A/42/PV.91 General Assembly

We have heard the last speaker in the debate on this item. The representative of the united States of Amer ica has asked to speak in exercise of the r igh t of reply. May I remind her that, in accordance with General Assembly decision 34/401, statements in exerciSE of the right of reply are limited to 10 minutes for the first intervention and to five minutes for the second and should be made by delega tions from their sea ts. I now call on the representative of the United States of America. Miss BYRNE (un i ted Sta tes of 1lmer ica) : I should like to reaffirm once again before this body that Puerto Rico's status as a Commonwealth of the united States is clear legally, politically and morally. The Puerto Rican people chose their status in a constitutional referendum held in 1952. The General Assembly, in resolution 748 (VIII) in 1953, recognized the validity of this choice and reooved Puerto Rico from the united Nations list of Non-self-Governing Territories. Since that time, numerous political parties in Puerto Rico have contested regular free elections. In every election ~er 90 per cent of Puerto Rican voters have supported political parties favouring close association with the United States. tn short, self-determination exists in Puerto Rico. Its open dellOcratic system offers Puerto Ricans the opportunity to change their status at any time. Given the constitutional history of Puerto Rico, and the fact that delOOcracy obviously thrives there, my delegation is forced to the conclusion. that the efforts of some to create a Puerto Rican question where none exists demonstrate complete contempt for the views of the people of Puerto Rico. My delegation notes that most members of the Special Committee on I { decolonization have tired of the efforts of a few to create a Puerto Rican problem. This year only nine out of 24 Committee menbers supported a dr:aft resolution on Puerto Rico. It is ironic, but not surprising, that the few countries that persistently refuse to accept the Puerto Rican people's acts of self-determination are those that deny their own peoples the freedoms long enjoyed by Puerto Ricans. My delegation suggests that, instead of trying to manufacture a (The President) decolonization issue abroad, these countries might best concentrate on emulating at home the del1lOcratic exanrp1 e of Puer to Rico. The Trusteeship Council meets every year to oonsider developnents in the Trust Territory bf the Pacific Islands. Representatives of the peoples of the Trust Territory come to New York to meet with the Council, and the United States submits a detailed annual report on developments in the Terri tory. The Council has also sent-visiting missions to Micronesia to observe conditions there and the various plebisci tes which have been conducted as part of the continu ing process of sel f-aetermination. In the course of Trusteeship COuncil sessions the complaints which a few delegations have raised have been heard and refuted and dismissed after careful oonsideration. Hav ing failed to convince this roost well-informed and relevant body, these delegations have now brought their tired wares to the General Assellbly. I shall not waste the time of the Assentlly by repeating well-known facts which were discussed in such exhaustive detail by the Trusteeship CounciL The meeting rOSe at 6 p.m.