Question of the Cayman Islands : resolution / adopted by the General Assembly

 

Question of the Cayman Islands

  The General Assembly, Having considered the question of the Cayman Islands, 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 Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, 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 the Cayman Islands, including in particular its resolution 39/35 of 5 December 1984, Noting the stated position of the administering Power that it will fully respect the wishes of the people of the Cayman Islands in determining the future political status of the Territory, Conscious of the need to ensure the full and speedy implementation of the Declaration in respect of the Territory, Noting that although the main sectors of the economy of the Cayman Islands, specifically tourism, international finance and real estate, continued to sustain some degree of growth during the period under review, they have been negatively affected by the world economic crisis, Aware of the special circumstances of the geographical location and economic conditions of the Territory, and bearing in mind the necessity of diversifying and strengthening further its economy as a matter of priority in order to promote economic stability, Noting with appreciation the continued contribution of the United Nations Development Programme to the development of the Territory, Recalling the dispatch in 1977 of a United Nations visiting mission to the Territory, Mindful that United Nations visiting missions provide an effective means of ascertaining the situation in the small Territories, and expressing its satisfaction at the willingness of the administering Power to receive visiting missions in the Territories under its administration,

1. Approves 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 relating to the Cayman Islands;

2. Reaffirms the inalienable right of the people of the Cayman Islands to self-determination and independence in conformity with the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, contained in General Assembly resolution 1514 (XV);

3. 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 exercise by the people of the Territory of their inalienable right to self-determination and independence in conformity with the Declaration, which fully applies to the Cayman Islands;

4. Notes with appreciation the participation of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, as the administering Power, in the work of the Special Committee in regard to the Cayman Islands, thereby enabling it to conduct a more informed and meaningful examination of the situation in the Territory, with a view to accelerating the process of decolonization for the purpose of the full implementation of the Declaration;

5. Reiterates that it is the responsibility of the administering Power to create such conditions in the Cayman Islands as will enable the people of the Territory to exercise freely and without interference their inalienable right to self-determination and independence in accordance with resolution 1514 (XV), as well as all other relevant resolutions of the Assembly;

6. Reaffirms that it is ultimately for the people of the Cayman Islands themselves to determine their future political status in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Charter of the United Nations and the Declaration, and, in that connection, reaffirms the importance of fostering an awareness among the people of the Territory of the possibilities open to them in the exercise of their right to self-determination and independence;

7. Reaffirms the responsibility of the administering Power to promote the economic and social development of the Territory, and urges it, in co-operation with the territorial Government, to render continuing support, to the fullest extent possible, to the development of programmes of economic diversification which will benefit the people of the Territory;

8. Takes note of the statement of the administering Power to the effect that, despite the poor quality of the soil in the Territory, a study conducted by the territorial Government in 1984 revealed some possibilities in the field of poultry, agricultural and pastoral farming;

9. Urges the administering Power, in co-operation with the territorial Government, to safeguard the inalienable right of the people of the Territory to the enjoyment of their natural resources by taking effective measures to ensure their right to own and dispose of those resources and to establish and maintain control of their future development;

10. Calls upon the specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system, as well as regional institutions such as the Caribbean Development Bank, to continue to take all necessary measures to accelerate progress in the social and economic life of the Cayman Islands;

11. Notes with appreciation the continued contribution of the United Nations Development Programme to the development of the Territory;

12. Considers that the possibility of sending a further visiting mission to the Cayman Islands at an appropriate time should be kept under review;

13. Requests the Special Committee to continue the examination of this question at its next session, including the possible dispatch of a visiting mission to the Cayman Islands at an appropriate time and in consultation with the administering Power, and to report thereon to the General Assembly at its forty-first session..