A/RES/1956(XVIII) GA
The situation with regard to the implementation of the Declaration on the granting of independence to colonial countries and peoples : resolution / adopted by the General Assembly
18
Session
95
Yes
0
No
6
Abstentions
| Draft symbol | A/L.443 |
|---|---|
| Adopted symbol | A/RES/1956(XVIII) |
| P5 Positions |
|
| UN Document | A/RES/1956(XVIII) ↗ |
Vote Recorded Vote — A/PV.1277
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Afghanistan
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Albania
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Algeria
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Argentina
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Australia
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Austria
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Plurinational State of Bolivia
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Brazil
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Bulgaria
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Myanmar
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Burundi
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Belarus
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Cambodia
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Cameroon
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Canada
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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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Cuba
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Cyprus
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Czechoslovakia
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Benin
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Denmark
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Dominican Republic
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Ecuador
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Ethiopia
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Finland
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Ghana
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Greece
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Guinea
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Hungary
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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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Kuwait
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Lao People's Democratic Republic
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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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Malaysia
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Mali
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Mauritania
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Mexico
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Mongolia
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Morocco
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Nepal
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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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Poland
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Romania
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Rwanda
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Senegal
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Sierra Leone
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Somalia
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Sudan
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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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Trinidad and Tobago
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Tunisia
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Türkiye
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Uganda
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Ukraine
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Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
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Egypt
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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
8
General Assembly-Eighteenth Session
3. Invites the administering Power to take the nec-
essary measures for the transfer of powers, not later
than 6 July 1964, to the people of Nyasaland, in accord-
ance with their will and desire ;
4. Congratulates the Governments of Nyasaland and
the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern
· Ireland on the steps taken towards the achievement of
the aims set out in the Declaration on the granting of
independence to colonial countries and peoples.
1277th plenary meeting,
11 December 1963.
1954 (XVIII). Question of Basutoland, Bechuana-
land and Swaziland
The General Assembly,
Recalling its resolution 1817 (XVII) of 18 December
1%2 regarding the Territories of Basutoland, Bechuana-
land and Swaziland, which was adopted in accordance
with the terms of its resolutions 1514 (XV) of 14 De-
cemher 1%0, 1654 (XVI) of 27 November 1%1 and
1810 (XVII) of 17 December 1962,
Having considered the part of the report of the Spe-
cial Committee on the Situation with regard to the
Implementation of the Declaration on tr.e Granting of
Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples relat-
ing to Basutoland, Bechuanaland and Swaziland,14
Regretting that the administering Power has not
taken effective steps to implement the provisions of
resolutions 1514 (XV) and 1817 (XVII),
Beinq cogni::ant of the fact that the claim and the
demand of the Government of the Republic of South
Africa that these Territories should be transferred to
South Africa remain unchanged,
Recalling the declaration contained in General As-
sembly resolution 1817 (XVII) to the effect that any
attempt to annex Basutoland, Bechuanaland or Swazi-
land, or to encroach upon their territorial integrity
in any way, will be regarded by the United Nations
as an act of aggression violating the Charter of the
United Nations,
Mindful of the unsatisfactory economic, financial and
social conditions in these three Territories and their
dire need for external assistance,
1. Reaffirms the inalienable right of the peoples of
Basutoland, Bechuanaland and Swaziland to self-
determination and independence;
2. Reiterates its request that the administering
Power take immediate steps to return to the indigenous
inhabitants all the land taken from them, whatever the
form or pretext for such alienation;
3. Once more requests the administering Power to
convene immediately a constitutional conference for
each of the three Territories, in which all groups rep-
resenting all opinions will participate with a view
to devising democratic constitutional arrangements
which will lead to general elections based on universal
suffrage and, thereafter, to immediate independence;
4. Solemnly warns the Government of the Republic
of South Africa that any attempt to annex or encroach
upon the territorial integrity of these three Territories
shall be considered an act of aggression ;
5. Requests the Secretary-General to provide eco-
nomic, financial and technical assistance commensurate
with the special needs of the Territories through the
H Ibid., chapter IX.
United Nations programmes of technical co-operation
and the specialited agencies.
1277 th plenary meeting,
11 December 1963.
1955 (XVIII). Question of British Guiana
The General Assembly.
Recalling its resolutions 1514 (XV) of 14 December
1%0. 1654 (;~VI) of 27 November 1961 and 1810
( XVII) of 17 December 1962,
. Having c_onsidercd the part of the report of the Spe-
cial Committee on the Situation with regard to the
Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of
I mlependence to Colo!iial Countries and Peoples relating
to British Guiana,15
N otinq with drep reqret that the Government of the
United Kingdom of Great B,itain and Northern Ireland
has not permitted the visit to British Guiana of the
c;ub-Committee established on the suggestion of both the
Go".e_rnment of British Guiana and the principal op-
posi_tion party with a view to seeking, together with
the mterrstrd parties. the most suitable ways and means
of enahlmg Briti~h Cuian;1 to accede to indenendence
without delay.
·
Brarrn,1 in mind th;it the leaders of British Guiana
who have appe:ued b<'fore the Special Committee have
expressed the desire of the people of British Guiana
for independence without delay,
N otinq parag-raph 65 of the report of the Sub-
Committee C?n British_ Guiana,16 which was approved
hy the Spec1a 1 Committee and which invited the Gov-
ernment of the United Kingdom to do its utmost so
that Bri_tish Guiana might achieve independence as soon
as possible ""'.ithout any conditions or reservations, in
;iccordance with paragraph 5 of resolution 1514 (XV),
R cqrettin_<7 that at the recent constitutional conference
on British Guiana no date for independence was set,
1. Reaffirms the inalienable tight of the people of
British Guiana to independence:
2. Calls upon the Government of the United King-
dom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to fix with-
out delay the date for the independence of British
Guiana in accordance with the wishes of the people of
the Territory.
1277th plenary meeting,
11 December 1963.
1956 _(XVIII). Th_e situation with regard to the
1mplementat10n of the Declaration on the
granting of independence to colonial coun-
tries and peoples
The General Assembly,
Recalling the J?eclaratio!l on the granting of inde-
pendence to colomal countries and peoples contained in
its resolution 1514 (XV) of 14 December 1960 and
resolutions 1654 (XVI) of 27 November 1961' and
1_810 (XVII) of 17 D~cember 1962 by which the
C,eneral ~sse_mbly . established the Special Committee
on the Situation with regard to the Implementation of
the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to
Colonial Countries and Peoples,
Having considered the report of the Special Com-
mittee,17
15 Ibid., chapter X.
16 Ibid., chapter X, appen<lix.
17 Ibid., docun cnt A/5446/Rev .1.
Re110lutiom adopted without referenee to a Committee
9
Taking into consideration the observations of the
Special Committee regarding the list of territories to
be examined by it,18
Noting with deep regret that, three years after the
adoption of the Declaration, many territories are still
under foreign domination and that, in some cases, not
even preliminary measures have been taken towards the
application of the Declaration,
Deploring the negative attitude of certain administer-
ing Powers and their partial or complete refusal to
co-operate with the Special Committee in the imple-
mentation of the Declaration,
Deploring further the assistance given to some ad-
ministering Powers by certain States, which enables
those Powers to persist in their refusal to apply the
Declaration,
Having adopted resolutions on Southern Rhodesia,19
South West Africa,20 Territories under Portuguese ad-
ministration,21 Aden,22 Malta,23 Fiji,24 Northern Rho-
desia,25 Nyasaland,26 Basutoland, Bechuanaland and
Swaziland,27 and British Guiana,28
1. Reaffirms its resolutions 1514 (XV), 1654 (XVI)
and 1810 (XVII) ;
2. Notes with appreciation the work accomplished
by the Special Committee on the Situation with regard
to the Implementation of the Declaration on the Grant-
ing of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples
and endorses its methods and procedures ;
3. Approves the report of the Special Committee and
calls upon the administering Powers to implement the
conclusions and recommendations contained therein ;
4. Requests the Special Committee to continue to
seek the best ways and means for the immediate and
total application of the Declaration to all territories
which have not yet attained independence, and to report
to the General Assembly not later than at its nineteenth
session;
5. Deeply regrets the refusal of certain administering
Powers to co-operate with the Special Committee and
their continued disregard of the resolutions of the
General Assembly;
6. Invites the Special Committee to apprise the Secu-
rity Council of any developments in any territory ex-
amined by it which may threaten international peace
and security ;
7. Requests all States to refrain from any action
which may jeopardize the implementation of the reso-
lutions adopted by the General Assembly and the Spe-
cial Committee for the application of the Declaration;
8. Further requests the administering Powers to give
their full co-operation to the Special Committee and
to facilitate the task of the sub-committees and visiting
groups instructed by the Special Committee to go to
the territories under its mandate ;
18 Ibid., chapter I, para. 'l:l.
19 Resolutions 1883 (XVIII) of 14 October 1963 and 1889
(XVIII) of 6 November 1963.
20 Resolutions
1899
(XVIII), 1900 (XVIII) and
1901
(XVIII) of 13 November 1963.
21 Resolution 1913 (XVIII) of 3 December 1963.
22 Resolution 1949 (XVIII) of 11 December 1963.
28 Resolution 1950 (XVIII) of 11 December 1963.
24 Resolution 1951 (XVIII) of 11 December 1963.
25 Resolution 1952 (XVIII) of 11 December 1963.
26 Resolution 1953 (XVIII) of 11 December 1963.
27 Resolution 1954 (XVIII) of 11 December 1963.
28 Resolution 1955 (XVIII) of 11 December 1963.
9. Requests the Secretary-General to continue to
provide the Special Committee with all the facilities and
personnel necessary for the implementation of the
present resolution.
1277th plenary meeling,
11 December 1963.
1957 (XVIU). Installation of mechanical meam
of voting
The General Assembly,
Recalling its resolution 1898 (XVIII) of 11 Novem-
ber 1963 relating to the report of the Ad Hoe Com-
mittee on the Improvement of the Methods ·of Work of
the General Assembly,29
Having considered the parts of the Ad H oc Com-
mittee's report which concern the introduction of me-
chanical means of voting,80
Having noted the reports of the Advisory Committee
on Administrative and Budgetary Questions81 and the
report of the Fifth Committee,82
1. Authorizes the Secretary-General to arrange for
the installation of electrical voting equipment in the
General Assembly Hall on an experimental basis for
one year, and to carry out additional work of a pre-
paratory nature in one or two committee rooms so as
to permit an eventual expansion of the system without
undue expense, if the experiment is successful;
2. Requests the Secretary-General to include in the
provisional agenda of the nineteenth session an item
entitled "Installation of mechanical means of voting".
1278th plenary meeting,
12 December 1963.
1975 (XVIU), Admission of Zanzibar to member-
ship in the United Nations
The General Assembly,
Having received the recommendation of the Security
Council of 16 December 1963 that Zanzibar should be
admitted to membership in the United Nations,88
Having considered the application for membership of
Zanzibar,84
Decides to admit Zanzibar to membership in the
United Nations.
1281st plenary meeting,
16 December 1963.
1976 (XVDI). AdmiHion of Kenya to member-
ship in the United Nations
The General Assembly,
Having received the recommendation of the Security
Council of 16 December 1963 that Kenya should be
admitted to membership in the United Nations,111
29 Official Records of the General Assembly, Eightenith
Session, Annexes, agenda item 25, document A/5423.
80 Ibid., agenda item 25, document A/5423, paras. 57 and 58,
and annex VIII.
81 Ibid., agenda item 25, document A/5442; and ibid., agenda
item 58, document A/5604, paras. 12 and 13.
82 Ibid., agenda item 58, document A/5645.
88 Ibid., agenda item 86, document A/567r'/.
84 A/5661. For the text of this document, see Official Records
of the Security Council, Eighteenth Year~ Supplement for
October, Nwember and December 1963, document S/5478.
85 Official Records of the General Assembly, Eightenith
Session, Annexes, agenda item 86, document A/5678.
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