Press Release
GA/SPD/183

SPEAKERS CALL FOR MORE ASSISTANCE FOR NON-SELF-GOVERNING TERRITORIES, IN FOURTH COMMITTEE

Western Sahara, Second Decade against Colonialism Also Discussed

While the Settlement Plan for Western Sahara was now undergoing a critical phase, it remained the only appropriate mechanism for a just and durable solution to the dispute over that Territory, the representative of Madagascar said this afternoon, as the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) continued its general debate on decolonization questions.

Noting that the Settlement Plan had been agreed upon by both parties to the dispute and had won the recognition of the international community, he said his country supported the holding of a free and fair self-determination referendum in Western Sahara in strict accordance with existing agreements.

As several speakers supported the proposed launching of a Second International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism, he said that his country recognized that decolonization was a difficult process and stressed the need for a better understanding and a spirit of flexibility on the part of all concerned, particularly the administering Powers. Most of the Non-Self-Governing Territories were small, vulnerable islands requiring greater assistance to establish viable economic structures.

Haiti's representative noted the vulnerabilities of the Non-Self-Governing Territories, and the need to integrate them into the global economy. He called on administering Powers to avoid misusing natural resources found in the Territories, and for the cessation of interference in their affairs, including by the placement of military installations.

He said that the aspirations of the peoples of the remaining Non-Self- Governing Territories must be respected by all, including the overzealous leaders of independence parties. The objective was for people to take full charge of their own destiny. Choices of affiliation must be allowed. While Tokelau, for example, had chosen free association with New Zealand, East Timor had chosen independence.

The representative of the United Kingdom said she welcomed resolutions which emphasized self-determination, but not their selective application. The United Kingdom also welcomed the pursuit of informal dialogue between the Special Committee and administering Powers.

She said there were new venues for exchanges of views between the British Government and representatives of the Non-Self-Governing Territories, primarily, the inaugural meeting -- and plans for another in October -- of the Overseas Territories Consultative Committee. Last June, a seminar had been held in the British Virgin Islands concerning disaster prevention and management.

In these and other activities, she said, dialogue was continuing with representatives of the Territories, and partnership continued to be based on the principles of self-determination, mutual obligations, freedom for Territories to run their own affairs to the greatest degree possible, and a firm commitment to assist them in economic development and emergencies.

Other speakers this afternoon were the representatives of India, Tunisia, Philippines, United Republic of Tanzania, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Morocco and Algeria.

The Fourth Committee will meet again at 10 a.m. tomorrow to continue its general debate on decolonization issues.

Fourth Committee - 3 - Press Release GA/SPD/183 4th Meeting (PM) 26 September 2000

Committee Work Programmes

As the Fourth Committee continued its general debate on decolonization matters this afternoon, it had before it a report of the Secretary-General on the question of Western Sahara (document A/55/303) outlining recent developments concerning the Territory. He recalls two London meetings, last May and June, between the Government of Morocco and the Frente Popular para la liberacion de Saguia el-Hamra y Rio de Oro (Frente POLISARIO). Neighbouring Algeria and Mauritania were invited as observers.

The Secretary-General points out that the second meeting had moved things backwards, instead of making progress. After stating their known positions, neither party had appeared willing to offer concrete proposals to bridge their differences and begin to negotiate a political solution to the Western Sahara dispute. The Secretary-General, concluding that bleak assessment, suggests that the Security Council reflect on the problem of ensuring respect by both sides for the results of any self-determination referendum. The Settlement Plan for Western Sahara had not envisioned a mechanism that included military means to effect enforcement of the referendum results.

During the first London meeting, the report states, the Frente POLISARIO had identified two areas of difficulty: the appeals process; and the repatriation of refugees. Morocco had identified four areas which it believed were impeding implementation of the Settlement Plan. Those were: the conduct of the appeals process; reinstatement of some 70,000 applicants in the voting lists who were excluded after having originally been included; repatriation of Saharan refugees; and the issue of Saharans who had reached voting age by 31 December 1993, but who had not participated in the identification process. In Morocco's view, those individuals should be identified or, at least, permitted to lodge appeals. Morocco would not take part in a referendum where Saharans who might be entitled to vote were not allowed to do so.

Morocco believed that the question of admissibility to the appeals process should be limited to a procedural review, with the appeals forwarded to the Appeals Chamber for a proper hearing, the report states. It also found unacceptable the hearing of concurrent testimony by two sheikhs, since such hearing would be prejudicial to Morocco's applicants, as it had been during the identification process. Concerning the repatriation of refugees, Morocco had felt that the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) should ascertain the real wishes of every refugee to return, and had pointed out that for security, economic and political reasons, the repatriation could not take place east of the berm. However, it had reiterated its willingness to cooperate with the UNHCR in implementing confidence-building measures and felt that the repatriation should be completed before the end of 2000.

According to the report, James Baker III, the Secretary-General's Personal Envoy, appealed to the parties that there should be no return to violence or war, even though there appeared to be no imminent solution. He asked them to think about meeting again to consider a political solution. That solution could be a negotiated agreement for Western Sahara's full integration with Morocco, a negotiated agreement for full independence or a negotiated agreement for something between those two results. In addition, a political solution could be a negotiated agreement permitting the successful implementation of the Settlement Plan. Also before the Committee was a letter dated 12 September 2000 from the Permanent Representative of Namibia to the Secretary-General (document A/55/384- S/2000/870) transmitting a memorandum by the Frente POLISARIO to the General Assembly and the Security Council.

The memorandum states that, in early 2000, the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) completed the identification of some 198,000 applicants for the referendum. That task, begun in 1994, resulted in the publication in February 2000 of a provisional list of 86,349 voters. However, Morocco's obstructionist attitude has once again brought the process to an impasse. Morocco has taken advantage of the appeals process to instigate a flood of appeals by Moroccan nationals whose applications had been rejected during the identification phase for failure to meet the criteria to qualify as nationals of Western Sahara. An appeal was lodged by each rejected applicant, meaning that the Identification Commission is now faced with nearly 135,000 appeals, 95 per cent of which have no legal basis or practical justification.

Similarly, the memorandum says, Morocco has created new obstacles to the repatriation of Saharan refugees, following the completion of pre-registration by the UNHCR, by applying pressure on the United Nations to require that the refugees be transferred to zones occupied by Morocco. Morocco's delaying tactics have undermined the Settlement Plan, resulting in negative evaluations of prospects for its success both in reports by the Secretary-General and in Security Council resolutions. Two influential Council members have been seeking support for their proposal to abandon the referendum process in favour of a solution negotiated by Morocco and the Frente POLISARIO, which would ignore the Saharan people's right to self-determination. The Frente POLISARIO would never support any such approach.

The memorandum urges the international community to preserve the prodigious investments and accomplishments made by the United Nations in Western Sahara: a truce of nearly 10 years and the creation of a process that could decolonize the last colonial enclave in Africa. It must reiterate, during the fifty-fifth General Assembly, its commitment and determination to successfully conclude the decolonization of Western Sahara, in conformity with the relevant resolutions, by organizing a free and impartial referendum for the people of Western Sahara, conducted under international supervision.

Statements

KATE SMITH (United Kingdom) reported on recent progress made in the evolving relationship between the United Kingdom and its overseas Territories. There were new venues for exchanges of views between the British Government and representatives of the Territories: primarily, the inaugural meeting, and plans for an October meeting of the Overseas Territories Consultative Committee. There was a seminar held in the British Virgin Islands concerning disaster prevention and management.

In these and other activities, she said, dialogue was continuing with representatives of the Territories on a range of issues, and partnership continued to be based on the following fundamental principles: self-determination, mutual obligations, freedom for the Territories to run their affairs to the greatest degree possible, and a firm commitment to assist them with economic development and emergencies. She pointed out the commonality of approach between the United Kingdoms and the Committee in those concerns. That being so, she said, it was a pity that it was not always properly reflected in relevant resolutions 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. She welcomed the emphasis on self-determination in resolutions, but not its selective application by the Special Committee. She, therefore, welcomed the pursuit of informal dialogue between the Committee and the administering Powers, with the goal of ascertaining the wishes of the peoples of the Territories, with a view to the possible future removal of the Territories from the Committee’s list. The United Kingdom remained ready to cooperate with the Committee in those efforts.

K.S. BAJPAI (India) said it was the Committee’s responsibility to build upon one of the greatest achievements of the United Nations -- to have helped the world rid itself of the evil of colonialism. Perhaps the most persistent and pernicious legacy of foreign rule remained the colonization of man’s mind and thoughts. With the constant evolution of new instruments of domination, it was vital to be constantly alert and end all manifestations of colonialism.

He said the Plan of Action for the First International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism remained valid and, with updating where necessary, could serve as an action plan for the Second Decade. While much of the world was free, vestiges of colonialism were a cause for concern. The complexities of the situation of the remaining Non-Self-Governing Territories were well known. It was a measure of those difficulties that the First International Decade was ending with little progress on their fate. At the present rate, it would take a century and a half for the world to see what was supposed to have been achieved in 10 years.

The people of the remaining Non-Self-Governing Territories, he said, should be given the opportunity to determine freely what they perceived to be in their best interest from a well-informed standpoint. The role of the Special Committee on decolonization and the United Nations, as a whole, was to ascertain the wishes of those people and enable them to adopt a political, economic and social system of their choice. Most of the Territories shared problems of economic development with the rest of the developing world. India welcomed the Special Committee’s initiative to convene a joint meeting with the Economic and Social Council aimed at enhancing interaction and cooperation between the United Nations, its agencies and Non-Self-Governing Territories.

He called on the administering Powers to approach the tasks at hand in a spirit of cooperation, understanding, political realism and flexibility. Some had shown the way by demonstrating the necessary flexibility and accommodation, giving rise to the hope that matters pertaining to some of the Territories under their administration could be resolved in a spirit of cooperation. The willingness of the administering Powers to engage the Special Committee in discussions was a welcome sign. Informal discussions so far on American Samoa and Pitcairn with the administering Powers concerned were a step in the right direction.

SAID BEN MUSTAPHA (Tunisia) said that during the year, the Special Committee had actively pursued a process of evaluating its working methods and of considering the best means by which to ensure that the wishes and aspirations of the peoples of the Non-Self-Governing Territory were fulfilled. It had engaged the administering Powers in a series of work programmes for each Territory, a process in which encouraging progress had been achieved. As a member of the Special Committee, Tunisia hoped that the process could be improved and strengthened, thus enabling the Special Committee to better fulfil its mandate.

The Special Committee had also held consultations with other Member States and with representatives of the Non-Self-Governing Territories, he said. The contribution of those representatives in evaluating the situation of the Territories remained essential. One of the Special Committee’s principal tasks was to acquaint itself with the wishes and aspirations of the Territories’ peoples, who had the right to make an informed decision on their future status. The cooperation of the administering Powers was of great importance in creating the conditions necessary for the exercise of that right.

He stressed the importance of the transmission by the administering Powers of information on the economic and social conditions in the Territories, as well as their political development. The Special Committee’s regional seminars and visiting missions to the Territories were equally important in learning the specific conditions of each Non-Self-Governing Territory, in order to promote their economic and social development and to help their people in the exercise of their right to self-determination. The Special Committee had continued to pay particular attention to the small Non-Self-Governing Territories, owing to their vulnerability and special needs.

ANACLETO REI LACANILAO (Philippines) said his delegation wanted to align itself with the statement to be made on Thursday, 28 September, by the Indonesian representative. Continuing, he said that much had been accomplished in the past 40 years, but the continued existence of colonialism was a burden on the collective conscience of the 189 Member States of the United Nations. It was imperative to provide the right of choice to Territories, so they could determine their future political status.

Therefore, the Philippines supported the proposal to launch the Second International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism. The regional seminars during the first such Decade served as useful forums for the exchange of information and ideas for the Special Committee. He hoped that those ideas would be utilized in the creation and implementation of the action plan of the Second Decade.

He commended the administering Powers that had tried to comply over the years with their international legal duties, and recognized that self- determination might come in various stages and periods, depending on the particular economic, social and political situations of the Territories. He supported the recommendation of the Special Committee that the specialized agencies and other parts of the United Nations family assist in accelerating economic and social progress in the small island Territories. While recognizing the value of foreign investment for the economic development of the Territories, he stressed the importance of protecting their natural resources and the rights of the inhabitants to benefit from those resources.

JEAN DELACROIX BAKONIARIVO (Madagascar) said his country recognized that decolonization was a difficult process because each Territory had its own specific conditions. A better understanding and a spirit of flexibility on the part of all concerned, particularly the administering Powers, were necessary in order to enable the peoples of those Territories to determine the economic and social structures suitable for them. Most of the Non-Self-Governing Territories were small islands that were often very vulnerable. The administering Powers should give them more significant assistance with a view to establishing viable economic structures.

Madagascar deplored the violent acts perpetrated against the United Nations Mission in East Timor, he said. Madagascar also supported the holding of a free and fair self-determination referendum in Western Sahara in strict accordance with existing agreements. It underscored the responsibility of the United Nations, particularly the Security Council, for the implementation of the Settlement Plan and the Houston accords in order that the Territory’s people exercise the inalienable right to decide their own destiny.

He said that the Settlement Plan, having been agreed upon by both parties to the conflict, and having won the recognition of the international community, constituted the appropriate mechanism for a just and durable solution to the Western Sahara dispute. However, it was now in a critical phase, and Madagascar appealed for its effective implementation. The repeated postponements of the referendum were a matter of concern.

He said Madagascar supported the Special Committee’s regional seminars, which were an irreplaceable means of assessing the achievements of the First International Decade for the Eradication of Decolonization and for planning United Nations activities in the Second International Decade. It was hoped that, during the Second Decade, the world would be freed from colonialism and that no country or people would be able to determine the destiny of another, no matter how small.

DAUDI MWAKAWAGO (United Republic of Tanzania) noted the progress made in decolonization in the past decades, and also the fact that the process had not yet been completed. It was important to ensure that peoples in the remaining Non- Self-Governing Territories attained self-determination, as provided for in the Charter of the United Nations. He, therefore, welcomed the launching of the Second International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism, with the hope that the international community would redouble its efforts to complete the task within that period.

On the question of Western Sahara, he called for the speedy implementation of the Settlement Plan, and the referendum, as arranged by MINURSO, to be held without further delay. In other matters, he called upon the administering Powers to transmit information to the Secretary-General within the time frame required, and to take effective measures to guarantee the rights of the peoples of the Non- Self-Governing Territories to their natural resources, with all business activities geared towards strengthening and diversifying the local economies.

He expressed support for the specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system that have continued to cooperate with the United Nations in decolonization, while calling upon those who have not yet contributed to do so. Finally, he hoped that support for missions and regional seminars, undertaken for the benefit of the Non-Self-Governing Territories, would continue.

BERTRAND FILS-AIMÉ (Haiti) said that, despite hopes that the terms “decolonialization” and “Non-Self-Governing” would be things of the past, those terms had reappeared at the fifty-fifth session of the General Assembly at the end of the International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism. Seventeen Territories were still on the Non-Self-Governing list. Haiti understood through its history, however, that the struggle for independence had never been a simple matter, and that the Committee had a weighty task before it. It renewed its solidarity with the peoples of the remaining Territories and the effort of completely eliminating colonialism.

He welcomed constructive measures on the part of France in New Caledonia, and the exemplary cooperation of New Zealand in regard to Tokelau. Such attitudes on the part of administering Powers would accelerate progress in decolonization. He also stressed that the varied aspirations of the peoples of the remaining Non-Self-Governing Territories must be respected by all, including the overzealous leaders of independence parties. The objective was for people to fully take the reigns of their own destiny. Choices of affiliation must be allowed. Tokelau, for example, chose free association with New Zealand; East Timor chose to be independent.

Because of the vulnerabilities of the Non-Self-Governing Territories, and in order to integrate them into the global economy, he would like to see them receive greater assistance, he said. In this regard, he also called for the administering Powers to avoid misusing resources found in the Territories, and for the cessation of interference in their affairs, including by the placement of military installations. In sum, he claimed that not ending colonialism soon would threaten the credibility of the United Nations: It would be a nightmare to have to proclaim the Third International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism from 2011 to 2020.

PAVANH NUANTHASING (Lao People’s Democratic Republic), associating herself with the statement to be made on Thursday, 28 September, by the delegation of Indonesia on behalf of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN), noted that the future of the 17 remaining Non-Self-Governing Territories remained unclear. While the Committee could not realistically hope for early fulfilment, it must not lose sight of the ultimate goal of a world without colonialism. Every effort should, therefore, be made to intensify international cooperation to speed up the decolonization of all Non-Self-Governing Territories, regardless of their size, geographical location, population or natural resources.

She said that the Special Committee and the United Nations as a whole would continue to work closely with the administering Powers and the peoples of the Territories to put the last vestiges of the colonial era behind them. In that spirit, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic fully supported the Special Committee’s proposal to launch the Second International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism from 2001 to 2010.

ELHASSANE ZAHID (Morocco) asked whether the Secretariat could respond to the question he had asked yesterday regarding passes for petitioners.

MARIA MALDONADO, of the Secretariat, said that the Department of Political Affairs, as was customary, asked the Protocol Office for ground passes for petitioners from the Frente POLISARIO. The matter was then handled at the United Nations good offices level.

Mr. ZAHID (Morocco) said he did not understand the meaning of “ground passes”. It was understood that the passes were aimed at facilitating access to the United Nations between certain dates, for matters pertaining to the Settlement

Plan and United Nations good offices. For how long were the Frente POLISARIO passes valid? Had any of them been valid for the past six years?

He said the Secretariat’s response was inadequate and did not answer the question. There were petitioners circulating in the United Nations premises throughout the year. The Moroccan delegation had approached the Department of Political Affairs and the Protocol Office and had not received a satisfactory response. He was now officially asking that the situation be corrected.

AHMED BAALI (Algeria) said the response was extremely clear. The representative of Morocco knew that the Frente POLISARIO was not a simple petitioner, but a party to the Western Sahara dispute with the relevant status. The President of the Security Council had clarified several months ago that the Frente POLISARIO, as a party to the dispute, had the right to a United Nations pass in order to do the work it was supposed to do. The question did not require further elaboration.

Mr. ZAHID (Morocco) said the Frente POLISARIO was a party to the Settlement Plan and not to the dispute. To his knowledge, there was no dispute or conflict. Were there really badges for parties to conflict? he asked. He was not aware of the statement by the Security Council President. Perhaps, there were special passes to go to the President’s office. That presented no problem. But as a matter of principle, they should be issued only for the day of the meeting with the President. A pass was not needed for a meeting with the Secretary-General. He hoped the matter would be clarified.

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