A/RES/2591(XXIV) GA

Digitized by Dag Hammarskjöld Library Resolutions adopted on the reports of the Fourth Committee 73 5. Requests the Secretary-General to intensify, in consultation with the Special Committee on the Situa- tion with regard to the Implementation of the Declara- tion on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, the wide dissemination of infor- mation about conditions in the Territory; 6. Requests the Special Committee to follow devel- opments in the Territory . and to report thereon to the General Assembly at its twenty-fifth session. 1831st plenary meeting, 12 December 1969. 2590 (XXIV). Question of Papua and the Trust Territory of New Guinea The General Assembly, Recalling the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations and General Assembly resolution 1514 (XV) of 14 December 1960, Recalling further its resolutions 2227 (XXI) of 20 December 1966, 2348 (XXII) of 19 December 1967 and 2427 (XXIII) of 18 December 1968, Having considered the report of the Trusteeship Council covering the period from 20 June 1968 to 19 June 196923 and the relevant chapter of the report of the Special Committee on the Situation with regard to the Implementation of the Declaration on the Grant- ing of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peo- ples, 24 Having heard the statement of the representative of the administering Power,26 Taking into account the observations of the Special Committee and the Trusteeship Council regarding de- velopments in Papua and the Trust Territory of New Guinea, Taking into account the views expressed by the Special Committee urging the administering Power to reconsider its position concerning visiting missions and allow a sub-committee to visit Papua and the Trust Territory of New Guinea, Mindful of the responsibilities of the United Nations to render all help to the people of Papua and the Trust Territory of New Guinea in their efforts freely to decide their own future, 1. Reaffirms the inalienable right of the people of Papua and the Trust Territory of New Guinea to self- determination and independence in accordance with General Assembly resolution 1514 (XV) and the Trusteeship Agreement of 13 December 1946; 2. Reaffirms further its previous resolutions regard- ing Papua and the Trust Territory of New Guinea; 3. Calls upon the administering Power to take all necessary steps to transfer full powers in the executive and legislative branches of government to elected repre- sentatives of the people, in accordance with the freely expressed wishes of the peoples of the Territories; 4. Requests the administering Power to intensify and accelerate the education and technical and admin- istrative training of the indigenous peoples of the Terri- tories; 28 Ibid., Twenty-fourth Session, Supplement No. 4 (A/7604). 24 Ibid., Supplement No. 23 (A/7623/Rev.1), chapter XX. 25 Ibid., Twenty-fourth Session, Fourth Committee, 1859th meeting. 5. Requests the Trusteeship Council to include in its periodic visiting missions to the Trust Territory of New Guinea non-members of the Trusteeship Council, in consultation with the Special Committee on the Situation with regard to the Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colo- nial Countries and Peoples and the Administering Authority, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations; 6. Calls upon the Administering Authority to co- operate fully with the visiting mission and to provide it with all the necessary facilities and assistance in the performance of its tasks; 7. Requests the Trusteeship Council and the Spe- cial Committee to continue to examine this question and to report thereon to the General Assembly at its twenty-fifth session. 1835th plenary meeting, 16 December 1969. 2591 (XXIV). Question of Spanish Sahara The General Assembly, Having examined the chapter of. the report 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 relat- ing to the Territory of the so-called Spanish Sahara,211 Recalling its resolution 1514 (XV) of 14 December 1960 containing the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, Recalling also the decision concerning the Terri- tories under Spanish administration taken by the As- sembly of Heads of State and Government of the Organization of African Unity at its third ordinary session, held at Addis Ababa from 5 to 9 November 1966, Reaffirming its resolutions 2072 (XX) of 16 De- cember 1965, 2229 (XXI) of 20 December 1966, 2354 (XXII) of 19 December 1967 and 2428 (XXIII) of 18 December 1968, 1. Reaffirms the inalienable right of the peoJ:)le of the so-called Spanish Sahara to self-determination in accordance with General Assembly resolution 1514 (XV); 2. Approves the chapter of the report of the Special Committee on the Situation with regard to the Imple- mentation of the Peclaration on the Granting of Inde- pendence to Colonial Countries and Peoples relating to the Territory of the so-called Spanish Sahara; 3. , Regrets that it has not yet been possible for the consultations to take place which the administering Power was to conduct in connexion with the holding of a referendum in the so-called Spanish Sahara; 4. Again invites the administering Power to deter- mine at the earliest possible date, in conformity with the aspirations of the indigenous people of the so-called Spanish Sahara and in consultation with the Govern- ments of Mauritania and Morocco and any other in- terested party, the procedures for the holding of a referendum under United Nations auspices with a view to enabling the indigenous population of the Territory to exercise freely its right to self-determination and, to this end: 26 [bid., Twenty-fourth Session, Supplement No. 23 (Al 7623/Rev.1), chapter X. Digitized by Dag Hammarskjöld Library 74 General Assembly-Twenty-fourth Session (a) To create a favourable climate for the refer- endum. to be conducted on an entirely free, democratic and impartial basis by permitting, inter alia, the return of exiles to the Territory; (b) To take all the necessary steps to ensure that only the indigenous people of the Territory participate in the referendum; ( c) To comply with the resolutions of the General Assembly on the activities of foreign economic and other interests operating in colonial countries and Territories and to refrain from any action likely to delay the process of the decolonization of the so-called Spanish Sahara; ( d) To provide all the necessary facilities to a United Nations mission so that it may be able to par- ticipate actively in the organization and holding of the referendum; 5. Requests the Secretary-General, in consultation with the administering Power and the Special Com- mittee, to appoint immediately the special mission provided for in paragraph 5 of General Assembly resolution 2229 (XXI) and to expedite its dispatch to the so-called Spanish Sahara for the purpose of recommending practical steps for the full implementa- tion of the relevant General Assembly resolutions, and in particular for determining the extent of United Nations participation in the preparation and supervision of the referendum and submitting a report to the Secre- tary-General for transmission to the General Assembly at its twenty-filth session; 6. Requests the Special Committee to continue its consideration of the situation in the Territory of the so-called Spanish Sahara and to report thereon to the General Assembly at its twenty-filth session. 1835th plenary meeting, 16 December 1969. 2592 (XXIV). Question of American Samoa, An• tigua, Bahamas, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Cayman Islands, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Dominica, Gilbert and Elliee Islands, Grenada, Guam, Montserrat, New Hebrides, Niue, Pitcairn, St, Helena, St. Kitts-Nevis-Anguilla, St. Lucia, St. Vin• cent, Seychelles, Solomon Islands, Tokelau Islands, Turks and Caicos Islands and the United States Vii-gin Islands The General Assembly, Having considered the question of American Samoa, Antigua, Bahamas, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Cayman Islands, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Dominica, Gilbert and Ellice Islands, Grenada, Guam, Montserrat, New Hebrides, Niue, Pitcairn, St. Helena, St. Kitts-Nevis-Anguilla, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Sey- chelles, Solomon Islands, Tokelau Islands, Turks and Caicos Islands and the United States Virgin Islands, Having examined the chapters of the report 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 relat- ing to these Territories,27 Recalling its resolution 1514 (XV) of 14 December 1960 containing the Declaration on the Granting of 27 Ibid., chapters IX, XV to XVIII, XX, XXI and XXIII to XXX. Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, and other relevant resolutions, Deeply concerned at the policy of some of the ad- ministering Powers in establishing and maintaining military bases in some of the Territories under their administration, in contravention of the relevant Gen- eral Assembly resolutions, Deploring the attitude of those administering Powers which continue to refuse to allow United Nations visit- ing missions to visit the Territories under their adminis- tration, Reaffirming the vital importance of visiting missions as a means of securing adequate and first-hand inf or- mation regarding political, economic and social condi- tions in the Territories and the views, wishes and aspirations of the people in those Territories, Conscious that these Territories require the continued attention and assistance of the United Nations in the achievement by their peoples of the objectives em- bodied in the Charter of the United Nations and in the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, Aware of the special circumstances of the geographi- cal location and economic conditions of these Terri- tories, 1. Approves the chapters of the report 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 relat- ing to these Territories; 2. Reaffirms the inalienable right of the peoples of these Territories to self-determination and indepen- dence in accordance with the Declaration on the Grant- ing of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peo- ples, contained in General Assembly resolution 1514 (XV); 3. Calls upon the administering Powers to imple- ment without delay the relevant resolutions of the General Assembly; 4. Expresses its conviction that the questions of territorial size, geographical isolation and limited re- sources should in no way delay the implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples with respect to these Territories; 5. Reiterates its declaration that any attempt aimed at the partial or total disruption of the national unity and the territorial integrity of colonial Territories and the establishment of military bases and installations in these Territories is incompatible with the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and of resolution 1514 (XV); 6. Strongly urges the administering Powers to re- consider their attitude towards the receiving of visiting missions to the above-mentioned Territories and to per- mit access by such visiting missions to Territories under their administration; 7. Decides that the United Nations should render all help to the peoples of these Territories in their efforts freely to decide their future status; 8. Requests the Special Committee to continue to pay special attention to these Territories and to report to the General Assembly at its twenty-filth session on the implementation of the present resolution. 1835 th plenary meeting, 16 December 1969.

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