Thirtieth anniversary of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples : resolution / adopted by the General Assembly

The General Assembly,

Recalling the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, contained in its resolution 1514 (XV) of 14 December 1960,

Recalling also its resolution 43/47 of 22 November 1988, entitled "International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism",

Having commemorated in plenary meeting, in the year of the forty-fifth anniversary of the United Nations, the thirtieth anniversary of the Declaration,

Recalling the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations, in which the peoples of the world proclaimed their determination to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person and in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small and to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom,

Recalling also the relevant provisions of the Declaration on Principles of International Law concerning Friendly Relations and Co-operation among States in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations,

Recalling further its resolutions 2621 (XXV) of 12 October 1970, containing the programme of action for the full implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, and 35/118 of 11 December 1980, the annex to which contains the Plan of Action for the Full Implementation of the Declaration, as well as its resolution 40/56 of 2 December 1985,

Considering that the process of national liberation is irresistible and irreversible, and recalling that the Declaration solemnly proclaimed the necessity speedily and unconditionally to put an end to colonialism in all its forms and manifestations,

Recognizing the significant and commendable role played by the United Nations, since its very inception, in the field of decolonization and noting the emergence, during this period, of more than one hundred States into sovereign existence, in particular noting with satisfaction the attainment of independence by Namibia following the holding of free and fair elections under the supervision and control of the United Nations, and the subsequent admission of independent Namibia as a Member of the United Nations on 23 April 1990,

Noting with satisfaction, in particular, that during the past thirty years a large number of former colonial Territories have achieved independence, mainly through the courageous liberation struggle carried out by the peoples of those countries, led by their national liberation movements, and that many former Trust and Non-Self-Governing Territories have exercised their right to self-determination and independence in accordance with the Declaration,

Noting also with satisfaction the important contribution made by the Special Committee on the Situation with regard to the Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples in furthering the aims and objectives of the Declaration with a view to the liberation of peoples from colonial rule,

Noting further with satisfaction the active and important role being played by former colonial Territories, as States Members of the United Nations and members of the other organizations of the United Nations system, in the realization of the purposes and principles of the Charter, the preservation of international peace and security, decolonization and the promotion of human progress, as well as the profound impact thereof on contemporary international relations,

Conscious of the fact that the Declaration has played an important role in assisting the peoples under colonial rule and will continue to serve as an inspiration in their efforts to achieve self-determination and independence in accordance with the Charter and in mobilizing world public opinion for the complete elimination of colonialism in all its forms and manifestations,

Noting with satisfaction the work accomplished by the two regional seminars held by the Special Committee in Vanuatu and Barbados on the occasion of the thirtieth anniversary of the Declaration,

Deeply concerned at the fact that, thirty years after the adoption of the Declaration, colonialism in the world has not yet been totally eradicated,

Reaffirming that all peoples have the right to self-determination and independence and that the subjection of peoples to colonial domination constitutes a denial of fundamental human rights and is a serious impediment to the maintenance of international peace and security and the development of peaceful relations among nations,

Increasingly aware of the importance of economic, social and cultural development and self-reliance of colonial countries and peoples for the attainment and consolidation of genuine independence,

Convinced that the total eradication of racial discrimination, apartheid and violations of the basic human rights of the peoples in the remaining colonial Territories will be achieved peacefully and most expeditiously by the faithful and complete implementation of the Declaration,

Noting that the large majority of the remaining Non-Self-Governing Territories are small island Territories,

Determined to take effective measures leading to the complete and unconditional elimination of colonialism in all its forms and manifestations without further delay,

1.         Reaffirms the inalienable right of all peoples under colonial rule to self-determination and independence in accordance with the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples;

2.         Declares that the continuation of colonialism in all its forms and manifestations, including racism and apartheid, is incompatible with the Charter of the United Nations, the Declaration and the principles of international law;

3.         Expresses its conviction that the thirtieth anniversary of the Declaration should provide an opportunity for Member States to rededicate themselves to the principles and objectives enunciated in that document and for concerted efforts to be made to remove the last vestiges of colonialism in all regions of the world;

4.         Strongly condemns South Africa's aggressive activities and acts of destabilization against neighbouring independent African States and its policies of apartheid, as well as its acquisition of nuclear-weapon capability, the use of which would heighten tension and increase the threat to regional as well as international peace and security;

5.         Calls upon Member States, in particular colonial Powers, to take effective steps with a view to the complete, unconditional and speedy eradication of colonialism in all its forms and manifestations and to the faithful and strict observance of the relevant provisions of the Charter, the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, as well as other relevant resolutions and decisions of the General Assembly and the Security Council;

6.         Urges Member States to do their utmost to promote, in the United Nations and the specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system, effective measures for the full and speedy implementation of the Declaration in all colonial Territories to which the Declaration applies;

7.         Calls upon Member States to render, as a matter of urgency, all moral and material assistance to the peoples under colonial rule in their struggle to exercise their right to self-determination and independence, in accordance with the Charter and the Declaration;

8.         Urges the administering Powers and other Member States to ensure that the activities of foreign economic and other interests in colonial Territories do not run counter to the interests of the inhabitants of those Territories and do not impede the implementation of the Declaration;

9.         Urges Member States to discontinue all economic, financial, trade and other relations with the racist minority regime of South Africa that run counter to the Declaration on Apartheid and its Destructive Consequences in Southern Africa and to refrain from entering into any relations which may lend legitimacy or support to its policies of apartheid;

10.       Requests Member States, as well as the organizations of the United Nations system, to ensure that the permanent sovereignty of the colonial Territories over their natural resources is fully respected and safeguarded;

11.       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 peoples of the Non-Self-Governing Territories of their inalienable right to self-determination and independence in conformity with the Declaration, which fully applies to the dependent Territories;

12.       Reaffirms that all administering Powers are obliged, under the Charter and in accordance with the Declaration, to create economic, social and other conditions in the Territories under their administration which will enable those Territories to achieve genuine independence and economic self-reliance;

13.       Requests the administering Powers concerned to adopt the necessary measures to discourage or prevent any systematic influx of immigrants and settlers into the Territories under their administration which might disrupt the demographic composition of those Territories and prevent the genuine exercise of the right to self-determination and independence by their peoples, and to avoid any forced displacement, complete or partial, of the population of colonial Territories;

14.       Also requests the administering Powers to preserve the cultural identity, as well as the national unity, of the Territories under their administration and to encourage the full development of the indigenous culture, with a view to facilitating the unfettered exercise of the right to self-determination and independence by the peoples of those Territories;

15.       Reaffirms its strong conviction that the presence of all kinds of military bases and installations in colonial Territories could constitute a major obstacle to the implementation of the Declaration and that it is the responsibility of the administering Powers concerned to ensure that the existence of such bases and installations does not hinder the peoples of the Territories from exercising their right to self-determination and independence in conformity with the purposes and principles of the Charter and the Declaration;

16.       Calls upon the administering Powers concerned to continue to take all necessary measures not to involve those Territories in any offensive acts or interference against other States and to comply fully with the purposes and principles of the Charter, the Declaration and the resolutions and decisions of the United Nations relating to military activities and arrangements by colonial Powers in the Territories under their administration;

17.       Requests Member States, in particular the administering Powers, to adopt appropriate measures to prevent the recruitment, financing, training and transit of mercenaries in their Territories for use against the national liberation movements struggling for freedom and independence from the yoke of colonialism, racism and apartheid;

18.       Considers it incumbent upon the United Nations to continue to play an active role in the process of decolonization and to intensify its efforts for the widest possible dissemination of information on decolonization, with a view to the further mobilization of international public opinion in support of complete decolonization;

19.       Urges Member States to ensure the full and speedy implementation of the Declaration contained in General Assembly resolution 1514 (XV) and other relevant resolutions of the United Nations;

20.       Requests the specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system to render, or continue to render, within their respective spheres of competence, all possible moral and material assistance to the peoples of the colonial Territories and to their national liberation movements, to take measures to withhold from the apartheid regime of South Africa any form of collaboration or assistance in the financial, economic and technical fields and to discontinue all support to that regime until apartheid has been eradicated and a non-racial, united and democratic State based on the will of all South African people has been established in accordance with the relevant resolutions and decisions of the General Assembly, including the Declaration on Apartheid and its Destructive Consequences in Southern Africa, and of the Security Council;

21.       Invites non-governmental organizations having a special interest in the field of decolonization to intensify their activities in co-operation with the United Nations;

22.       Requests the Special Committee to continue to examine the full compliance of all States with General Assembly resolution 1514 (XV) and other relevant resolutions on the question of decolonization, to seek the most suitable ways for the speedy and total application of the Declaration to all Territories to which it applies and to propose to the Assembly specific measures for the complete implementation of the Declaration in the remaining colonial Territories;

23.       Invites all States to co-operate fully with the Special Committee in the complete fulfilment of its mandate.