Question of Bermuda : resolution / adopted by the General Assembly

The General Assembly,

Having considered the question of Bermuda,

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 Bermuda, in particular General Assembly resolution 44/92 of 11 December 1989,

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,

Bearing in mind 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, following the general elections of 1989, during which the ruling United Bermuda Party retained power in the House of Assembly despite the loss of eight seats, its leader, the Prime Minister, stated that the question of independence was no longer a major issue because the majority of the people did not seem to want independence at present,

Noting that the leader of the largest opposition party, the Progressive Labour Party, considers that independence would help to unify the people of Bermuda and that the Governor of Bermuda stated that the Government of Bermuda recognized that it had a responsibility to obtain pertinent information on the question of independence should circumstances change,

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,

Noting that in January 1988 the Government of Bermuda started work on a new development plan for the Territory with a view to involving the public as closely as possible in its preparation,

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

Noting with appreciation the continued contribution of the United Nations Development Programme, as well as regional institutions such as the Caribbean Development Bank, to the development of the Territory,

Mindful that United Nations visiting missions provide an effective means of assessing the situation in Non-Self-Governing Territories, and considering that the possibility of sending a visiting mission to Bermuda at an appropriate time should be kept under review,

1.         Approves the section 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 Bermuda;

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

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 the Territory as will enable the people of Bermuda to exercise freely and without interference 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 Bermuda themselves to determine 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.         Reaffirms its strong conviction that the presence of military bases and installations in the Territory could constitute a major obstacle to the implementation of the Declaration and that it is the responsibility of the administering Power to ensure that the existence of such bases and installations does not hinder the population of the Territory from exercising its right to self-determination and independence in conformity with the purposes and principles of the Charter;

7.         Urges the administering Power to continue to take all necessary measures not to involve Bermuda in any offensive acts or interference directed against other States and to comply fully with the purposes and principles of the Charter, the Declaration and the resolutions and decisions of the General Assembly relating to military activities and arrangements by colonial Powers in Territories under their administration;

8.         Also urges the administering Power, in co-operation with the territorial Government, to continue to take effective measures to safeguard and guarantee the inalienable right of the people of Bermuda 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.         Reaffirms the responsibility of the administering Power to promote the economic and social development of the Territory, and recommends that priority should continue to be given to the diversification of the Territory's economy in order to provide the foundations for sound social and economic development;

10.       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;

11.       Invites the specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system to continue to provide assistance for the development needs of Bermuda;

12.       Reaffirms the value of sending a visiting mission to the Territory, and requests the administering Power to facilitate the dispatch of such a mission at the earliest possible opportunity;

13.       Requests the Special Committee to continue the examination of this question at its next session, including the possible dispatch of a visiting mission to Bermuda at an appropriate time and in consultation with the administering Power, and to report thereon to the General Assembly at its forty-sixth session.