Question of the British Virgin Islands : resolution / adopted by the General Assembly

 

Question of the British Virgin Islands

  The General Assembly, Having considered the question of the British Virgin 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 British Virgin Islands, including in particular its resolution 39/34 of 5 December 1984, Noting the stated position of the administering Power that it will fully respect the wishes of the people of the British Virgin 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 with appreciation the continued active participation of the administering Power in the work of the Special Committee in regard to the British Virgin 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, Reaffirming the responsibility of the administering Power to promote the economic and social development of the Territory, Noting with concern that during the period under review the international economic crisis caused tourism and its supportive services, the mainstay of the economy, to slow down, and taking note that construction activities increased and that the territorial Government, in its continued efforts to broaden the base of the economy, was re-examining its industrialization programme, 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 contribution to the development of the Territory by the United Nations Development Programme, the United Nations Fund for Population Activities, the United Nations Children's Fund, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization and other specialized agencies and organizations of the United Nations system which operate in the Territory, and noting the continued participation of the Territory in the Caribbean Group for Co-operation in Economic Development, as well as in regional organizations, including in particular the Caribbean Development Bank, Welcoming also the participation of the Territory as an associate member in the work of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean and its subsidiary body, the Caribbean Development and Co-operation Committee, as well as in various other international and regional organizations, Recalling the dispatch in 1976 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 British Virgin Islands;

2. Reaffirms the inalienable right of the people of the British Virgin 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 British Virgin Islands;

4. Reiterates that it is the responsibility 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 the British Virgin Islands to exercise freely and without interference their inalienable right to self-determination and independence in accordance with General Assembly resolution 1514 (XV), as well as all other relevant resolutions of the Assembly;

5. Reaffirms that it is ultimately for the people of the British Virgin 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;

6. Notes the continuing commitment of the territorial Government to the goal of economic diversification, particularly in the areas of agriculture, fisheries and small industries, and reiterates its call upon the administering Power, in co-operation with the territorial Government, to intensify its efforts in this regard;

7. Urges the administering Power, in co-operation with the territorial Government, to safeguard the inalienable right of the people of the British Virgin Islands 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;

8. Urges the specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system to intensify measures to accelerate progress in the social and economic life of the Territory;

9. Reiterates its call upon the administering Power to facilitate the further participation of the British Virgin Islands in various international and regional organizations and in other organizations of the United Nations system;

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

11. 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 British Virgin 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..