting mission to Montserrat from 17 to 20 December, while also holding meetings in Antigua and Barbuda.
Concluding its 2019 substantive session, the Special Committee on Decolonization today approved draft resolutions on five Non-Self-Governing Territories, including one that would have the General Assembly encourage the administering Power of French Polynesia to recognize and compensate persons impacted by three decades of nuclear testing in the South Pacific Territory.
The Special Committee on Decolonization today approved draft resolutions on self‑determination questions in eight Non‑Self‑Governing Territories, heard petitioners from the British Virgin Islands, Guam, and Turks and Caicos, and took up the question of French Polynesia and New Caledonia.
The Special Committee on Decolonization today approved a draft resolution reiterating that the only way to end the special and particular colonial situation of the Falkland Islands (Malvinas) is through a peaceful and negotiated settlement of the sovereignty dispute between Argentina and the United Kingdom.
Noting with concern the way in which political insubordination impedes Puerto Rico’s ability to tackle its serious economic and social problems, the Special Committee on Decolonization approved a draft resolution today that calls once again upon the United States to shoulder its responsibility to facilitate the realization of the right of Puerto Ricans to self‑determination.
Opening the substantive portion of its 2019 session today, the Special Committee on Decolonization took up the questions of Gibraltar, Tokelau and Western Sahara, while also approving draft resolutions relating to the dissemination of information about its work and its dispatching of visiting missions to the world’s 17 remaining Non‑Self‑Governing Territories.
SAINT GEORGE’S, Grenada, 4 May – The process of eradicating colonialism can only be completed if the actions called for by the General Assembly are fully implemented, Grenada’s Foreign Minister said today, as the Caribbean Regional Seminar on Decolonization concluded its work.
SAINT GEORGE’S, Grenada, 3 May – Participants expressed diverging views today over the manner in which Charter principles of the United Nations such as self-determination and territorial integrity apply to Western Sahara, the Falkland Islands (Malvinas) and Gibraltar, as the Caribbean Regional Seminar on Decolonization entered its second day.
Following is the text of UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ video message to the opening of the Caribbean Regional Seminar on Decolonization, in Saint George’s, Grenada, today:
SAINT GEORGE’S, Grenada, 2 May – Opening the Caribbean Regional Seminar on Decolonization today, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres called for renewed commitment to accelerating efforts to end colonialism by 2020.
The Special Committee on Decolonization will hold the 2019 Caribbean Regional Seminar in Saint George’s, Grenada, from 2 to 4 May with a view to accelerating action in implementation of the third International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism (2011-2020).
The Special Committee on the Situation with regard to the Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples today approved Grenada as the host of its 2019 Caribbean Regional Seminar, to be held from 2 to 4 May.
Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ opening remarks at the organizational meeting of the 2019 session of the Special Committee on Decolonization, in New York today:
The Special Committee on Decolonization opened its 2019 session today, electing Keisha Aniya McGuire (Grenada) as its chair and approving its tentative work programme and timetable.
The Special Committee on Decolonization concluded its 2018 substantive session today, having approved a total of 22 draft resolutions and decisions on lingering self‑determination questions in Non‑Self‑Governing Territories spanning Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, the South Pacific and beyond for submission to the General Assembly.
The Special Committee on Decolonization approved a draft resolution today reiterating that a peaceful and negotiated settlement of the sovereignty dispute between Argentina and the United Kingdom was the only way to end the “special and particular” colonial situation of the Falkland Islands (Malvinas).
The Special Committee on Decolonization approved two draft resolutions for the General Assembly’s consideration today, as it heard petitioners on the questions of Guam, Turks and Caicos and the United States Virgin Islands.
Spotlighting the impact of Hurricanes Irma and Maria on Puerto Rico’s already serious economic and social challenges — including unemployment, insolvency and poverty — the Special Committee on Decolonization approved a draft resolution today that would call upon the United States to shoulder its responsibility to facilitate the realization of the right of Puerto Ricans to self‑determination.