Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, G.A. res. 47/23, 47 U.N. GAOR Supp. (No. 49) at 23, U.N. Doc. A/47/49 (1992).


The General Assembly,

Having examined 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 its previous resolutions concerning the implementation of the Declaration, most recently resolution 46/71 of 11 December 1991, as well as the relevant resolutions of the Security Council,

Recognizing that the eradication of colonialism is one of the priorities of the Organization for the decade that began in 1990,

Deeply conscious of the need to take, speedily, measures to eliminate the last vestiges of colonialism by the year 2000, as called for in its resolution 43/47 of 22 November 1988,

Reiterating its conviction of the need for the elimination of colonialism, as well as of the need for the total eradication of racial discrimination, apartheid and violations of basic human rights,

Conscious that the success of national liberation struggles and the resultant international situation have provided the international community with a unique opportunity to make a decisive contribution towards the elimination of colonialism in all its forms and manifestations,

Noting with satisfaction the achievements of the Special Committee in contributing to the effective and complete implementation of the Declaration and other relevant resolutions of the United Nations on decolonization,

Stressing the importance of the participation of the administering Powers in the work of the Special Committee,

Noting also with satisfaction the cooperation and active participation of some administering Powers in the work of the Special Committee, as well as their continued readiness to receive United Nations visiting missions in the Territories under their administration,

Noting with concern the negative impact which the non-participation of certain administering Powers has had on the work of the Special Committee, depriving it of an important source of information on the Territories under their administration,

Aware of the pressing need of newly independent and emerging States for assistance from the United Nations and its system of organizations in the economic, social and other fields,

Aware also of the pressing need of the remaining Non-Self-Governing Territories, including particularly the small island Territories, for economic, social and other assistance from the United Nations and the organizations within its system,

1. Reaffirms its resolution 1514 (XV) and all other resolutions on decolonization, including its resolution 43/47 in which it declared the decade that began in 1990 as the International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism, and calls upon the administering Powers, in accordance with those resolutions, to take all necessary steps to enable the peoples of the Territories concerned to exercise fully as soon as possible their right to self-determination and independence;

2. Affirms once again that the continuation of colonialism in any form or manifestation - including racism, apartheid and economic exploitation, as well as policies and practices to suppress legitimate national liberation movements - is incompatible with the Charter of the United Nations, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples and poses a threat to international peace and security;

3. Reaffirms its determination to continue to take all steps necessary to bring about the complete and speedy eradication of colonialism and the faithful and strict observance by all States 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;

4. Affirms once again its support for the struggle of the peoples under colonial rule to exercise their right to self-determination and independence;

5. Approves 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 covering its work during 1992, including the programme of work envisaged for 1993;

6. Calls upon all States, in particular the administering Powers, as well as the specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system, to give effect within their respective spheres of competence to the recommendations of the Special Committee for the speedy implementation of the Declaration and other relevant resolutions of the United Nations;

7. Condemns the activities of those foreign economic and other interests which impede the implementation of the Declaration as well as the elimination of colonialism, apartheid and racial discrimination;

8. Calls upon the administering Powers to ensure that no activity of foreign economic and other interests in the Non-Self-Governing Territories under their administration hinders the peoples of those Territories from exercising their right to self-determination and independence;

9. Strongly condemns any nuclear collaboration with the Government of South Africa and calls upon any States that are so involved to cease all such collaboration forthwith;

10. Calls upon the administering Powers to terminate military activities in the Territories under their administration and to eliminate military bases there in compliance with the relevant resolutions of the General Assembly and urges them not to involve those Territories in any offensive acts or interference against other States;

11. Urges all States, directly and through their action in the specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system, to provide moral and material assistance to the peoples of colonial Territories and requests that the administering Powers, in consultation with the Governments of the Territories under their administration, take steps to enlist and make effective use of all possible assistance, on both a bilateral and a multilateral basis, in the strengthening of the economies of those Territories;

12. Requests the Special Committee to continue to seek suitable means for the immediate and full implementation of the Declaration and to carry out those actions approved by the General Assembly regarding the International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism in all Territories that have not yet attained independence and, in particular:

(a) To formulate specific proposals for the elimination of the remaining manifestations of colonialism and to report thereon to the General Assembly at its forty-eighth session;

(b) To make concrete suggestions which could assist the Security Council in considering appropriate measures under the Charter with regard to developments in colonial Territories that are likely to threaten international peace and security;

(c) To continue to examine the compliance of Member States with resolution 1514 (XV) and other relevant resolutions on decolonization;

(d) To continue to pay special attention to the small Territories, in particular through the dispatch of regular visiting missions, and to recommend to the General Assembly the most suitable steps to be taken to enable the populations of those Territories to exercise their right to self-determination and independence;

(e) To take all necessary steps to enlist world-wide support among Governments, as well as national and international organizations, for the achievement of the objectives of the Declaration and the implementation of the relevant resolutions of the United Nations;

13. Also calls upon the administering Powers to continue to cooperate with the Special Committee in the discharge of its mandate and to receive visiting missions to the Territories to secure first-hand information and ascertain the wishes and aspirations of their inhabitants;

14. Further calls upon the administering Powers that have not participated in the work of the Special Committee to do so at its 1993 session;

15. Requests the Secretary-General, the specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system to provide economic, social and other assistance to the Non-Self-Governing Territories and to continue to do so, as appropriate, after they exercise their right to self-determination and independence;

16. Requests the Secretary-General to provide the Special Committee with the facilities and services required for the implementation of the present resolution, as well as of the other resolutions and decisions on decolonization adopted by the General Assembly and the Special Committee.

72nd plenary meeting
25 November 1992


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