A/RES/1803(XVII) GA
Permanent sovereignty over natural resources : resolution / adopted by the General Assembly
17
Session
87
Yes
2
No
12
Abstentions
| Draft symbol | Amended by A/L.412/Rev.2 |
|---|---|
| Adopted symbol | A/RES/1803(XVII) |
| P5 Positions |
|
| UN Document | A/RES/1803(XVII) ↗ |
Vote Recorded Vote — A/PV.1194
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Afghanistan
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Algeria
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Argentina
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Australia
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Austria
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Belgium
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Plurinational State of Bolivia
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Brazil
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Burundi
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Cambodia
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Cameroon
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Canada
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Central African Republic
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Sri Lanka
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Chad
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Chile
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China
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Colombia
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Democratic Republic of the Congo
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Costa Rica
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Cyprus
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Benin
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Denmark
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Dominican Republic
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El Salvador
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Ethiopia
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Malaysia
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Finland
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Greece
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Guatemala
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Guinea
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Haiti
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Honduras
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Iceland
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India
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Indonesia
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Islamic Republic of Iran
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Iraq
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Ireland
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Israel
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Italy
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Côte d'Ivoire
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Jamaica
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Japan
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Jordan
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Lebanon
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Liberia
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Libya
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Luxembourg
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Madagascar
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Mali
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Mauritania
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Mexico
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Morocco
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Netherlands
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New Zealand
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Nicaragua
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Niger
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Nigeria
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Norway
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Pakistan
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Panama
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Paraguay
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Peru
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Philippines
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Rwanda
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Saudi Arabia
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Senegal
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Sierra Leone
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Spain
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Sweden
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Syrian Arab Republic
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Tanganyika
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Thailand
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Togo
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Trinidad and Tobago
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Tunisia
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Türkiye
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Uganda
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Egypt
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United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
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United States of America
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Burkina Faso
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Uruguay
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Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela
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Yemen
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Yugoslavia
Full text of resolution
Resolutions adopted on the reports of the Second Committee
15
have an adverse effect on the exports of developing
countries and on the expansion of international trade in
general;
(d) Methods and machinery to implement measures
relating to the expansion of international trade, in-
cluding:
( i) A reappraisal of the effectiveness of the existing
international bodies dealing with international
trade in meeting trade problems of developing
countries, including a consideration of the devel-
ment of trade relations among countries with
uneven levels of economic development and/or
different systems of economic organization and
trade;
(ii) The advisability of eliminating overlapping and
duplication by co-ordination or consolidation of
the activities of such bodies, of creating conditions
for expanded membership and of effecting such
other organizational improvements and initiatives
as may be needed, so as to maximize the bene-
ficial results of trade for the promotion of eco-
nomic development.
1190th plenary meeting,
8 December 1962.
1803 (XVII). Permanent sovereignty over natural
resources
The General Assembly,
Recalling its resolutions 523 (VI) of 12 January
1952 and 626 (VII) of 21 December 1952,
Bearing in mind its resolution 1314 (XIII) of 12 De-
cember 1958, by which it established the Commission
on Permanent Sovereignty over Natural Resources and
instructed it to conduct a full survey of the status of
permanent sovereignty over natural wealth and re-
sources as a basic constituent of the right to self-
determination, with recommendations, where necessary,
for its strengthening, and decided further that, in the
conduct of the full survey of the status of the permanent
sovereignty of peoples and nations over their natural
wealth and resources, due regard should be paid to the
rights and duties of States under international law and to
the importance of encouraging international co-operation
in the economic development of developing countries,
Bearing in mind its resolution 1515 (XV) of 15 De-
cember 1960, in which it recommended that the sovereign
right of every State to dispose of its wealth and its
natural resources should be respected,
Considering that any measure in this respect must be
based on the recognition of the inalienable right of all
States freely to dispose of their natural wealth and re-
sources in accordance with their national interests, and
on respect for the economic independence of States,
Considering that nothing in paragraph 4 below in any
way prejudices the position of any Member State on
any aspect of the question of the rights and obligations
of successor States and Governments in respect of prop-
erty acquired before the accession to complete sove-
reignty of countries formerly under colonial rule,
Noting that the subject of succession of States and
Governments is being examined as a matter of priority
hy the International Law Commission,
Considering that it is clec-irable to promote inter-
national co-operation for the economic development of
developing countries, and that economic and financial
agreements between the developed and the developing
countries must be based on the principles of equality
and of the right of peoples and nations to self~
determination,
Considering that the provision of economic and techni-
cal assistance, loans and increased foreign investment
must not be subject to conditions which conflict with the
interests of the recipient State,
Considering the benefits to be derived from exchanges
of technical and scientific information likely to promote
the development and use of such resources and wealth,
and the important part which the United Nations and
other international organizations are called upon to play
in that connexion,
Attaching particular importance to the question of
promoting the economic development of developing
countries and securing their economic independence,
Noting that the creation and strengthening of the
inalienable sovereignty of States over their natural wealth
and resources reinforces their economic independence,
Desiring that there should be further consideration by
the United Nations of the subject of permanent sove-
reignty over natural resources in the spirit of inter-
national co-operation in the field of economic develop-
ment, particularly that of the developing countries,
I
Declares that:
1. The right of peoples and nations to permanent sovereignty
over their natural wealth and resources must be exercised in
the interest of their national development and of the well-
being of the people of the State concerned,
2. The exploration, development and disposition of such
resources, as well as the import of the foreign capital required
for these purposes, should be in conformity with the rules
and conditions which the peoples and nations freely consider
to be necessary or desirable with regard to the authorization,
restriction or prohibition of such activities.
3. In cases where authorization is granted, the capital
imported and the earnings on that capital shall be governed
by the terms thereof, by the national legislation in force, and
by international law. The profits derived must be shared in
the proportions freely agreed upon, in each case, between
the investors and the recipient State, due care being taken
to ensure that there is no impairment, for any reason, of that
State's sovereignty over its natural wealth and resources.
4, Nationalization, expropriation or requisitioning shall be
based on grounds or reasons of public utility, security or the
national interest which are recognized as overriding purely
individual or private interests, both domestic and foreign. In
such cases the owner shall be paid appropriate compensation,
in accordance with the rules in force in the State taking
such measures in the exercise of its sovereignty and in
accordance with international law. In any case where the
question of compensation gives rise to a controversy, the
national jurisdiction of the State taking such measures shall
be exhausted. However, upon agreement by sovereign States
and other parties concerned, settlement of the dispute should
be made through arbitration or international adjudication.
5. The free and 1Jeneficial exercise of the sovereignty of
peoples and nations over their natural resources must be
furthered liy the mutual respect of States based on their
sovereig-n equality.
6. International co-operation for the economic development
of developing countries, whether in the form of public or
private capital investments, exchange of goods and services,
technical assistance, or exchange of scientific in formation,
shall be such as to further their independent national develop-
ment and shall he based upon respect for their sovereignty
over their natural wealth and resources.
7. Violation of tlie rights of peoples and nations to
sovereignty over their natural wealth and resources is contrary
16
General A11111embly-Seventeenth Seseion
to the spirit and principles of the Charter of tbe United
Nations and hinders the development of international co-
operation and the maintenance of peace.
8. Foreign investment agreements freely entered into by
or between sovereign States shall be observed in good faith;
States and international
organizations
shall
strictly and
conscientiously respect the sovereignty of peoples and nations
over their natural wealth and resources in accordance with
the Charter and the principles set forth in the present
resolution.
II
Welcomes the decision of the International Law Com-
mission to speed up its work on the codification of the
topic of responsibility of States for the consideration of
the General Assembly ;1
III
Requests the Secretary-General to continue the study
of the various aspects of permanent sovereignty over
natural resources, taking into account the desire of
Member States to ensure the protection of their sove-
reign rights while encouraging international co-operation
in the field of economic development, and to report to
the Economic and Social Council and to the General
Assembly, if possible at its eighteenth session.
1194th plenary nieetin_q,
14 December 1962.
1820 (XVII). The Cairo Declaration of Developing
Countries
The General Assenibly,
Having considered the Cairo Declaration of Develop-
ing Countries2 emanating from the Conference on the
Problems of Economic Development attended by a large
number of developing countrie~,
Welcoming the general approach of the Declaration,
namely, that the problems of social and economic devel-
opment should be solved in a spirit of international
co-operation and within the framework of the United
Nations,
Taking cognizance of the principles of the Declaration
relating to the needs of the developing countries, the
implication of the process of their economic and social
growth, and the effective measures to be undertaken on
the national and international levels, for the attainment
of rapid and balanced economic and social development,
1. Notes with appreciation the Cairo Declaration of
Developing Countries submitted to the General Assembly
and included in the agenda of its seventeenth session ;
2. Recommends that Member States, the Economic
and Social Council, other United Nations bodies and the
specialized agencies should take into consideration the
principles of the Declaration when dealing with subjects
in the field of economic and social development.
1197th plenary meeting,
18 December 1962.
1821 (XVII). Activities of the United Nations in
the field of industrial development
The General Assembly,
Recalling its resolution 1712 (XVI) of 19 December
1961, as well as Economic and Social Council resolutions
1 (!fficial Records of the General Assembly, Seventeenth
Se.man, Supplement No. 9 (A/5209), paras. 67-69.
2 Ibid., Srventeenth Sessio11, Annl'.ffS. agenda items 12, 34,
35, 36, 37, 39 and 84, document A/5162.
872 (XXXIII) and 873 (XXXIII) of 10 April 1962
and 893 (XXXIV) of 26 July 1962,
Noting 'With satisfaction the programme of work and
the recommendations contained in the report of the
Committee for Industrial Development on the work of
its second session.3 the appointment by the Secretary
General of a United Nations Commissioner for Indus-
trial Development, and the steps which have been taken
to strengthen the activities of the United Nations in
the field of industrial development,
I
Noting that the Economic and Social Council, in its
resolution 873 (XXXIII), requested the Secretary-
General to appoint an Advisory Committee of ten
experts to examine the question of the further organiza-
~ional changes that might be necessary in order to
intensify, concentrate and expedite the United Nations
effort ~or t~e in~ustrial devel?~~nt of the developing
coun_tn_es, mcludmg the . adv1sa~1ltty of establishing a
spec1altzed agency for mdustnal development or of
strengthening or modifying the existing organizational
structure in that field,
Taking into consideration that the efforts of the
United Nations-including the specialized agencies and
the regional economic commissions-related to industrial
development should be closely linked with activities in
the field of natural resources, as well as in all other
related fields, since the process of industrialization is
dependent upon adequate progress in these fields,
. 1. Recommends that the Advisory Committee estab-
lished under Economic and Social Council resolution
8i3 (XXXIII) should take into account, in its work
and recommendations:
(a) Whether it is advisable to deal with problems of
indu~trial development, natural resources, energy, and
possibly other related fields, within the framework of
one organizational structure;
( b) Whether it is possible to bring about a closer
co-ordination of all activities related to industrialization
at the national, regional and international levels;
2. Requests the Economic and Social Council to
submit to the General Assembly, at its eighteenth session,
the report of the Secretary-General on the work of the
Advisory Committee, after consideration of that report
b)'. the Committee for Industrial Development, together
with the comments of the Committee and the Council ;
II
. Aware of th~ fact that the process of industrialization
m the economically less developed countries is closely
dependent on the expansion of the foreio-n trade of
those countries and that, as the industriali;ation of the
developing countries proceeds, the trade structure of
the world will undergo considerable changes,
Recommends to the Economic and Social Council
and to the. Com~1it_tee for Industrial Development that
the Committee, 111 its study of the relationship between
accelerated industrialization and international trade
should take into account the urgent need of the <level~
oping counti:ies for a steadily increasing income from
exports, their need for imports of capital goods on
favourable terms, as well as the long-term influence of
the inclustrializ~tion. of the developing countries upon
the structure, direction and volume of world trade and,
3 Official Records i?f //,,, Er/711a111ic and Social Council
Thirty-third Session, S11f>plement No. 2 (E/3600/Rev.1).
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