Territories under Portuguese administration

XVII. RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED ON THE REPORT OF THE FOURTH COMMITTEE
1807. Territories under Portuguese administration

The General Assembly, Recalling the Declaration on the granting of independence to colonial countries and peoples, set out in its resolution 1514 (XV) of 14 December 1960, Recalling further its resolutions 1542 (XV) of 15 December 1960 and 1699 (XVI) of 19 December 1961, and all its other resolutions relating to Territories under Portuguese administration, Having examined the report of the Special Committee on Territories under Portuguese Administration[1]1and chapters VIII and XI 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,[2] Noting the statements of the petitioners, Greatly deploring the continued disregard by the Portuguese Government of the legitimate aspirations for immediate self-determination and independence expressed by the peoples of the Territories under its administration, Greatly concerned at the intensified measures of oppression being carried out by the Portuguese Government against the indigenous peoples of Territories under its administration, Noting that the Portuguese military and other forces of repression have used extensively and continue to use, for the repression of the nationalist movements, military and other equipment supplied to Portugual by some of its allies for other purposes and also equipment obtained from other sources, Noting the opinion of the Special Committee on Territories under Portuguese Administration, expressed in paragraph 439 of its report, concerning the implications of the supply of military equipment to the Portuguese Government, Noting with deep concern that the policy and acts of the Portuguese Government with regard to the Territories under its administration have created a situation which constitutes a serious threat to international peace and security,

1. Approves the report of the Special Committee on Territories under Portuguese Administration;

2. Condemns the attitude of Portugal, which is inconsistent with the Charter of the United Nations;

3. Reaffirms the inalienable right of the peoples of the Territories under Portuguese administration to self-determination and independence and upholds without any reservations the claims of those peoples for their immediate accession to independence;

4. Urges the Portuguese Government to give effect to the recommendations contained in the report of the Special Committee on Territories under Portuguese Administration, in particular those set out in paragraphs 442 to 445 of that report, by taking the following measures:

(a) The immediate recognition of the right of e peoples of the Territories under its administration to self-determination and independence;

(b) The immediate cessation of all acts of repression and the withdrawal of all military and other forces at present employed for that purpose;

(c) The promulgation of an unconditional political amnesty and the establishment of conditions that will allow the free functioning of political parties;

(d) Negotiations, on the basis of the recognition of the right to self-determination, with the authorized representatives of the political parties within and outside the Territories with a view to the transfer of power to political institutions freely elected and representative of the peoples, in accordance with resolution 1514 (XV);

(e) The granting of independence immediately thereafter to all the Territories under its administration in accordance with the aspirations of the peoples;

5. Requests the Special Committee on the Situation with regard to the Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples to give high priority to an examination of the situation in the Territories under Portuguese administration, bearing in mind the present resolution and the other relevant resolutions of the General Assembly;

6. Calls upon Member States to use all their influence to induce the Portuguese Government to carry out the obligations incumbent upon it under Chapter XI of the Charter of the United Nations and the resolutions of the General Assembly relating to the Territories under its administration;

7. Earnestly requests all States to refrain forthwith from offering the Portuguese Government any assistance which would enable it to continue its repression of the peoples of the Territories under its administration and, for this purpose, to take all measures to prevent the sale and supply of arms and military equipment to the Portuguese Government;

8. Requests the Security Council, in case the Portuguese Government should refuse to comply with the present resolution and previous General Assembly resolutions on this question, to take all appropriate measures to secure the compliance of Portugal with its obligations as a Member State.

1194th plenary meeting,
14 December 1962.


[1] Ibid., Seventeenth Session, Annexes, agenda item 54, documents A/5160 and Add. 1 and 2. [2] Official Records of the General Assembly, Seventeenth Session, Annexes, agenda item 25, document A/5238.
Disclaimer:

This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.