Questions of American Samoa, Anguilla, Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Guam, Montserrat, Tokelau, the Turks and Caicos Islands and the United States Virgin Islands, G.A. res. 49/46, 49 U.N. GAOR Supp. (No. 49) at 112, U.N. Doc. A/49/49 (1994).



A

GENERAL

The General Assembly,

Having considered
the questions of American Samoa, Anguilla, Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Guam, Montserrat, Tokelau, the Turks and Caicos Islands and the United States Virgin Islands,

Having examined the relevant 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,

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 those Territories, including, in particular, those resolutions adopted by the General Assembly at its forty-eighth session on the individual Territories covered by the present resolution,

Recalling also its resolution 1541 (XV) of 15 December 1960, containing the principles which should guide Member States in determining whether or not an obligation exists to transmit the information called for under Article 73 e of the Charter of the United Nations,

Conscious of the need to ensure the full and speedy implementation of the Declaration in respect of those Territories, in view of the target set by the United Nations to eradicate colonialism by the year 2000,

Noting the decision of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland as administering Power to effect a policy change aimed at enhancing its relations with its Caribbean dependent Territories,

Noting with satisfaction the participation of New Zealand in the work of the Special Committee,

Aware of the special circumstances of the geographical location and economic conditions of each Territory, and bearing in mind the necessity of promoting economic stability and diversifying and strengthening further the economies of the respective Territories as a matter of priority,

Conscious of the particular vulnerability of the small Territories to natural disasters and environmental degradation, and, in this connection, bearing in mind deliberations in all related international conferences including the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, at which Agenda 21 was adopted, the World Conference on Natural Disaster Reduction and the Global Conference on the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States,

Aware also of the usefulness both to the Territories and to the Special Committee of the participation of representatives of the Non-Self-Governing Territories in the work of the Special Committee,

Expressing its conviction that referendums and other forms of popular consultation on the future status of the Non-Self-Governing Territories are an appropriate means of ascertaining the wishes of the peoples in those Territories with regard to their future political status,

Mindful that United Nations visiting missions provide the most effective means of ascertaining the situation in the Non-Self-Governing Territories, and considering that the possibility of sending further visiting missions to those Territories at an appropriate time and in consultation with the administering Powers should be kept under review,

Noting with appreciation the contribution to the development of some Territories by specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system, in particular the United Nations Development Programme, as well as regional institutions such as the Caribbean Development Bank,

Bearing in mind the fragile economy of the small Territories and their vulnerability to natural disasters and environmental degradation, and recalling its resolutions and the report of the Pacific Regional Seminar to Review the Political, Economic and Social Conditions in the Small Island Non- Self-Governing Territories, held at Port Moresby from 8 to 10 June 1993, in connection with the plan of action of the International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism, as well as the position taken by the territorial Governments, contained in the report of the Seminar,

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 American Samoa, Anguilla, Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Guam, Montserrat, Tokelau, the Turks and Caicos Islands and the United States Virgin Islands;

2. Reaffirms the inalienable right of the people of those Territories to self-determination and independence in conformity with the Charter of the United Nations and General Assembly resolution 1514 (XV), containing the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples;

3. Reaffirms also that it is ultimately for the people of those Territories themselves to determine freely their future political status in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Charter, the Declaration and the relevant resolutions of the General Assembly, and, in that connection, calls upon the administering Powers, in cooperation with the territorial Governments, to facilitate programmes of political education in the Territories in order to foster an awareness among the people of the possibilities open to them in the exercise of their right to self-determination, in conformity with the legitimate political status options clearly defined in resolution 1541 (XV);

4. Reiterates that it is the responsibility of the administering Powers to create such conditions in the Territories as will enable their people to exercise freely and without interference their inalienable right to self-determination and independence;

5. Calls upon the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, as an administering Power, to give due consideration to any proposals made by the Territories under its administration in the framework of its review of policy and management of its Caribbean dependent Territories, as well as of any future policy changes affecting them;

6. Requests the administering Powers to encourage and facilitate the participation of elected representatives of the Non-Self-Governing Territories under their administration and other appropriate authorities or personalities duly mandated by those representatives in the work of the Special Committee and its Subcommittee on Small Territories, Petitions, Information and Assistance, as well as in the work of its seminars;

7. Reiterates the view that factors such as territorial size, geographical location, size of population and limited natural resources should in no way serve as a pretext to delay the speedy exercise by the peoples of those Territories of their inalienable right to self-determination;

8. Reaffirms the responsibility of the administering Powers under the Charter to promote the economic and social development and to preserve the cultural identity of those Territories, and recommends that priority should continue to be given, in consultation with the territorial Governments concerned, to the strengthening and diversification of their respective economies;

9. Urges the administering Powers, in cooperation with the territorial Governments concerned, to take or continue to take effective measures to safeguard and guarantee the inalienable right of the peoples of those Territories to own, develop or dispose of the natural resources of those Territories, including marine resources, and to establish and maintain control over the future development of those resources;

10. Also urges the administering Powers to take all necessary measures to protect and conserve the environment of the Territories under their administration against any environmental degradation, and requests the specialized agencies concerned to continue to monitor environmental conditions;

11. Calls upon the administering Powers, in cooperation with the respective territorial Governments, to continue to take all necessary measures to counter problems related to drug trafficking, money laundering and other offences;

12. Urges the administering Powers to foster or continue to foster close relations between the Territories and other island communities in their respective regions and to promote cooperation between the respective territorial Governments and regional institutions, as well as the specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system;

13. Also urges the administering Powers to cooperate or continue to cooperate with the Special Committee in its work by providing timely and up-to-date information for each Territory under their administration, in accordance with Article 73 e of the Charter, and by facilitating the dispatch of visiting missions to secure firsthand information thereon and to ascertain the wishes and aspirations of the inhabitants;

14. Appeals to the administering Powers to continue or to resume their participation in future meetings and activities of the Special Committee and to ensure the participation in the work of the Special Committee of representatives of the Non-Self-Governing Territories;

15. Urges Member States to contribute to the efforts of the United Nations to achieve the eradication of colonialism by the year 2000, and calls upon them to continue to give their full support to the action of the Special Committee towards the attainment of that objective;

16. Invites the specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system to initiate or to continue to take all necessary measures to accelerate progress in the social and economic life of the Territories;

17. Requests the specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system, in formulating their assistance programmes, to take due account of the text entitled "Challenges and opportunities: a strategic framework", which was adopted unanimously by the Meeting of Governmental Experts of Island Developing Countries and Donor Countries and Organizations;

18. Requests the Special Committee to continue the examination of the question of the small Territories 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, and to report thereon to the Assembly at its fiftieth session.

B

INDIVIDUAL TERRITORIES


I. American Samoa

The General Assembly,

Referring
to resolution A above,

Noting that efforts in American Samoa are currently aimed at increasing the production of food crops for local consumption,

Noting also the efforts of the Governor to reduce government spending and the Territory's budget deficit,

Noting further that American Samoa is one of two Territories of the United States of America in which employers are allowed to pay workers less than the mainland minimum wage to ensure compatibility with the prevailing cost of living,

Noting that the Territory, similar to isolated communities with limited funds, continues to experience a shortage of qualified medical personnel,

Aware that one third of the population is dependent on village-based water systems which often lack basic sanitary conditions,

Recalling the dispatch in 1981 of a United Nations visiting mission to the Territory,

1. Calls upon the administering Power, in cooperation with the territorial Government, to continue to promote the economic and social development of the Territory in order to alleviate its financial problems;

2. Also calls upon the administering Power, in cooperation with relevant regional and international institutions, to assist the Territory in increasing its agricultural output;

3. Urges the administering Power, in cooperation with the territorial Government, to ensure that salaries paid to employees are on a par with the cost of living in the Territory;

4. Requests the administering Power, in cooperation with the territorial Government, to continue its efforts to assist in alleviating the shortage of medical personnel in the Territory;

5. Also requests the administering Power, in cooperation with the territorial Government, to continue to extend adequate water services with appropriate sanitary conditions to the whole population of the Territory and, in this framework, to study the feasibility of making the Government's central water system available to all;

6. Notes that a period of thirteen years has elapsed since a United Nations mission visited the Territory and again calls upon the administering Power to facilitate such a mission as early as possible.

II. Anguilla

The General Assembly,

Referring
to resolution A above,

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

Aware that the educational system in Anguilla is facing severe problems, including overcrowding and insufficient equipment and supplies in the schools, as well as a high percentage of undertrained teachers and the loss of teachers to the private sector and to other parts of the civil service,

Aware also of the inability of the educational system in Anguilla to alleviate the problem of scarcity of skilled national personnel, particularly in the fields of economic management and tourism, and that educational reform is of paramount importance to the achievement of the long-term economic goals of the Territory,

Noting that the Government is placing great emphasis on manpower development and training,

Noting also that the Government's Public Sector Investment Programme for 1991-1995 is expected to be financed by external donors through grants and concessional loans,

Aware that the exploitation of deep-sea resources would help reduce the risk of depleting the Territory's own fishing resources as a result of overfishing,

Recalling the dispatch of a United Nations visiting mission to the Territory in 1984,

1. Requests the administering Power, in considering, adopting and/or implementing policy decisions likely to affect its dependent Territories, to continue to grant the highest attention to the interests, needs and wishes of the territorial Government and the people of Anguilla;

2. Calls upon national, regional and international institutions specializing in the field of education to grant Anguilla funds and equipment and to make available to the Territory teacher-training courses, to enable it to overcome its educational problems;

3. Calls upon all countries, institutions and organizations endowed with expertise in manpower training to grant Anguilla assistance in this field;

4. Invites the international donor community to contribute generously to the Government's Public Sector Investment Programme for 1991-1995 and to grant the Territory all possible assistance to enable it to reach the main development objectives established by the Executive Council of the Territory;

5. Requests all countries and organizations with deep-sea fishing experience to facilitate the acquisition by the fishing sector of the Territory of larger boats and fishing equipment and to provide the Territory's fishermen with deep-sea fishing training programmes;

6. Notes that a period of ten years has elapsed since a United Nations mission visited Anguilla and again calls upon the administering Power to facilitate the dispatch of such a mission as early as possible.

III. Bermuda

The General Assembly,

Referring to resolution A above,

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 general elections held in the Territory in November 1993 and the proposed referendum on Bermuda's independence to be held in 1994,

Noting the negative effects of the international recession on the economy of Bermuda,

Noting also the recent review of the criminal justice system in the Territory,

Noting with concern the incidence of crime in the secondary schools, and noting also the planned restructuring of the public school system,

Expressing the view that the removal of military bases and installations from the Territory could expedite the full implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples,

Noting that the Territory has never been visited by a United Nations visiting mission,

1. Expresses the view that the referendum on the future status of Bermuda is an appropriate means for the people of the Territory to decide their own future;

2. Notes with satisfaction that the economy of the Territory has begun to recover and that the territorial Government continues to place emphasis on the general good management of the economy of Bermuda;

3. Calls upon the administering Power to ensure that the criminal justice system is fair to all inhabitants of the Territory;

4. Notes the plans of the territorial Government to restructure the entire educational system with a view to facilitating wider access to higher education and to training more Bermudian students in the skills required to satisfy the employment needs of the Territory;

5. Notes also the decision by Canada, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United States of America to close their respective military bases in Bermuda in 1995;

6. Again calls upon the administering Power to facilitate the dispatch of a United Nations visiting mission to the Territory as early as possible.

IV. British Virgin Islands

The General Assembly,

Referring to resolution A above,

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

Noting the request of the Territory for a review of its Constitution, and noting also the appointment by the administering Power of the Constitutional Review Commission,

Also noting the measures taken by the territorial Government to develop the agricultural, industrial, educational and communications sectors,

Further noting the desire of the Territory for membership in the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and other regional and international organizations,

Noting that the Territory's unmet manpower requirements continue to be a critical constraint to its economic growth,

Recognizing the measures being taken by the territorial Government to prevent drug trafficking and money laundering,

1. Requests the administering Power to take into account the wishes and interests of the Government and the people of the Territory in connection with the constitutional review;

2. Also requests the administering Power and all financial institutions to continue to provide assistance to the Territory in order to enable it to mitigate the effects of the international economic recession and to pursue its development programmes;

3. Reiterates its call upon the administering Power to facilitate the admission of the Territory to associate membership in the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, as well as its participation in other regional and international organizations;

4. Calls upon the United Nations Development Programme to continue its technical assistance to the British Virgin Islands, bearing in mind the vulnerability of the Territory to external economic factors and the scarcity of skilled workers in the Territory;

5. Calls upon all countries and organizations with expertise in the development of skilled labour to assist the territorial Government in every possible way in the implementation of its educational and manpower training programmes;

6. Notes with satisfaction the measures being taken by the territorial Government to prevent drug trafficking and money laundering, and urges the administering Power to continue its assistance to the Territory in those endeavours;

7. Notes that a period of eighteen years has elapsed since a United Nations mission visited the Territory and again calls upon the administering Power to facilitate the dispatch of such a mission as early as possible.

V. Cayman Islands

The General Assembly,

Referring to resolution A above,

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

Noting that an amended Constitution was brought into force in the Cayman Islands on 1 February 1994,

Aware of the economic priorities established by the territorial Government,

Noting that there is an urgent need for the training of nationals in the technical, vocational, managerial and professional fields,

Noting also the actions taken by the territorial Government to implement its localization programme to promote increased participation of the local population in the decision-making process in the Cayman Islands,

Noting further the Territory's dependence on imported agricultural products,

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

Noting with satisfaction the efforts of the territorial Government, the Governments of other countries of the region and the administering Power to prevent and repress illicit activities such as money laundering, funds smuggling, false invoicing and other related frauds, as well as the use of and trafficking in illegal drugs,

Recalling the dispatch in 1977 of a United Nations visiting mission to the Territory,

1. Requests the administering Power to provide the territorial Government with all required expertise to enable it to achieve its economic aims;

2. Urges the administering Power, in consultation with the territorial Government, to continue to facilitate the expansion of the current programme of securing employment for the local population, in particular at the decision-making level;

3. Calls upon the administering Power, in consultation with the territorial Government, to continue to promote the agricultural development of the Cayman Islands;

4. Requests the specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system to continue and increase their programmes of assistance to the Territory with a view to strengthening, developing and diversifying its economy;

5. Also calls upon the administering Power, in cooperation with the territorial Government, to continue to take all necessary measures to counter problems related to money laundering, funds smuggling and other related crimes, as well as drug trafficking;

6. Notes that a period of seventeen years has elapsed since a United Nations mission visited the Territory and again calls upon the administering Power to facilitate the dispatch of such a mission as early as possible.

VI. Guam

The General Assembly,

Referring
to resolution A above,

Recalling that in a referendum held in 1987, the people of Guam endorsed a draft Commonwealth Act that would establish a new framework for relations between the Territory and the administering Power, providing internal self- government for Guam and recognition of the right of the indigenous Chamorro people to self-determination for the Territory,

Aware of the continued negotiations between the administering Power and the territorial Government on the draft Guam Commonwealth Act and on the future status of the Territory, with particular emphasis on the questions of the evolution of the relationship between the United States of America and Guam, self-determination of the Chamorro people and participation of Guam in international organizations,

Noting the appointment on 3 November 1993 by the administering Power of a Special Representative for Guam Commonwealth Issues,

Cognizant that the administering Power continues to implement its programme of transferring surplus federal land to the Government of Guam,

Noting that the people of the Territory have called for a reform in the programme of the administering Power with respect to the thorough and expeditious transfer of property to the people of Guam,

Conscious that immigration into Guam has resulted in the indigenous Chamorros becoming a minority in their homeland,

Aware of the potential for diversifying and developing the economy of Guam through commercial fishing and agriculture and other viable activities,

Noting with concern the escalating crime rate in the Territory,

Recalling the dispatch in 1979 of a United Nations visiting mission to the Territory,

1. Calls upon the administering Power to continue to conduct expeditiously its negotiations with the territorial Government on the draft Guam Commonwealth Act and on the future status of the Territory;

2. Expresses the hope that the appointment by the administering Power of a Special Representative for Guam Commonwealth Issues will facilitate the ongoing discussions on the political status of Guam;

3. Requests the administering Power, in cooperation with the territorial Government, to continue to expedite the transfer of land to the people of the Territory and to take the necessary steps to safeguard their property rights;

4. Also requests the administering Power to continue to recognize and respect the political rights and the cultural and ethnic identity of the Chamorro people and to take all necessary measures to respond to the concerns of the territorial Government with regard to the immigration issue;

5. Further requests the administering Power to continue to support appropriate measures by the territorial Government aimed at promoting growth in commercial fishing and agriculture and other viable activities;

6. Urges the administering Power to continue to assist the territorial Government in crime prevention;

7. Notes that a period of fifteen years has elapsed since the last United Nations mission visited the Territory and again calls upon the administering Power to facilitate the dispatch of such a mission as early as possible.

VII. Montserrat

The General Assembly,

Referring
to resolution A above,

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

Noting the position of the territorial Government that while independence is both desirable and inevitable, it should be preceded by economic and financial viability sufficient to sustain Montserrat as an independent State,

Expressing concern at the high incidence of drug trafficking and money laundering in the Territory,

Taking into account the membership of Montserrat in regional and international bodies and the outstanding request of the Territory for readmission to associate membership in the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization,

Aware of the territorial Government's policy to continue to train and develop local human resources,
Aware also of the territorial Government's policy to achieve optimal self-sufficiency in food production within five years,

Recalling that the last United Nations Visiting Mission to the Territory took place in 1982,

1. Requests the administering Power to work towards promoting the economic and social development of the Territory with a view to its attaining self-determination and independence;

2. Notes the expressed preference of the territorial Government for independence within a political union with the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States;

3. Requests the administering Power and competent regional and international organizations, as well as countries in a position to do so, to grant the Government of Montserrat every assistance it requires to achieve its stated goal of improving the efficiency and productivity of the public service through training at all levels;

4. Reiterates its call upon the administering Power, in cooperation with the territorial Government, to take, as a matter of urgency, the necessary steps to facilitate the readmission of Montserrat as an associate member of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization;

5. Urges the specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system, as well as regional and other multilateral financial institutions, to continue to expand their assistance to the Territory in the strengthening, development and diversification of the economy of Montserrat in accordance with its medium-term and long-term development plans;

6. Urges the administering Power to continue its assistance to the Territory in the prevention of drug trafficking and money laundering;

7. Notes that a period of twelve years has elapsed since a United Nations mission visited the Territory and calls upon the administering Power to facilitate the dispatch of a visiting mission to Montserrat as early as possible.

VIII. Turks and Caicos Islands

The General Assembly,

Referring
to resolution A above,

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

Noting recent changes to the Constitution of the Territory and the intention of the territorial Government to continue to campaign for further constitutional changes,

Noting also the different views expressed by the elected representatives of the Turks and Caicos Islands on the question of the future status of the Territory,

Aware of the decision of the administering Power to implement a policy change aimed at establishing better dialogue, coordination and cooperation between itself and its Caribbean dependent Territories,

Noting the emergency measures taken by the territorial Government to cut the budget deficit and government spending,

Noting also the commitment of the territorial Government to reform the public service to achieve greater efficiency and to implement its policy of localization of employment,

Noting further the territorial Government's expressed need for development assistance to achieve its stated goal of economic independence by the year 1996,

Noting the territorial Government's decision to establish an investment bank in order to attract substantial investments world wide for much-needed projects,

Noting also that 90 per cent of the food consumed in the Territory is imported and that the Government has exerted efforts to improve the agriculture and fisheries sectors,

Aware of the efforts of the territorial Government to develop a management plan to control all marine resources exploitation,

Aware also of the tourism policy of the territorial Government to establish national standards for the tourism industry,

Noting the number of unqualified teachers and the number of expatriate staff in the educational system of the Territory,

Noting with interest the statement made and the information on the overall political, economic and social situation in the Turks and Caicos Islands, provided in March 1993 by an elected member of the Territory's Legislative Council to the Subcommittee on Small Territories, Petitions, Information and Assistance 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,

1. Reiterates that it is ultimately for the people of the Territory themselves to determine their own future through the exercise of their right to self-determination and independence;

2. Invites the administering Power, in implementing policy changes concerning its dependent Territories, to continue to take fully into account the wishes and interests of the Government and people of the Turks and Caicos Islands;

3. Calls upon the territorial Government to continue to promote alternative employment opportunities for those civil servants whose employment will be terminated as a result of the public service reform and the planned reduction of employees in the service;

4. Also calls upon the territorial Government to initiate a comprehensive training programme to ensure that the employment of expatriates in the Territory's labour force is not prejudicial to the recruitment of suitably qualified and available islanders;

5. Calls upon the specialized agencies and other institutions of the United Nations system to explore concrete ways of assisting the Turks and Caicos Government to reach its stated goal of achieving economic independence by 1996;

6. Notes with satisfaction the increase in aid, particularly financial assistance, granted to the territorial Government by the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and invites the latter to maintain this level of assistance;

7. Calls upon all national, regional, interregional and international financial institutions, including the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, to take all necessary steps to assist the Government of the Turks and Caicos Islands in the establishment and/or operation of its investment bank;

8. Urges the administering Power and the relevant regional and international organizations to assist the territorial Government in increasing the efficiency of the agricultural and fisheries sectors;

9. Also urges the administering Power and the relevant regional and international organizations to support the efforts of the territorial Government to address the problem of environmental pollution and degradation;

10. Calls upon all countries and organizations with experience in the training of teachers to extend generous assistance to the Territory in this field, with particular emphasis on the training of its nationals;

11. Draws the attention of the administering Power to the statement made and the information on the political, economic and social situation in the Territory, provided in March 1993 by an elected member of the Territory's Legislative Council to the Subcommittee on Small Territories, Petitions, Information and Assistance 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 ;

12. Notes that a period of fourteen years has elapsed since a United Nations mission visited the Territory and again calls upon the administering Power to facilitate the dispatch of such a mission as early as possible.

IX. United States Virgin Islands

The General Assembly,

Referring to resolution A above,

Bearing in mind the results of the referendum on political status of the Territory held on 11 October 1993,

Noting the continuing interest of the territorial Government in seeking associate membership in the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States and observer status in the Caribbean Community and its inability, for financial reasons, to participate in the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the World Health Organization,

Aware of serious fiscal problems of the territorial Government and of the measures it is implementing to decrease the budget deficit,

Noting the necessity of further diversifying the Territory's economy,

Noting also that the question of the transfer of Water Island to the Territory is still under consideration,

Noting further that in 1993 the territorial Government purchased the assets of the West Indian Company, which had significant property and development interests in the Charlotte Amalie Harbour,

Noting with concern the escalating crime rate in the Territory,

Recalling the dispatch in 1977 of a United Nations visiting mission to the Territory,

1. Reiterates its request to the administering Power to facilitate as appropriate the participation of the Territory in the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States and the Caribbean Community, as well as in various international and regional organizations, in accordance with the policy of the administering Power and the terms of reference of such organizations;

2. Requests the administering Power to assist the territorial Government in its efforts to balance the budget and to diversify the Territory's economy;

3. Invites the administering Power, as a matter of urgency, to facilitate the transfer of Water Island to the territorial Government;

4. Notes the purchase by the territorial Government of the assets of the West Indian Company in the Territory;

5. Requests the administering Power to continue to assist the territorial Government in crime prevention;

6. Notes that a period of seventeen years has elapsed since a United Nations mission visited the Territory and again calls upon the administering Power to facilitate the dispatch of such a mission as early as possible.

83rd plenary meeting
9 December 1994


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