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

 

RESOLUTION ADOPTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY
Question of the United States Virgin Islands

  The General Assembly, Having considered the question of the United States 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 United States Virgin Islands, including in particular its resolution 38/48 of 7 December 1983, Noting with appreciation the continued participation of the United States of America, as the administering Power, in the work of the Special Committee in regard to the United States Virgin Islands, thereby enabling it to conduct a more informed and meaningful examination of the situation in the Territory, and expressing its satisfaction at the willingness of the administering Power to receive visiting missions in the Territories under its administration, Welcoming the participation of a representative of the territorial Government in the work of the Special Committee, Having heard the statement of the representative of the administering Power relating to the United States Virgin Islands, Noting that the territorial Government has undertaken to intensify its efforts to expand and diversify the economy and further noting the growth in the manufacturing, construction and tourism sectors and in per capita income, as well as the relatively low unemployment rate in the Territory, Noting that the territorial Government is encouraging the growth of agriculture and to that end recently purchased 804 hectares of land on St. Croix for agricultural development, home ownership and the construction of a vocational school, Reiterating the view that the participation of Territories as associate members in organizations of the United Nations system is a part of the overall strategy of accelerating the decolonization process, Aware that in 1967 the administering Power transferred possession of its former naval base on St. Thomas to the territorial Government while retaining the right to reoccupy it, and that it maintains a radar and sonar calibration station and an underwater tracking range off the west coast of St. Croix,

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 United States Virgin Islands;

2. Reaffirms the inalienable right of the people of the United States 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 contained in General Assembly resolution

1514 (XV), which fully applies to the United States Virgin Islands;

4. Reiterates that it is the responsibility of the administering Power to create such conditions in the United States Virgin Islands as will enable the people of the Territory to exercise freely and without interference their inalienable right to self-determination and independence in conformity with General Assembly resolution 1514 (XV);

5. Calls upon the administering Power, taking into account the wish of the people of the United States Virgin Islands, to take all necessary steps to expedite the process of decolonization in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Charter of the United Nations and the Declaration, as well as all other relevant resolutions and decisions of the General Assembly;

6. Notes that the Senate of the United States Virgin Islands has established a Select Committee to ascertain the views of the people of the Territory on their future status and to make recommendations in that regard to the Legislature and further notes that public hearings are being held throughout the Territory;

7. Reaffirms the responsibility of the administering Power under the Charter for the economic and social development of the Territory;

8. Urges the administering Power, in co-operation with the territorial Government, to strengthen the economy of the Territory by taking additional measures of diversification in all fields and developing an adequate infrastructure with a view to reducing its economic dependence on the administering Power;

9. Notes with satisfaction the recent admission of the United States Virgin Islands as an associate member of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean and its subsidiary body, the Caribbean Development and Co-operation Committee, and calls upon the administering Power to facilitate the participation of the Territory in other organizations of the United Nations system;

10. Urges the administering Power, in co-operation with the Government of the United States Virgin Islands, to safeguard the inalienable right of the people of the Territory to the enjoyment of their natural resources by taking effective measures to guarantee their right to own and dispose of those resources and to establish and maintain control of their future development;

11. Urges the administering Power, in co-operation with the territorial Government, to continue to improve social conditions and to pay particular attention to overcoming problems of public housing, health care, education and crime and, in that connection, notes that further efforts are necessary to revitalize the health care programme, to improve crime prevention, to discourage juvenile delinquency and to expand and upgrade school facilities;

12. Urges the administering Power to continue to take all necessary measures to comply fully with the purposes and principles of the Charter, the Declaration and the relevant resolutions and decisions of the General Assembly relating to military activities and arrangements by colonial Powers in Territories under their administration;

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

14. Requests the Special Committee to continue the examination of this question at its next session, including the possible dispatch of a further visiting mission to the United States Virgin Islands at an appropriate time and in consultation with the administering Power, and to report thereon to the General Assembly at its fortieth session.