Question of East Timor.

  • Author: UN General Assembly (35th sess. : 1980-1981)
  • Document source:
  • Date:
    11 November 1980

35. RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED ON THE REPORTS OF THE FOURTH COMMITTEE
27. Question of East Timor

The General Assembly, Recognizing the inalienable right of all peoples to self-determination and independence in accordance with the principles of the Charter of the United Nations and of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, contained in its resolution 1514 (XV) of 14 December 1960, Considering that the international community is celebrating in 1980 the twentieth anniversary of the Declaration, Bearing in mind that the Fifth[1] and Sixth[2] Conferences of Heads of State or Government of Non-Aligned Countries, held at Colombo and Havana in 1976 and 1979, respectively, reaffirmed the right of the people of East Timor to self-determination and independence, Having examined 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 Territory,[3] and other relevant documents,[4] Taking into consideration the recent communiqué of the Council of Ministers of Portugal, issued on 12 September 1980,[5] in which the administering Power reaffirmed the right of the people of East Timor to self-determination, Taking also into consideration the diplomatic initiative taken by the Government of Portugal with a view to finding a comprehensive solution to the problem of East Timor, Deeply concerned at the continued suffering of the people of East Timor as a result of the hostilities still prevailing in the Territory, Having heard the statements of the representatives of Portugal,[6] as the administering Power, and Indonesia,[7] Having also heard the statements of various East Timorese petitioners and representatives of non-governmental organizations,[8] as well as the representative of the Frente Revolucionária de Timor Leste Independente,[9]

1. Reaffirms the inalienable right of the people of East Timor to self-determination and independence, in accordance with the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples;

2. Declares that the people of East Timor must be enabled freely to determine their own future within the framework of the United Nations,

3. Welcomes the diplomatic initiative taken by the Government of Portugal as a first step towards the free exercise by the people of East Timor of their right to self-determination and independence, and urges all parties directly concerned to co-operate fully with a view to creating the conditions necessary for the speedy implementation of General Assembly resolution 1514 (XV);

4. Expresses its deepest concern at the continued suffering of the people of East Timor as a result of the situation still prevailing in the Territory;

5. Requests the United Nations Children's Fund, the World Food Programme and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to render, within their respective fields of competence, all possible assistance to the people of East Timor, particularly the children;

6. Requests the Secretary-General to follow the implementation of the present resolution and to report to the General Assembly at its thirty-sixth session on all aspects of the situation in East Timor, in particular the political developments concerning the situations referred to in paragraphs 1 to 4 above;

7. Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its thirty-sixth session the item entitled "Question of East Timor".

57th plenary meeting
11 November 1980


[1] See A/31/197, annex I, para. 36. [2] See A/34/542, annex, sect. I, para. 155. [3] Official Records of the General Assembly, Thirty-fifth Session, Supplement No. 23 (A/35/Rev.1), chap. X. [4] A/AC.109/622, 623 and 634. [5] A/C.4/35/2, annex. [6] Official Records of the General Assembly, Thirty-fifth Session, Fourth Committee, 11th meeting, paras. 34-38. [7] Ibid., 19th meeting, paras. 32-52. [8] Ibid., 9th, 11th, 12th, 16th and 17th meetings. [9] Ibid., 14th meeting, paras. 3-11.
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