Question of Guam : resolution / adopted by the General Assembly

The General Assembly,

Having considered the question of Guam,

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 Guam, in particular General Assembly resolution 41/25 of 31 October 1986,

Conscious of the need to ensure the full and speedy implementation of the Declaration in respect of the Territory,

Having heard the statement of the representative of the United States of America, as the administering Power, relating to Guam,

Taking note of the statement by the representative of the administering Power that the Guam Commission on Self-Determination, which was appointed in February 1984, had completed its work on the draft text of a Commonwealth Act, and that voters would be required, in a referendum, to pronounce themselves on the draft text, and noting that the Guam Legislature had appropriated $183,000 to fund a voter education programme,

Taking note of the statement by the representative of the administering Power that the United States Department of Defense had planned to release an additional 1,435 hectares of land to the territorial Government in 1986,

Noting the potential offered for diversifying and developing the economy of the Territory, for example, by commercial fishing and agriculture, and taking note of the statement of the representative of the administering Power that the draft Commonwealth Act seeks to promote economic development by establishing a free trade zone between Guam and the United States of America,

Taking note of the statement of the representative of the administering Power that provisions of the draft Commonwealth Act would recognize the distinct cultural identity of the Chamorro people, the indigenous inhabitants of Guam,

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,

Recalling the dispatch in 1979 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 reiterating that the possibility of sending a further visiting mission to Guam at an appropriate time should be kept under review,

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 Guam;

2.         Reaffirms the inalienable right of the people of Guam to self-determination and independence in conformity with the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples;

3.         Reaffirms its conviction that such factors as territorial size, geographical location, size of population and limited natural resources should in no way delay the implementation of the Declaration, which fully applies to Guam;

4.         Reaffirms the importance of fostering an awareness among the people of Guam of the possibilities open to them with regard to their right to self-determination and calls upon the United States of America, as the administering Power, in co-operation with the territorial Government, to expedite the process of decolonization strictly in accordance with the expressed wishes of the people of the Territory;

5.         Reaffirms its strong conviction that the presence of military bases and installations in the Territory could constitute a major obstacle to the implementation of the Declaration and that it is the responsibility of the administering Power to ensure that the existence of such bases and installations does not hinder the population of the Territory from exercising its right to self-determination and independence in conformity with the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations;

6.         Urges the administering Power to continue to take all necessary measures not to involve the Territory in any offensive acts or interference against other States and to comply fully with the purposes and principles of the Charter, the Declaration and the resolutions and decisions of the General Assembly relating to military activities and arrangements by colonial Powers in Territories under their administration;

7.         Reaffirms the responsibility of the administering Power, under the Charter, to promote the economic and social development of Guam and, in that connection, calls upon the administering Power to take further steps to strengthen and diversify the economy of the Territory, with a view to reducing its economic dependence on the administering Power;

8.         Reiterates that one of the obstacles to economic growth in Guam, and particularly to agricultural development, is the holding of large tracts of land by the United States federal authorities, and calls upon the administering Power, in co-operation with the territorial Government, to expedite the transfer of land to the people of the Territory;

9.         Reiterates its call upon the administering Power to support measures by the territorial Government aimed at removing constraints to growth in the areas of agriculture and commercial fishing and to ensure the development of those areas to the fullest extent;

10.       Urges the administering Power, in co-operation with the territorial Government, to continue to take effective measures to safeguard and guarantee the right of the people of Guam to the natural resources of the Territory, including its territorial waters, and to establish and maintain control over the future development of those resources, and requests the administering Power to take the necessary steps to protect the property rights of the people of the Territory;

11.       Reaffirms the importance of continued efforts by the territorial Government, with the support of the administering Power, towards promoting the Chamorro language and culture;

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