The Ewe and Togoland unification problem

VII. RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED ON THE REPORTS OF THE FOURTH COMMITTEE
652. The Ewe and Togoland unification problem

The General Assembly, Having adopted at the sixth session resolution 555 (VI) on the Ewe and Togoland unification problem, which recommended, inter alia, that the Trusteeship Council arrange for the dispatch of either a special mission or its next periodic visiting mission to the two Trust Territories concerned to study thoroughly the Ewe and Togoland unification problem, including the functioning of the proposed joint Council for Togoland Affairs and submit to the Trusteeship Council a detailed report thereon, including specific recommendations, which shall take full account of the real wishes and interests of the peoples concerned, and requested the Trusteeship Council to submit to the General Assembly at its seventh session a special report covering all aspects of the problem, Having received and examined the special report[1] of the Trusteeship Council, including the resolution[2] adopted by the Council at the second part of its eleventh session on 25 November 1952, Having similarly received and examined the special report[3] of the United Nations Visiting Mission to Trust Territories in West Africa, 1952, on the Ewe and Togoland unification problem, transmitted to the Assembly by the Council with its aforementioned special report, Having heard the statements[4] of Mr. Olympio (All-Ewe Conference), Mr. Antor and Mr. Odame (Joint Togoland Congress), and Mr. Kpodar (Parti togolais du progrès), Having heard the observations[5] of the representatives of the two Administering Authorities and taken note of the written observations[6] of the United Kingdom Government on the special report of the Visiting Mission, Noting the view set forth in paragraph 7 of the observations of the United Kingdom that "During this period of trust the Administering Authority must provide political institutions, systems of education and information, and freedom of speech and political activity; which will enable the various political parties to place their programmes before the people of the Trust Territory and, by democratic methods, to seek to enlist the support of a majority of that people", Recalling statements of representatives of France in the Trusteeship Council and the General Assembly to the effect that it is the policy of their Government to promote the development of representative political institutions and democratic political activity in the Trust Territories under French administration and that the people of these Territories will, when the period of trusteeship comes to an end, have full freedom of choice as to the future political status of these Territories, whether in association with another political entity or otherwise, Bearing in mind that the unification of the two Togolands is the manifest aspiration of the majority of the population of both Trust Territories, Desiring to promote the political advancement of the two Trust Territories and their freely expressed wishes in conformity with the basic objectives of the Trusteeship System as set forth in Article 76 of the Charter,

1. Continues to urge, as set out in its resolution 555 (VI), that the two Administering Authorities concerned and the peoples involved exert every effort to achieve a prompt, constructive and equitable settlement of the problem, taking fully into account the freely expressed wishes of the people concerned;

2. Regrets that the consultations undertaken by the Administering Authorities did not achieve the purpose of paragraph 5 of resolution 555 (VI) inasmuch as the election procedures devised did not result in the participation of all the major groups in the two Trust Territories;

3. Recommends that the two Administering Authorities concerned carry on full and extensive consultations with the principal political parties in the two Territories and make every effort to bring about the re-establishment of the Joint Council for Togoland Affairs, or a similar body, on a basis which will enlist the co-operation of all major segments of the population so that it may be an effective and representative organ for the consideration of the common problems of the two Territories;

4. Urges all the principal parties in the Two Territories to make every effort to assist constructively in these consultations;

5. Recommends further that the terms of reference of the Joint Council or similar body should be such as to enable it to consider and make recommendations upon all political, economic, social and educational matters affecting the two Trust Territories, including the question of the unification of the two Territories, and that, as a first stage, the Joint Council should be reconstituted, and re-established as soon as possible, by means of direct elections on the basis of universal adult suffrage exercised by secret ballot;

6. Invites the two Administering Authorities to give increasing attention to the possibilities of promoting and expediting the general development of Togoland under British administration and Togoland under French administration provided by the Expanded Programme of Technical Assistance for the economic development of under-developed countries adopted by the United Nations;

7. Urges the two Administering Authorities to intensity their efforts to bring about the more rapid evolution of the northern parts of both Territories so that the peoples of these sections will be better qualified to play their role and express their views in the political development of the Territories;

8. Recommends that the two Administering Authorities concerned examine further all the frontier difficulties complained of in the various petitions and communications on this matter sent to the Trusteeship Council and to the Visiting Mission and that they take all possible steps to reduce or eliminate them;

9. Expresses its conviction that the implementation of the declared policies of the Administering Authorities will provide conditions in which the inhabitants of the Trust Territories can determine their own political destiny, and considers that this freedom of choice should be exercised through accepted democratic processes;

10. Recommends that the two Administering Authorities, through the joint Council or otherwise, take steps to promote common policies on political, economic, and social matters of mutual concern to the two Trust Territories;

11. Notes that resolution 643 (XI) of the Trusteeship Council requests the Administering Authorities to report fully to the Council in advance of the eighth session of the General Assembly on all steps taken by them pursuant to the special report of the 1952 Visiting Mission;

12. Requests the Administering Authorities to include in such reports accounts of steps taken by them pursuant to the present resolution, as well as a full account of all factors affecting the unification question;

13. Requests the Trusteeship Council to submit to the General Assembly at its next regular session a special report on the implementation by the Administering Authorities concerned of the present resolution and the action taken by the Council thereon.

409th plenary meeting,
20 December 1952.

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[1] See document A/2289. [2] See Trusteeship Council resolution 643 (XI). [3] See document T/1034. [4] See Official Records of the General Assembly, Seventh Session, Fourth Committee, 300th, 301st, 302nd, 304th and 305th meetings. [5] See Official Records of the Trusteeship Council, Eleventh Session, 457th and 458th meetings. [6] See document T/1039.