A/39/PV.85 General Assembly

I call on the Rapporteur 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, Mr. Adhami ofthe Syrian Arab Republic, to present the report of the Committee. 2. Mr. ADHAMI (Syrian Arab Republic), Rapport- eur 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: As Rapporteur of the Special Commit- tee on the Situation with regard to the Implementa- tion of the Declaration on the Granting of Indepen- dence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, I have the honour to present to the General Assembly the report of the Special Committee covering its work during the year 1984. The report, which relates, inter alia, to item 18 of the agenda, is submitted in accordance with paragraph 12 of General Assembly resolution 38/54 of 7 December 1983 on the implementation of the Declaration, by which the Assembly requested the Special Committee "to continue to seek suitable means for the imme- diate and full implementation of . . . resolution 1514 (XV) in all Territories that have not yet attained independence and, in particular: (a) To formulate specific proposals for the elimi- nation of the remaining manifestations of colonial- ism". 3. The complete report of the Special Committee is contained in document A/39/23. An account of the Committee's examhlation of the situation in the individual Territories on the agenda of the Assem- bly's current session is set out in chapters IX, X and XII to XXVII. An account of its consideration of the other specific items referred to it in the relevant General Assembly resolutions is set out in chapters I to VIII. NEW YORK 4. In meeting between February and October and holding extensive consultations among members throughout the period, the Committee gave adequate consideration to, and submitted recommendations on, all the items on its agenda. 5. In the course of its work, the Special Committee, bearing in mind in particular the specific request addressed to it by the General Assembly in resolution 38/54, reviewed the implementation of the Declara- tion, as well as the various United Nations reso!l!- tions relating to the remainin$ Territories. On the basis of the review and in the hght of developments, the Committee formulated recommendations for the application of further measures by States, by the competent United Nations organs and by the special- ized agencies and other organizations within the United Nations system, with a view to accelerating the pace of decolonization and facilitating the politi- cal, economic, social and educational advancement of the peoples concerned. 6. During the year, the Special Committee once again undertook a study of the activities of foreign economic and other interests which are impeding the implementation of the Declaration in Namibia and in all other Territories under colonial domination and efforts to eliminate colonialism, apartheid Clnd racial discrimination in southern Africa. In the li~t of the relevant decisions and resolutions of I the Assembly's thirty-eighth session, the Committee also continued its consideration of the military a9tivities and arrangements by colonial Powers in T~ritories under their domination which might be imp'eding the implementation of the Declaration. Under the terms of the relevant provisions of resolutionl 38/51, the Committee further examined the progr~ss achieved in the implementation of the Declaration by the specialized agencies and the international institu- tions associated with the United Nations. Regarding all thl'\C!~ it~ft"C! illC!t ft"pntinnpn thp Pnl1rth {"'nmmit_ "A& ••av..,,,, ...",a&&1.7 J ....wr......" .....__••__, .... ._. ._._.__ tee has endorsed the related recommendations of the Special Committee. 7. As members will have noted from the relevant chapters of the report now before the Assembly, the Special Committee devoted considerable attention during the year to the decolonization of the small Territories and approved a number of concrete recommendations and proposals concerning individ- ual Territories. The Fourth Committee has also approved those recommendations, which I hope will be endorsed fully by the Assembly. 8. In that connection, the Special Committee once again took note with satisfaction of the continuing readiness of administering Powers to receive visiting missions of the Committee. In September this year the Special Committee dispatched a visiting mission to Anguilla at the invitation of the Government of the United Kingdom. It also noted the dispatch by ran~ed by those or~anizations as well as by the important tasks on our beha UOlted Nations bodIes concerned. 17. The Special Committee l\;;cummends that, in 11. With regard to the general aspects ofthe process approving the programme of work outlined in chap- of decolonization, I should like, on behalf of the ter I and the programme of activities envisaged for Special Committee, to express the hope that the 1985, as set out in chapter 11, to commemorate the proposals outlined in section S of chapter I, entitled twenty-fifth anniversary of the Declaration, the Gen- "Future work", win meet with the Assembiy's ap- eral Assembly also make adequate financiai provi- proval so that the Committee may proceed with the sions to cover all the activities envisaged by the tasks it proposes to undertake. Committee for 1985. Finally, the Committee ex- 12. The Special Committee also recommends that presses the hope that the Secretary-General will the General Assembly renew its appeal to the admin- continue to provide it with all the facilities and istering Powers concerned to take immediately all the personnel necessary for the discharge of its mandate. necessary steps for the implementation of the Decla- Mr. Barma (Chad), Vice-President, took the Chair. ration and the relevant United Nations resolutions. 18. On behalf of the Special Committee, I com- In that connection, the Committee, in the light of the mend the report to the serious attention of the useful results achieved as a consequence of the active General Assembly. participation in· its work of all the administering 19. The PRESIDENT (interpretation from French): Powers, recommends that the General Assembly I call now on the Chairman of the Special Committee again request the administering Powers concerned to on the Situation with regard to the Il'riplementation participate actively in its work relating to the Territo- of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence ries under their respective administration. to Coloni~1 Countries and Peoples, Mr. G. Koroma 13. Further, bearing in mind the affirmation by the of Sierra Leone. General Assembly that direct association of the Non- 20. Mr. KOROMA (Sierra Leone), Chairman ofthe Self-Governing Territories in the work of the United Special Committee on the Situation with regard to Nations and the specialized agencies is an effective the Implementation of the Declaration on the Grant- means of promoting the progress of the. peoples in ing of Independence to Colonial Countries and those Territories towards a position of equality with Peoples: The General Assembly has just heard an leade!s~ip of the sole authentic represen~ative of t~e 31. The Government of the United Kingdom~ as Naml~lan. people, the Sout~ West. Afnca People s the administering Power concerned, likewise invited O~gaI!lzatlon [SWAPO], fo.r Its c0I!tmued statesman- the Special Committee's Visiting Mission to Anguilla ship .m workmg. ~ut an Ill;te.rnatlo~ally accept~ble in September this year. As noted during the related ~olutlOn and gUldmg N~mlbla to .ltS I0I!g-aw~lt~d debate in the Fourth Committee, members are !ndependence. The Spe~al Committee Will, wlt.hm unanimous in the view that these visiting missions ItS,own m~ndate, c~ntmue to extend all pOSSible constitute the most direct as well as the most assistance m the achIevement of that goal. effective means ofsecuring information on the social, 26. The other colonial Territories, particularly political and economic conditions prevailing in the those in the Caribbean and in the Indian and Pacific colonial Territories and of ascertaining at first hand Oceans, face entirely different and often highly the real wishes and asp'rations of the peoples con- complex problems, partly because of their small cerned. It is hoped that the Committee will be able, territorial size and population and frequently because with the continuing co-operation of the administer- of their isolation and limited resources, as pointed ing Powers, to dispatch such missions as and when out in the relevant conclusions and recommenda- appropriate. 36. I should like, in this connection, to pay a particular tribute to Mr. Renagi Lohia, the Chairman ofthe Fourth Committee, for his sin~ularly outstand- ing leadership and statesmanship 10 enabling that Committee to conclude its work in an exemplary manner. His personal dedication to the cause of the peoples concerned is well known, and his contribu- tion to the process of decolonization has been amply demonstrated throughout the session. 37. It is indeed with great pleasure that I note in a communication addressed to the President by Mr. Lohia the expressed readiness and wish of the Government of Papua New Guinea to join the membership of the Special Committee, particularly at a time when the situation affecting the region calls for our closer and intensified examination within the context ofresolution 1514 (XV). I wish to assur~ ~,fr. Lohia ofmy unreserved support for and endorsen: ilt ofthe wish ofhis Government, and I look,forward to gr~tltud~ for theIr devoted service and for their non progressively diminishes in strength -and inci- fnendshlp. den.ce, for~es are at work, pa~icularly in southern ~O. Th~ Secretary-General .has shown consistent AfrI~a, which atteptpt t~ st.em, If not reverse, t~e tide mte~est m th~ ~eld ofdecolomzation. We are grateful of hlStO~. :The sliver Jubllee of the declaratIOn on to him for his mterest and for his co-operation and decolomzatlOn must therefore be not merely an assistance in our work. o~casion for celebration; it must serve as an opportu- 41. Having briefly reviewed some of the principal mty for .us t~ rededicate ourselves to ,t~e objective of developments in the field of decolonization and in d~colomzatl<?nadd to face the. re~ammg challenges keeping with long-established practice, I sho~ld like, with fresh vlgo~r and determmatlon. on behalf of the sponsors, to introduce draft resolu- 46. .The most Important of those challenges, and tions N39/L.17 and Add.l and Ai39/L.18 and certa~n~y the most dau~ting, is. the question of Add.l, which have been submitted under this item. NamibIa. As my delegatIOn mentIOned m its state- As these two draft resolutions reflect both the m~nt on that It~m last.week [7~ih !11eeting], the dev~lopments and the problems that I have just fallure <?f.the. Um!ed N~tlOns to brI,:"g mdepen~~~ce outhned, I need not, I am sure, elaborate on their to Namibia, I~ spite ~f Its yery special responslbIl!ty substance. Draft resolution N39/L.17 and Add lover the Terntory, IS a big blot on the otherwise ~eals with general aspects of decolonization, and by com~endable recf?rd. of the Organ!zation in the It, the Assembly would among other things renew the domam of decolomzatlOn. My delegation has already mandate of the Special Committee. Draft'resolution had ~ccasion to ~xpress its views on the Namibian ~39/L.l~ and Add.l deals with dissemination of qu~stl0!l',Suft1ce It for ~e to u,:"derscore here tha~ the mformatIon on decolonization, and by it the Assem- rac~s~ re~lme m Pretf?n~, by virtue ~f t~e obnoxlo~s bly 'Y~uld once ~gain underscore the importance of poh~les It I?ursues wlthm.South Afnc~ !tse~f and ~ts pubhclty as an mstrument for furthering the aims contmued Illegal oCcup~tlOn of ~amlbla,.m persls- and purposes of the Declaration. As noted in chapter tent 4efiance of the ~n!~ersal Will, be.smIrche~ the III of the report of the Special Committee, it was effectIveness and credlblhty of the Umted Nations. underst~od that some of the conclusions and recom- 47. The Palestinian people remain without the mendatIons. endorsed,by the Spe~ial <;ommittee national .hom,eland th~t is their birthright, driven would reqUIre appropnate consultatIons m connec- from theIr soIl by foreign forces of occupation and ~ion w,ith their implementation. A~cor4ingly, it is my buffete4 abOut in a sea of uncertain~yand adversity. mtentIon to hold such consultations m accordance We beheve that the vexed question of Palestine with that understanding and ~s necessary. Speaking cannot totally be divorced from the colonial context. on behalf of the sponsors, I Wish to commend these 48. The report of the Special Committee gives us draft proposals to t~e members of the Assembly for the reassurance that continuing efforts are being theIr senous attentIOn and unammous approval. made to tackle the remaining problems which 42. Mr. RANDHAWA (India): On 21 September though small in number, are complex in nature~'Th~ !his,year, the A~sembly.had the pleasure of welcom- examin~tion of .the. situation in various Non-Se.lf- mg mto the Umted NatIOns the newest-its 159th- Gover~mg TerrItones undertaken by the 'Special Mem~er of this great family, Brunei Darussalam. ~ommltte.e has helped,to identify. th~.particular The mdependence of Brunei Darussalam nearly a Issues which relate to different ferntoru::s and the year ago and its subsequent admission to United measures that the administering Powers Should take Nations membership brought the Organization one to facilitate the speedy implementation ~f the decla- step closer to the cherished goal of universality. r~tion on dec<?lonization with regard to those Territ(}- 43. There can be no doubt that the emergence into ne~. We behev~ that no single formula ca~ be independent nationhood in the course of recent unIversally apphed. The people of eac~ TerrItory decades of a large number of erstwhiie coionies has must determm~ the nature. of thel~ desired; future changed not merely the geopolitical configuration of Sta~e and th~ t!me fra~e withm whl,ch that IS to be vast regions ofour planet but has also had a profound achieved. It IS Imperative that the wIll of the people and revolutionary impact on contemporary interna- ~oncerned be freely and fearlessly expressed and that tional relations. In this metamorphosis the United It be respected. Nations has played no mean role partidularly in the 49. The Special Committee has rightly recognized period after the adoption of the historic Declaration that the people of Non-Self-Governing Territories o~ the Granting of Independence to Colonial Coun- !Dust be fully informed of options available to them tnes and Peoples, contained in General Assembly m terms of theIr future status as part of a larger resolu~ion 1514 (XV) of 1960, and following the pr~gramm~of fos.tering political awareness .a~d e~u- estabhshment of the Special Committee. cation.. ~t IS also mcumbent upo~ t~e admmlstermg 44. Our debate today assumes special significance authontIes, as long as they functIOn m tha~ capacity, in that it takes place on the eve of the twenty-fifth to pr~motethe welfare. of the local ~p1;11atlon and .to anniversary of the adoption of resolution 1514 (XV), refr~m from engagm~ I~.such explOItative econo~lc, an event that happily coincides with another mile- !Dlhtary or other aC~lvI~les and arrangemen.ts which stone, namely, the fortieth anniversary of the very Impede the decol0!1~zatlonprocess. YVe bell(~ve that founding of the United Nations the presence of ~Ihtary .bas~s ~nd l!1stalla!lons on , ..' Non-Self-Governmg TerrItorIes IS an Impediment to 45. WhI1~ we can legltlmate~y derive satisfaction decolonization and, as such, unacceptable. Such from the Impact the DeclaratIOn has had over 25 bases and installations must be withdrawn from the ye~rs, let us not ~Il,?w ourselves to be. lulled into the Territories concerned. Non-Self-Governing Territo- behef that colomahsm stands vanqUIshed and that ries must not be used for any military purposes. ry~ we have seen the liberation of dozens of countries have the greatest influence on the racist Pretoria that had lived through these experiences·and that, in regime and that have loudly and clearly condemned t~emselves ~rom the ~olonial yoke an~ fro~ o~pres- 69. Peace cannot reign where the legitimate rights slon of all kmds. I! ~Ishes to express ItS sohdanty !o and interests ofa people, large or small, are trampled the. fraternal Nam~blan people, ,under the leadership upon. Examples are the use of force against the of ItS sole au!hentic r~presentatlve, SWAPO, as ,,:ell peoples of Grenada, Nicaragua and El Salvador, the as to the Afncall; Na~lonal Congress of S~ut~ Afn~a continuing manifestations of imperialist military and the Pan-Afr~camst Co~gr~ss of Azam~, m t,helr power in the Middle East, the denial of the inalien- struggle to estabhsh a multiracial democratic society. able rights of the Palestinian people and the illegal 64. The commemoration next year of the twenty- occupation of Namibia. ~y South Africa. Such cases fifth anniversary of the Declaration in resolution of re~ort to gunboat p~h~les under.rnme the system of 1514 (XV) will be the appropriate occasion for taking relati9ns, cement eXlstmg colom~l or create neo- stock ofthe progress achieved during the past twenty- colomal dependence and oppression. five y~~rs in the implementation of.the Dec!aration, 70. The German Democratic Republic fc;>l1ows with appralsl~gthe role play~d,by t~e U mte~ NatIOns and concern the continued expansion of the system of t~e bodies. connected wl.th. It, .evolvmg mea~ures imperialist bases in almost all depende~cies. Those alm~d speCifically ~t th~ ehm~natlon ofthe rem~mmg bases are increasingly used for the deployment or ~estlgesof ~oloma~lsmm all Its forms all;d mam~esta- testing of weapons of mass destruction, in particular hons, an~ Increasmg the efforts of the mternational nuclear devices, and they constitute a threat to the coml1!umty t9 e~sure that th~ peopl~s still under regions concerned and to world peace in general. Let colomal dommation m~y mpuily achieve freedom me refer in this c.ontext to thg f~cts Sgt out in thg and independence. report of the Special Committee on the Situation 65. Chapter 11 of the report of the Special Commit- with regard t~ the Implementation ofthe D~claration tee contains the programme of activities to mark the o~ the Grantmg of Independence t~ Colomal Coun- twenty-fifth anniversary of the Declaration. This trle~ and Peoples [A/39/23], espeCially as far as the programme envisages activities at the international, Pa~tfic Islands, Guam, Bermuda, the Turks and regional and national levels. Convinced that the Calcos Islands and St.. Hele~a are c0!lce.rned. My celebration of this anniversary is a special event that country supports. c0!lslderatlon o~ thIS I~portant must be marked in an appropriate fashion, my aspect of decolomzatl~nby the Umt~d Nations and delegation firmly supports the programme of activl- calls upon the responsl~lePowers to give effect at last ties. The fact that the process of decolonization is on to the relevant resolutions o~ the General Assem~ly the verge of completion is a source of satisfaction for an~ t~us to respond to the Will of the overwhelmmg U:J all and deserves to be celebrated appropriately by majority of Member States. the Organization. 71. Likewise, we join in the demand of the Special 66. Mr. ZACHMANN (German Democratic Re- Com~ittee th~t !1~1 military b~ses be ~ism~nt1edand public): The problems relating to the final implemen- all ~Iht~ry activities stopped m colomally dependent talion ofthe Declaration on the Granting of Indepen- Terrltones. dence to Coionial Countries and Peoples continue to 72. The situation in southern Africa makes it as occupy an important place in the debates of the dangerous a hotbed of tension as ever. Despite the General Assembly, because they involve the attain- decisions of the Security Council, the South African ment of a basic objective of the United Nations. racist regime continues its illegal occupation of leade~hip of SWAPO, its sole.and legitimate r~pre- 78. The United Nations, which was born as a result sentatlv.e, l!nd ~he support for Its struggle contrIb~te of the great triumph of peace-loving peoples over to the lIqUidatIon o~ a dangerous hotbed of tt:nslon fascism, has made a weighty contribution to the and thus to the mamtenance and strengthen109 of cause ofthe liberation ofthe oppressed peoples ofthe world peace. colonies. The most important event in that regard 73. The German Democratic Republic will main- was the adoption, on the initiative of the Soviet tain its active solidarity, as was underlined only a few Union, of the Declaration on the Granting of Inde- days ago at the ninth session of the Central Commit- pendence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, which tee of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany. solemnly proclaimed the "necessity of bringing to a 74. Developments in Micronesia show that, apart speedy and unc~nditi~nal,~ndcolonialism in all its from the solution ofthe question ofNamibia, there is forms and mamfestatlOns . another topical question of decolonization. The 79. That Declaration, the twenty-fifth anniversary protests of the world public against the manoeuvres ofwhich will occur next year, and the decisions ofthe by the administerin$ Power aimed at the destruction United Nations taken pursuant to it set forth the of the territorial uDlty of the Trust Territory and at demand for the elimination of all colonial regimes, its annexation are constantly growing. They show proclaimed the legitimacy of the struggle of the that the peoples cannot be deceived and that they peoples of the colonies for their national liberation recognize that the so-called free association status and called upon all States to give them material and imposed upon parts of the Territory is nothing but moral support in their struggle. The declaration on the safeguarding of the military, strategic, political decolonization has played and will continue in future and economic interests of the administering Power to play an important role in helping peoples still and has nothing whatsoever to do with the imple- under colonial rule in their struggle for freedom and mentation of the Micronesian people's right to self- independence and also in mobilizing world public determination. The transformation of the Pacific opinion in favour of working towards the complete Islands into a United States military concentration elimination of colonialism. ~rea .gives rise to great c~ncern. If the ex!stingl'la~s 80. However, notwithstanding the considerable are 1I1!pl~mented-that IS, the convers~on 0 MI- progress of the national liberation movements cronesla mto a depl.oy~ent"'l:on~ and test109 are~ for throughout the world, colonialism has not been nuclear weapons-I~ will constitute another senous completely eliminated. It is still alive. It is actively danger to the secunty of all peoples. defending itself and even from time to time goes on 75. The growing militarization is connected with the offensive in order to regain lost positions. attempts to deprive the United Nations of its right to Colonialism, racism and apartheid continue to poi- consider and decide on specific problems of decolon- son the international atmosphere, constitute a dan- ization. This is obvious not only in the case of ~erous soun..e of tension and conflict and threaten Micronesia but also with regard to Puerto Rico. 1Oternational peace and security. However, the Declar~tion on t~e Granting of Indt:- 81. The people of Namibia continue to languish pen.dt:~ce to. Colo~lal Countries and P~oples IS under the colonial, racist yoke of oppression. Disre- mdlvl.slble; It applies to all .peoples. ~tdl. und~r gardin~ repeated decisions ofthe United Nations, the colom~1 qppresslOn, ~hether m Namibia, m MI- Preton8l regime continues its illegal occupation of croneSla, m Puerto RICO or elsewhere. . Namibia. It is exploiting the natural and human 76. The German Democratic Republic will in the resources of that Territory and trying to destroy the future also support all United Nations measures national liberation movement of the Namibian peo- aimed at the full implementation of resolution 1514 pie, under the guidance of their sole legitimate (XVj. There is no reason whatsoever to deny the still representative, SWAPO. For many years Pretoria, dependent peoples their right to self-determination with the connivance of the United States and other and independence. My delegation expresses its ex- Western countries, has blocked the implementation pectation that, especially in connection with the of the decisions of the United Nations on the fortieth anniversary of the foundin~ of the United granting ofindependence to Namibia and has tried to Nations and the twenty-fifth anmversary of the solve the Namibian problem on a neo-colonialist adoption of the Declaration and with a view to the basis in order to convert Namibia into one of a sort full implementation ofthe purposes and principles of ofconstellation ofAfrican countries all dependent on the Charter of the United Nations, further decisive it, with which South Africa would like to surround progress will be made towards the final elimination i t s e l f . of the vestiges of colonialism. 82. There is also cause for serious concern about 77. Mr. OLEANDROV (Union of Soviet Socialist the intolerable position being created in connecti Republics) (interpretation from Russian): In recent with the strategic Trust Territory of the iPacific decades the world system of colonialism has been Islands (Micronesia), which the United States is in dealt a number of crushing blows. On1he ruins of the process of annexing in order to turn it for ever thl~ regar~ m t~e Umted Nations. They depict the aggression against Viet Nam. natIOnal hberatlon movements as groups of terror- . . " . ,0 ists, and they are trying to present the problem of 90.. Durmg the Sp~clal Commltte~s 8:nnual cO~~ld- decolonization as a question of East-West confronta- eratlOn ofthe 9uestlon of Puerto RICO,.lt was PC?l~ted tion. In so doing, they slander the policy ofthe Soviet out that that Island h~d been turne~ mto a 11}-1hta~y Union and other socialist countries. beach-head' for the dispatch of Umted Stat(;}S rapid . , ,, .. deployment forces to any part of Central ,or South 85. i;\ll thiS colomabst pr<?pa~anda IS .deslgned. to America. Puerto Rico was used by the United States e~tabhsh a pretext for contmum~ colomal expIOl~a- for its armed aggression against the soverejgnState of tlo.n of oth.er peoples by the .Umted. State~ and ItS Grenada in order to restore colonialism to that alhes, particularly South Afnca. It IS deSigned to island / suppress by military means the national liberation' . '. movements, as is now happening in Namibia and 91. The war ,,:aged by the Umted Kmgd0I!1 to other places. It is designed also to support the racists restore the colomal status ofthe.F~lkland(Malvmas) in ~nlJthprn Afrit'!I !Inn tn irnnn~p thpir hpoprnnnv Islands showed how dan2erous It IS for the cause of a.a ana __ ." r" - _.. ...-c- J ' ,',' - .. _7'._ ,. - , - - - - . upon the peoples of Africa LatIn America and other peace that there should contInue to be any colomal continents.' possessions, however small. The colonial Powers are . . . trying to hold on to those possessions, even if it 86.. T~e ta~t IS .that today, the problem of decolC?m- means waging large-scale colonial wars. It is therefore zatlon !S prImarIly a confll~t between South Africa, easy to understand the concern of the Latin Ameri- the Umted States and certaIn other Weste~ Powers can countries at the measures taken by the United on th~ one ~and and the l?eoples of Afr~ca, Latm Kingdom to militarize the Falkland (Malvinas) AmerIca,. ASia an~ the Pacdic Ocea!' basl!, on ~he Islands still further. other. It IS a conflict between the national hberatlon movements in Africa and other regions, which rely 92. Another example of that same policy motivated on the support of all progressive forces, on the one by the military and strategic desires of imperialism is hand, and the combined forces of imperialism, the retention in colonial status and the conversion colonialism and racism oil the other. into a military base by the United States of the 87. Everywhere in the colonial and other dependent Indian Ocean island of Diego Garcia. Territories, we see continued plunder by those in 93. Recently the international community has wit- foreign economic, financial and other circles and by nessed increased efforts by the forces of imperialism Western transnational corporations, which are ex- and racism-primarily the United States and its ploiting the human and natural resources of these allies in the North Atlantic Treaty. Organization Territories. United Nations decisions have affirmed [NAT01-to undermine the unity and solidarity of that these activities by foreign monol?olies in colonial the African countries and to declare Africa, particu- Territories constitute one of the prmcipal obstacles larty southern Africa, a sphere of their ··vital inter- to the prompt and full implementation of the Decla- ests" and to draw the peoples of Africa into their clear~y seen here at the Umt~d Na~lOns as well, where December 1960. On that happy occasion we shall be at this very moment, at.this session of the G.eneral celebrating an event that has pride of place among Assem~ly, they a!~ workmg hard to block .the Imple- the most important achievements of the United mentation ofdeCISions ofthe Group ofAfncan States Nations and to amend draft resolutions with a direct impact .: . . on the interests of African and other non-aligned 102. Smce then, mtlhons of men, women and States . " .children have been freed from domination imposed 9 T· h . I .. . h" upon them by colonial Powers in close collaboration . 6. e Soviet de egatlon IS conv1Oced t at I! IS with imperialist circles and their exploiting monopo- ImJ?Ortant for t~e.success of the struggle aga10st lies. A certain number of States have assumed their racls~ and c!llomahsm th~t there .should be purpose- place within the great family of nations, and these ful, smgle-ml~ded and un~ted actIon by African ~nd former victims of the colonial yoke have now, hand other non-ah~ed ~ountfles and all others which in hand with other independent and sovereign States, advocate the hberatlon of the o.ppr~ssed peoples. We made their sincere contribution to the acceleration of have no doubt that all countnes that advocate the h f d 1 .. h' h d elimination of colonialism will resolutely refute the ! e process 0 eco omz~tIon, w IC assum«? great Western countries' policy of curtailing the anti-colo- Impetus after the adoptIon of the DeclaratIon. nial activities ofthe United Nations and diminishing 103. Unfortunately, it is sad to observe that there the role of the United Nations bodies working in the continue to be on our planet peoples that are field of decolonization. deprived of the right to enjoy the relevant provisions 97. In considering the important and acute problem of the ,Declaration and who suffer the. adverse and ofthe fight against colonialism, we must pay a special deletenous c~n~equences of the m!ls~ mhuman sys- tribute to the Special Committee on the Situation tern of colomahsm and neo-colomahsm. with regard to the Implementation ofthe Declaration 104. Namibia is the cruellest example of colonial- on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Coun- ism mankind has known throughout the whole of its tries and Peoples. That Committee has been carefully history of bloody struggle against foreign domina- following the world situation and making very appro- tion. The Territory of Namibia, which continues to priate recommendations, and its decision.s must be be illegally occupied, still does not know the shining fulhJ supported by the General Assembly. sun ofindependence simply because the racist regime 98. It is the duty of the United Nations to ~ecure o( Soyth Africa and i~s imperi~list prot~ctors d~ I}ot the most prompt and complete implementatlr'l of Wish t~ rel}ounce t~elf selfish mterests m explOltmg the Declaration.on decolonization. The Organiza~ion and pI~lagmg t.h~ rlche~t resources of the w~rld- must ensure that colonialism, racism and apartheid !hose m N~mlbla-whlch shoul~ be ~sed m the are completely. ~nd. definitively elimi!1ated. The mterest of.ltS oppressed people m an. mdepend~nt twenty-fifth anmvetsary of the adoptIon of the and s~ve!elgn country. fre~ from any kmd of foreign Declaration on the Granting of Independence to explOItation and dom1Oatlon. ~olonial Countries and Peopl~s must .give a new 105. Benefiting from the full support of the imperi- ImJ?Ct\!s to the. efforts of,the pn.lted NatIons and the alist circles, the racist regime ofSouth Africa is using entlremtern.ah0I!al corn.mumty ID th~ st~ggle for the all possible means to prolong its armed occupation of prompt c!Jmpletlon .of the decoloDlzatIon process. Namibia for the purpose of satisfying the economic The Soviet delegatl~n sUPPOt!s th~ program~e interests of transnational companies that have the a~opted by the Speclal.Commlttee ID conn~ctlon headquarters in South Africa and in some of the With the twe!1ty-fifth annIversary of the adoptIOn of Western and other countries and are Iexploiting and the Declaration. ". pillaging the natural and human resources of Namib- 99. It is time to put an end to the colonialists' ia. ElseWhere, the Pretoria regime is playing an disregard of the decisions of the United Nations important role in safeguarding the so-called vit concerning the granting of independence to Namibia interests ofthe United States and its allies in this part and other dependent Territories. In this connection, of the world. Evidence of this abounds, and several the Soviet Union supports the demand ofthe African delegations have referred to it during the general countries ·.that the Security Council adopt compre- debate on the question of Namibia during/the last s~ruggle o(the Namlblan people for self-determma- means, but also involves it in military activities tlon and mdependence, t~e people .and the Go,:- against the liberation movements and the countries ernment of t~e Democratl~ Republ~c of A~gham- that have chosen an independent course of political, stan are convmc.ed that stnct co~phance.with t~e economic and social development. The aggressive relev~nt resolu~lons of the Umted Nations wIll and expansionist policies of the United States Ad- contr~b~te to a Just ~nd peaceful settlement of the ministration with respect to this Territory in the Namlblan problem. Caribbean must be condemned by us all. 107. Another critical situation the Assembly must 112. The fact that the Declaration remains unim- deal with seriously prevails in the Trust Territory of plemented in certain colonial Territories is not the Pacific Islands, which the United States was because 'of a lack of will by the peoples still under mandated to prepare for the free exercise of the right colonial domination, nor can it be ascribed to the to self-determination and independence and to as- resolutions and decisions stren~thening the appropri- sure its legitimate defence, in conformity with the ate ways for its implementation. Rather, it is the purposes and principles of the Charter and the efforts of the colonial Powers and their imperialist Trusteeship Agreement signed between the United financial monopolies which, through wide-rangi~g Nations and the United States Government in its co-operation, are creating obstacles in the way of,the capacity as the administering Power. Declaration's implementation..'" " 108. Unfortunately, the course of events has been 113. B!ls~~ and insta~l~tions are still mai!itain~d manoeuvred in a direction opposite to that which and ~ctlvltle~ of a mIlI~ary character COl)fll~ue m had been defined in the pertinent provisions of the col~~lal Terntorles, despite the many re~ol,utl0l!s !lnd Charter and in the Declaration on the Granting of deCISions of the Gel!e~al Assembly an4 It;s subsldu~ry Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples. organs. In our.opllllon, th~y constitute a m~Jor The administering Power, instead of taking into obstacle to the ImplementatIOn ?f the lD~claratlOn. consideration what had been ~ntrusted to it by the Recently, the General Assembly, lD res~lutlon 38/~4, Organization, has' attempted by all possible means adopte~ on 7 December 1983, made: the follOWIng deriving from the policies ofcolonialist and imperial- unamblgu~us appeal. In pa.ragraph !0 It: "~alls upon ist Powers to annex the Trust Territorv of the Pacific the colonial Powers to Withdraw Immediately and Islands.-The strengthening of its economic depen- unconditio~aiiy th~ir ~iiitary bases an.a instaiiations dence, the imposition of American culture under the f~0l!l colomal Ter!~tones. and to re~ram from estab- pretext of political education-specifically with re- hshm~ new ones . It ~s appropriate. to ask. the spect to the younger generation, in order to prevent colo~ual Po~ers once agaIn .to comply With the wdl of the organization of a political and economic struggle the International commulllty. against ~he colonialist an~ imperialist practices-t~e 114. ~s for the activities of foreigt} economic and ~vacuatlon of the population from their own land In other Interests, my delegation belIeves that they order to conduct tests of various types of arms, threaten the development of the national economies including nuclear weapons, and lastly, the turning of of the colonial Territories because they strengthen this Territory into a military fortress going well the dependence ofthose economies on foreign invest- beyond the needs of legitimate national defence-all ment and therefore deprive the colonial peoples of that is typical of the situation in this Territory since the necessary ability to lead their countries once they it has come under the administration of the United gain independence. States. 115. In conclusion, the Democratic Republic of 109. As in the past, my delegation condemns the Af~anistan, as.a m~m~er of ~he ~pe~ial Commi~tee expansionist, a~ressive policies of United States and In conforml.ty, With ItS ba~lc p,rInclples and article imperialism, which is a serious threat to the peace 14 .of th~ proVISIOnal Constitution of the country, and security of the Pacific region and of the world as which stipulates: a whole. Similarly, we reject the attempts of the "The Democratic Republic of Afghanistan sup- United States to remove trusteeship of this Territory ports the struggle of various nations and peoples of from the Un.ited Nations, and we appeal to the the world for peace, national and social freedom, Pacifi~ to Africa, fro~ the Middle East to Latin 123. Secondly, it highlights the main objectives and Amenc~ and tb;e. Canbbean, strengt~ened by t~e content ofthe struggle for the right to self-determina- awakemng of ~Ilhons of people .refusmg to h~e m tion at the present time. Generally speaking, it slavery, oppressIOn and ~x~IOltatto~, ros~ ~p vlgo~- confirms, first of all, thf-' fundamental national ous~y and shattered colomahst and Impenahst d.oml- rights-that is to say, the right to independence, !tatton and then advan~ed along the road of national sovereignty, national unity and territorial integrity- mdependence and SOCial progress. which each people has achieved. In new circum- 117. At a time when the Second World War was stances, it is the assurance of the right of all peoples drawing to an end, the Vietnamese people stood up to choose in freedom their political system and ways and seized power from the militarists. They founded of independent development in the economic, social an independent, unified State on 2 September 1945. and cultural fields and to fulfil their aspirations to But again the colonialists dispatched expeditionary social progress and advancement towards socialism. troops to attack Viet Nam; the Vietnamese people In emphasizing the need to eradicate all forms and were compelled to wage a nine-year war of resistance manifestations of neo-colonialism, the Declaration against the aggressors, a war which was brought to an specifies concrete objectives ofaction. It marks a new end with the Dien Bien Phu victory in July 1954. stage in the struggle for national liberation and the That victory was a telling blow to old-type colonial- elimination of the vestiges of colonialism, as well as ism, and through it the Vietnamese people had the for the complete elimination of all oppression and honour of making a worthy contribution to the exploitation by neo-colonialists. common victories of colonial peoples and countries. . . in the cause of national liberation and the process of 1.24. Lookmg back at the.process of decolon.tzatlon decolonization. smce the year of the adoptl9n of the D~claratlo~,. we .. find that nearly 70 countnes have gamed pohtlcal 1I8. A few m5m.ths ago" our people J~bIla~tly independence and become Members of the United celebr~ted the thirtieth anmver~ary.of the Dle.n .Blen Nations. Hundreds of millions of people have rid Phu ViCtOry, an~ now we .are gOI!tgJoyf~lly ~o Jom all themselves ofthe colonial yoke and are now playing a other natIOns m. observmg, thiS comlD:g '~ar, the very important role in international life. Though the twenty-fifth anmversary 9f t~e adopttop by the old colonialism is comin~ to an end, it still remains Genera) Assembly of the hIstorIc DeclaratIon on the ta...".....'''", ......... I'nntinlU'" It" I'rl1"'~ r",nr"'Q"inn in ll:m~lI Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and T~;~tT;r;ri~ri~&&;;;;dw~o"~ni~;~·~;:r~iy-1n" soiIt'hem Peoples. Africa, and sporadically in some other parts of the 119. Great changes in the international arena ,as a world. result of uprisings, with their attendant.sacrifice and hardship, by the oppressed peoples from the Second 125. For many years, although ~he General A~s.em- World War to the 1950s in fact contributed signifi- b~y has adopte~ many res9lutlons an<~ deCISions cantly to the emergence of the Declaration in resolu- aImed a~ speedmJ ut:? th~ ImplementatIOn of the tion 1514 (XV).of 14 December 1960. Before the Decla!atton, t~e ~Ituatlon .m a number of Trust and Declaration· the history of decolonization was colomal Te~rltones rel1}ams deplorable and unac- marked by significant international events such as ceptable: It IS a~ undemable a~d arrog~nt chall~nge the 1954 Geneva Conference on Indo-China, follow- to the. mternatl01}al com.mumty,. Umted Nattons ing the DienBien Phu victory with solemn interna- resoll;lt~ons, morahty and .mtern~tIOl~al law that the tional recognition of the fundamental national rights Namlblan people are s!lll. facmg u;lsurmountable of the Vietnamese people, and the 1955 Asian-Afri- obstacl~s on th~ road to mde~endence, ev~n. t~ough can Conference at Bandung, with the participation of th~ Umt~d Nat.lOns has had dtrec~ re~p~nslblhty for 27 Asian and African States, demanding freedom and thIS. Ternto!y since 1966. T~e racIst reg.lme of ~l?uth liberation for all oppressed peoples. A.fnca, \yhlch has. peen given finanCial,. pohtlcal, . . . . diplomatiC and mlhtary support and assistance by 12~. It IS of ~reat slgmficance that the Soviet the United States and a number of other NATO Umon, .the glo~lOuS cradle of t~e Great October States, is doing its utmost to cling to this ~rea of RevolutIon, a Widespread revolution th~t blazed the strategic importance. Most States in the world have *Quoted in English by the speaker. rejected as completely absurd and groundless the indep~n~ent are.far .from having finished with neo- 162. These monopolies, the true heirs of traditional colon!al!st domm~tlon. a~d the atte!Jlpts ~f the colonial exploitation, are based in certain Western colC?~lahsts and Impenahsts to regam theIr lost countries, which protect them, help them or encour- poSitIons. age them to continue their expansion. 157. What! then, still delays the decolonization 163. These Powers pay lip-service to the rejection process, whIch began so well? of colonialism. In the case of Namibia they even 158. First, there are the military and strategic associate ,themselves with anti-colonialist and interests ofthe colonial Powers. It is well known that anti-apartheid declarations, but at the same time they the Non-Self-Governing Territories which the ad- protect, support and assist the Pretoria regime they ministering Powers do not wish to relinquish are condemn. Whenever it is a question of adopting those which have a certain strategic importance for effective measures or sanctions against that regime, those Powers, either because of their location in a these Powers block the proposal. When suc~ meas- sensitive region or because they control one or more ures are adopted, these Powers bypass or ignore international shipping lanes. In most cases, in view of them. 177 Ob ' 1 11 h Id bl l' 181. If the Special Committee and the Fourth .', VIOUS y, a s ou trem e at such ana ySIS, Committee are not to be the areas where the cold-war but It seems to me that none need tremble more than· 'd h h Id h b h h we who work on decolonization matters in the Junta pr~sl e~, w. a~ s .ou t eye, w at s ould they Special Committee and the Fourth Committee for bec~me. I t~1Ok It IS time we took a hard look at the we have evolved incteasingly elaborate structures for entire question of ~epen~e~cy,free of l!1ythology.apd dealing with less and less free of .fal~e rhetOriC. Wlth10 the ,Special Commlhee . and wlthm the Fourth Committee some of the 178, We ~hquld r~c~~l tl!.at) excluding Namibia, the speakers come very close to asserting that each and total population of all or the areas on the General every smaii group, each and every ethnic group, must Assembly's list of NOll-Self-Governing Territories is constitute a nation in and of itself. Yet the very just about 500,000 people. That is to say, that total is nations that make this assertion very often them- just about equal to the population of Staten Island, selves are multinationality States. Indeed, almost the smallest of New York City's five boroughs. every Member of the United Nations is in fact an Surely, we should be thinking of making our ma- amalgam of ethnic groups and tribes. Should Papua chinery less elaborate and more proportional to the New Guinea be forced to divide into 700 mini-states p'roblem~ that remain. Y~t we are ~onsid~ring.res<!'u- bec~use t~ere are 709 tribes living there? This tlons whIch call for the WIdest poSSIble dlssemmatlon obVIously IS an absurdIty. But some of these tribes of information on the evils and dangers of colonial.. live on islands oftheir own. Why should these islands ism, as though some were proposing a wave of re- not come to constitute separate nations? The differ- colonization. And we are asked to greatly increase, at ence should be obvious. They choose not to. They some very considerable cost, the Department of know that in political unity lies strength and the Public Information's anti..colonialist publicity, espe- possibility of progress, so they join together in the cially in Western Europe and the Americas. new and ~y'namic natio~ of Pap"!a,New Guinea, just 179. poes it sound in any way suggestive to the as ~~h~ orlgll~al 13 colomes here Jomed together m a Assenk,Jly that we are asked to fund new propaganda pc.•ltlcal umty. efforts primarily in Western Europe and the Ameri- 182. But meanWhile, as we all know, resolution cas? Do members somehow get the idea that what is 1514 p:V) says that small size or adverse geographic at work here is yet another attempt by those who are location may not be used as reasons to avoid pursuing a cold-war agenda? Do those who pursue decolonization. S07 therefore, shall we dem~nd na- these topics seriously wish us to believe that there are tionhood forPitcalrn Island and its 53 inhabitants? cabals in Western Europe and that unless we spend Would it be rational for us to do that? And if the ~ 84. The :United States. of .America, which beg~n "of the Falkland (Malvinas) Islands showed hcw the ~nterpFlse of decoJon}z~tlon 206 years ago, wIll dangerous it is for the cause of peace that there cont,1!~ue Its en:o~s to lmng the la~t cha~ter of should continue to be any colonial possessions, tradltIon,al ~olomahsm to a~ end. We vylll contl~~e to however small. The colonial Powers are trying to ~ork actIvely, hard and l?atIently t~ brmg Na~11lbla to hold on to those possessions, even if it means I~dcpendenceon the basIs ofSecut:lty Counctl re&~!u- waging large-scale colonial wars." tlOn 435 (1978). Of course, we wtll co-operate WIth Th . h I 'd d . . d d I' I the Trusteeship Council to terminate the last remain- at IS w at sal, ~n. It.was m ee a co oma war ing Trust Territory of the UnitedNations in accord- wage~ by 9reat Brttam m the second half of the ance with the WIshes of the inhabitants of those twentIeth century. islands. We wiH continue self-rule; we will continue 189. Mr..MILES (Unite~ Kin$do~): I t~ink the to further self-expression in American Samoa, Guam r~presentatlve of the SovIet Umon IS ~ookmg at a and the Virgin Islands and we will co-operate closely dIfferent text from the ~ne he used thIS aftemooJ.l. with the Special Committee in its consideration of The text that he ~sed thIS aftern~n-and whlc~ hIs those T~rritories. Looking beyond, looking into the colleagues we!e kl.nd enough to gIve me-contalI~s a future, Wtl will work together with all to do everything ~ara~raph ~hlch hsts a number ofdependent Ternto- we can to ensure legitimate self-determination for all nes, 1Dcl~.dlJ.l$ the Fal~~nd. Islands, and goes. o~·.to dependent peoples and Territories. ~y that mlbtary activIty m dependent Ternt~rtes 185. The PRESIDENT (interpretation from [~s] us~d abo~e all .,; . to suppress the national French): I shall now call on those representatives who bberatlon mo ements . wish to si)eak in exercise of the right of reply. 186. Mr. MILES (United Kingdom): The represen- tative of the Soviet Union repeated a statement which he made in the Fourth Committee, implying that British military activity in the Falkland Islands was directed against some kind of Falkland Islands liberation movement. I asked him then in an off-the- cuff exercise of the right of reply for details and, otT The meeting rose at 6.35 p.m. / IFrente Popular para la Liberaci6n de Saguia el-Hamra y de Rio de Ora,