Question of Anguilla : resolution / adopted by the General Assembly

The General Assembly,

Having considered the question of Anguilla,

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 resolutions and decisions of the United Nations relating to Anguilla, including in particular General Assembly resolution 43/36 of 22 November 1988,

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

Having heard the statement of the representative of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, as the administering Power,

Noting that the revision of the laws of Anguilla remains a priority of the Government of the Territory,

Taking note of the results of the general elections of February 1989 and the statement of the Chief Minister that the Government of Anguilla had no intention of moving towards independence during its current term of office,

Noting the stated policy of the Government of the United Kingdom, the administering Power, that it remains ready to respond positively to the express wish of the people of the Territory on the question of independence,

Noting that the decisions of the House of Assembly on the report of the Constitutional Review Committee were released in August 1988 for public review, discussion and consent and that the report would be considered by the United Kingdom Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs,

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,

Reaffirming the responsibility of the administering Power to promote the economic and social development of the Territory, and noting the continued growth of the economy of the Territory in 1988 as a result of the expansion of tourism,

Expressing its concern at the continued illegal operation of foreign fishing vessels within the territorial waters of Anguilla and welcoming the measures taken by the territorial Government to protect and conserve marine resources and to control the activities of foreign fishermen operating illegally in the area,

Stressing the importance of an efficient and effective civil service and noting the measures being taken by the territorial Government aimed at alleviating the problem of unemployment and providing increased job opportunities,

Noting with concern the vulnerability of the Territory to drug trafficking and related activities,

Noting the contribution to the development of the Territory by specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system, in particular the United Nations Development Programme,

Recalling that in 1987 Anguilla became a member of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank and that it continues to participate and maintain an active interest in the related activities of other regional organizations,

Recalling also the dispatch in 1984 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 considering that the possibility of sending a further visiting mission to Anguilla 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 Anguilla;

2.         Reaffirms the inalienable right of the people of Anguilla 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 Anguilla;

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 Anguilla as will enable its people to exercise freely and without interference, from a well-informed standpoint as to the available options, their inalienable right to self-determination and independence in accordance with resolution 1514 (XV) and all other relevant resolutions of the General Assembly;

5.         Reaffirms that it is ultimately for the people of Anguilla themselves to determine freely 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 and independence;

6.         Calls upon the administering Power to continue, in co-operation with the territorial Government, to strengthen the economy and to increase its assistance to programmes of diversification;

7.         Urges the administering Power, in co-operation with the territorial Government, to continue the assistance necessary to increase employment of the local population in the civil service and other sectors of the economy;

8.         Also urges the administering Power, in co-operation with the territorial Government, to take effective measures to safeguard and guarantee the inalienable right of the people of Anguilla to own and dispose of the natural resources of the Territory, including marine resources, and to establish and maintain control over the future development of those resources;

9.         Calls upon the administering Power to continue to take all necessary measures, in co-operation with the territorial Government, to counter problems related to drug trafficking;

10.       Reiterates its request to the administering Power to continue to enlist the assistance of the specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system, as well as other international and regional bodies, in the development and strengthening of the economy of Anguilla;

11.       Also reiterates its request to the administering Power to continue to make every effort to facilitate and encourage the participation of the Territory in regional and international organizations;

12.       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 Anguilla at an appropriate time and in consultation with the administering Power, and to report thereon to the General Assembly at its forty-fifth session.