Question of Bermuda : resolution / adopted by the General Assembly

The General Assembly,

Having considered the question of Bermuda,

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 Bermuda, in particular General Assembly resolution 41/18 of 31 October 1986,

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

Noting that, although the Senate of Bermuda did not adopt a bill calling for a referendum in April 1987 on the issue of independence, the issue has been the subject of debates in the Territory,

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,

Welcoming the role being played in the Territory by the United Nations Development Programme,

Mindful that United Nations visiting missions provide an effective means of ascertaining the situation in the small Territories and considering that the possibility of sending a visiting mission to Bermuda 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 Bermuda;

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

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 Bermuda;

4.         Reiterates that it is the obligation of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, as the administering Power, to create such conditions in the Territory as will enable the people of Bermuda to exercise freely and without interference their inalienable right to self-determination and independence in accordance with General Assembly resolution 1514 (XV) and, in that connection, reaffirms the importance of fostering an awareness among the people of Bermuda of the possibilities open to them in the exercise of that right;

5.         Reaffirms that it is ultimately for the people of Bermuda themselves to determine their own future political status in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Charter of the United Nations and the Declaration;

6.         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;

7.         Urges the administering Power to continue to take all necessary measures not to involve Bermuda in any offensive acts or interference directed 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;

8.         Once again urges the administering Power, in co-operation with the territorial Government, to continue to take all effective measures to guarantee the right of the people of Bermuda to own and dispose of their natural resources and to establish and maintain control over their future development with a view to creating conditions for a diversified, balanced and viable economy;

9.         Urges the specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system to continue to pay special attention to the development needs of Bermuda;

10.       Urges the administering Power, in co-operation with the territorial Government, to continue to provide assistance for increased employment of the local population in the civil service, particularly at senior levels;

11.       Emphasizes the desirability of sending a visiting mission to the Territory and requests the administering Power to facilitate the dispatch of such a mission at the earliest possible opportunity;

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