A/RES/36/49 GA

VII. Resolutions adopted on the reports of the Fourth Committee 199 consultation with the administering Power, and to report thereon to the General Assembly at its thirty-seventh session. 70th plenary meeting 24 November 1981 36/48. Question of American Samoa The General Assembly, Having considered the question of American Samoa, Having examined the relevant chapters of the report of the Special Committee on the Situation with regard to the Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of In- dependence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, 9 Recalling its resolution 1514 (XV) of 14 December 1960, containing the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, and all other resolutions and decisions of the United Nations relating to American Samoa, Taking into account the statement of the administering Power relating to developments in American Samoa, 10 Conscious of the need to promote progress towards the full implementation of the Declaration in respect of Amer- ican Samoa, Welcoming the active participation of the administering Power in the related work of the Special Committee and expressing the hope that this co-operation will be strength- ened further so as to accelerate progress towards the full implementation of the Declaration with regard to American Samoa, Having examined the report of the United Nations Visiting Mission dispatched to the Territory in July 1981, 11 Aware of the special circumstances of the geographical location and economic conditions of American Samoa and stressing the necessity for diversifying the Territory's econ- omy as a matter of priority in order to reduce its dependence on fluctuating economic activities, I. Approves the report of the United Nations Visiting Mission to American Samoa and endorses the observations, conclusions and recommendations contained therein; 12 2. Also approves the chapter of the report of the Special Committee on the Situation with regard to the Implemen- tation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples relating to American Samoa; 13 3. Reaffirms the inalienable right of the people of American Samoa to self-determination and independence in conformity with the Declaration on the Granting of In- dependence to Colonial Countries and Peoples; 4. Reiterates the view that such factors as territorial size, geographical location, size of population and limited natural resources should in no way delay the speedy im- plementation of the Declaration, which fully applies to the Territory; 5. Expresses its appreciation to the members of the Visiting Mission for the constructive work accomplished and to the administering Power and the Government and people of American Samoa for the co-operation and assist- ance extended to the Mission; • Ibid., chaps. III and XXVlll. 10 Ibid., Thirty-sixth Session, Fourth Committee, 14th meeting, paras. 1-8. 11 A/AC.109/679 and Add.I. 12 A/AC.109/679, paras. 344-370. 13 Official Records of the General Assembly, Thirty-~-ixth Session, Sup- plement No. 23 (A/36/23/Rev.l), chap. XXVlll. 6. Calls upon the Government of the United States of America, as the administering Power, to take all necessary steps, taking into account the freely expressed wishes of the people of American Samoa, to expedite the process of de- colonization of the Territory in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Charter of the United Nations and the Declaration; 7. Reaffirms that it is the responsibility of the admin- istering Power to ensure that the people of American Samoa are kept fully informed of their inalienable right to self- determination and independence, in accordance with the Declaration contained in General Assembly resolution 1514 (XV); 8. Reaffirms also the responsibility of the administering Power for the economic and social development of the Territory; 9. Calls upon the administering Power to take all pos- sible steps to strengthen and diversify the economy of American Samoa and to work out concrete programmes of assistance and economic development for the Territory; 10. Urges the administering Power to continue to foster close relations and co-operation between the people of the Territory and the neighbouring island communities: 11. Urges the administering Power, in co-operation with the freely elected representatives of American Samoa, to safeguard the inalienable right of the people of the Ter- ritory to the enjoyment of their natural resources by taking effective measures which guarantee the right of the people to own and dispose of those resources and to establish and maintain control over their future development; 12. Requests the Special Committee to continue the consideration of this question at its next session, including the possible dispatch of a further visiting mission to Amer- ican Samoa at an appropriate time and in consultation with the administering Power, and to report to the General As- sembly at its thirty-seventh session on the implementation of the present resolution. 70th plenary meeting 24 November 1981 36/49. Information from Non-Self-Governing Terri- tories transmitted under Article 73 e of the Charter of the United Nations The General Assembly, Recalling its resolution 1970 (XVIII) of 16 December 1963, in which it requested the Special Committee on the Situation with regard to the Implementation of the Decla- ration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Coun- tries and Peoples to study the information transmitted to the Secretary-General under Article 73 e of the Charter of the United Nations and to take such information fully into ac- count in examining the situation with regard to the imple- mentation of the Declaration, Recalling also its resolution 35/26 of 11 November 1980, in which it requested the Special Committee to continue to discharge the functions entrusted to it under resolution 1970 (XVIII), Having examined the chapter of the report of the Special Committee dealing with the transmittal of information under Article 73 e of the Charter and the action taken by the Committee in respect of that information, 14 Having also examined the report of the Secretary-General on the question, 15 ' 4 Ibid., chap. Vil. " A/36/563. 200 General Assembly-Thirty-sixth Session Deploring the fact that some Member States having re- sponsibilities for the administration of Non-Self-Governing Territories have ceased to transmit information under Article 73 e of the Charter, 1. Approves the chapter of the report of the Special Committee on the Situation with regard to the Implemen- tation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples relating to the information from Non-Self-Governing Territories transmitted under Ar- ticle 73 e of the Charter of the United Nations; 2. Reaffirms that, in the absence of a decision by the General Assembly itself that a Non-Self-Governing Terri- tory has attained a full measure of self-government in terms of Chapter XI of the Charter, the administering Power con- cerned should continue to transmit information under Article 73 e of the Charter with respect to that Territory; 3. Requests the administering Powers concerned to transmit, or continue to transmit, to the Secretary-General the information prescribed in Article 73 e of the Charter, as well as the fullest possible information on political and constitutional developments in the Territories concerned, within a maximum period of six months following the ex- piration of the administrative year in those Territories; 4. Requests the Special Committee to continue to dis- charge the functions entrusted to it under General Assembly resolution 1970 (XVIII), in accordance with established procedures, and to report thereon to the Assembly at its thirty-seventh session. 70th plenary meeting 24 November 1981 36/50. Question of East Timor The General Assembly, Recognizing the inalienable right of all peoples to self- determination and independence in accordance with the principles of the Charter of the United Nations and of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, contained in its resolution 1514 (XV) of 14 December 1960, Bearing in mind that the Fifth 16 and Sixth 17 Conferences of Heads of State or Government of Non-Aligned Countries, held at Colombo and Havana in 1976 and 1979, respec- tively, reaffirmed the right of the people of East Timor to self-determination and independence, Having examined the chapter of the report of the Special Committee on the Situation with regard to the Implemen- tation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples relating to East Timor18 and other relevant documents, 19 Deeply concerned at the suffering of the people of East Timor and at reports of the critical situation resulting from the new outbreak of famine in the Territory, Taking note of the report of the Secretary-General on the question of East Timor, 20 Recalling the communique of the Council of Ministers of Portugal, issued on 12 September 1980,21 in which the administering Power pledged to undertake broad initiatives 16 See N31/197, annex I, para. 36. 17 See N34/542, annex, sect. I, para. 155. '" Official Records of the General Assembly. Thirty-sixth Session, Sup- plement No. 23 (N36/23/Rev. l ), chap. X 19 N36/l60; NAC.109/663. 20 N36/598. 21 NC.4/35/2. annex. with a view to ensuring the full and speedy decolonization of East Timor, Having heard the statement of the representative of Por- tugal, 22 as the administering Power, Having heard the statements of the representative of the Frente Revolucionaria de Timor Leste Independente, 23 the liberation movement of East Timor, and of various East Timor petitioners, as well as of the representatives of non- governmental organizations, 24 I. Reaffirms the inalienable right of the people of East Timor to self-determination and independence, in accord- ance with General Assembly resolution 1514 (XV); 2. Declares that the people of East Timor must be en- abled freely to determine their own future on the basis of the relevant General Assembly resolutions and internation- ally accepted procedures; 3. Calls upon all interested parties, namely Portugal, as the administering Power, and the representatives of the East Timorese people, as well as Indonesia, to co-operate fully with the United Nations with a view to guaranteeing the full exercise of the right to self-determination by the people of East Timor; 4. Notes the initiative taken by the Government of Por- tugal, as stated in the communique of the Council of Min- isters of Portugal issued on 12 September 1980, and invites the administering Power to continue its efforts with a view to ensuring the proper exercise of the right to self-deter- mination and independence by the people of East Timor, in accordance with General Assembly resolution 1514 (XV), and to report to the Special Committee on the Situation with regard to the Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples on the progress of its initiative; 5. Expresses its deepest concern at the reports of the critical situation resulting from the new outbreak of famine in East Timor and calls upon all specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system, in par- ticular the World Food Programme, the United Nations Children's Fund and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, immediately to assist, within their respeclive fields of competence, the people of the Territory; 6. Notes with satisfaction the humanitarian aid given by some Member States and relief organizations to the peo- ple of East Timor and calls upon all Governments concerned to continue this aid with a view to alleviating the suffering of the people of the Territory; 7. Requests the Special Committee to keep the situation in the Territory under active consideration and to follow the implementation of the present resolution; 8. Requests the Secretary-General to follow the imple- mentation of the present resolution and to report thereon to the General Assembly at its thirty-seventh session; 9. Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its thirty-seventh session the item entitled ''Question of East Timor". 70th plenary meeting 24 November 1981 22 Official Records of the Genera/Assembly, Thirty-sixth Session, Fourth Committee, 9th meeting, paras. 45-48. 23 Ibid., I Ith meeting, paras. 31-49. 24 Ibid., 9th-l Ith and 15th meetings.

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