Question of Guam : resolution / adopted by the General Assembly

 

Question of Guam

  The General Assembly, Having considered the question of Guam, 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 other resolutions and decisions of the United Nations relating to Guam, including in particular its resolution 39/32 of 5 December 1984, Having heard the statement of the representative of the administering Power relating to Guam, Noting with appreciation the continued active participation of the administering Power in the work of the Special Committee in regard to Guam, thereby enabling it to conduct a more informed and meaningful examination of the situation in the Territory with a view to accelerating the process of decolonization towards the full and speedy implementation of the Declaration, Recalling that a Guam Commission on Self-Determination was appointed in February 1984 to deal with the status question in a manner acceptable to the people of the Territory, Taking note of the statement by the representative of the administering Power that the Department of Defense had authorized the release of some 2,000 hectares of land previously under its control, Noting the great potential offered for diversifying and developing the economy of the Territory, for example, commercial fishing and agriculture, Taking note of the steps taken by the territorial Government, with the support of the administering Power, to develop and promote the language and culture of the Chamorro people, who are the indigenous people of the Territory, 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, Recalling the dispatch in 1979 of a United Nations visiting mission to to the Territory, Mindful that United Nations visiting missions provide an effective means of ascertaining the situation in the small Territories and expressing its satisfaction at the willingness of the administering Power to receive visiting missions in the Territories under its administration, 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 Guam;2. Reaffirms the inalienable right of the people of Guam to self-determination and independence in conformity with the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, contained in General Assembly resolution 1514 (XV);3. Reaffirms its conviction that such factors as territorial size geographical location, size of population and limited natural resources should in no way delay the implementation of the Declaration, which fully applies to Guam 4. Reaffirms the importance of fostering an awareness among the people of Guam of the possibilities open to them with regard to their right to self-determination and calls upon the administering Power, in co-operation with the territorial Government, to expedite the process of decolonization strictly in accordance with the expressed wishes of the people of the Territory;5. Takes note of the statement by the representative of the administering Power that the Guam Commission on Self-Determination, which was appointed in February 1984 to deal with the status question in a manner acceptable to the people of the Territory for submission to the Congress of the United States of America for approval, hopes to hold a local referendum before the end of 1985;6. Takes note of the statement by the representative of the United States affirming that his Government respects the wish of the Guamanians to control their own destiny both politically and economically;7. 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 of the United Nations;8. Urges the administering Power to continue to take all necessary measures not to involve the Territory in any offensive acts or interference against any 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;9. Reaffirms the responsibility of the administering Power, under the Charter, for the economic and social developments of Guam and, in this connection, calls upon the administering Power to take all necessary steps to strengthen and diversify the economy of the Territory, with a view to reducing the Territory's economic dependence on the administering Power;10. Reiterates that one obstacle to economic development, particularly in the agricultural sector, stems from the fact that large tracts of land are held by the federal authorities and calls upon the administering Power, in co-operation with the local authorities, to continue the transfer of land to the people of the Territory;11. Notes that a settlement was reached in 1984 between representatives of former Guamanian landowners and the administering Power under which the former will receive $39.5 million in compensation for land taken over by the United States Government from 1944 to 1963, it being the right of individual claimants not to participate in this settlement and continue to press their own claims;12. Reiterates its call upon the administering Power to support measures by the territorial Government aimed at removing constraints to growth in the areas of agriculture and commercial fishing and to ensure their development to the fullest extent;13. Urges the administering Power, in co-operation with the territorial Government, to continue to take effective measures to safeguard and guarantee the right of the people of Guam to their natural resources and to establish and maintain control over their future development and requests the administering Power to take all necessary steps to protect the property rights of the people of the Territory;14. Reaffirms the importance of further efforts by the territorial Government, with the support of the administering Power to develop and promote the language and culture of the Chamorro people, who are the indigenous population of the Territory;13. Considers that the possibility of sending a further visiting mission to Guam at an appropriate time should be kept under review;14. 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 Guam at an appropriate time and in consultation with the administering Power, and to report thereon to the General Assembly at its forty-first session..