text: UNITED NATIONS A General Assembly /::.t,,,Distr. GENERAL AlAC.109/1040 30July1990 ORIGINAL: ENGLISH SPECIAL COMMITTEE ONTHESITUATION WITH REGARD TOTHEIMPLEMENTATION OFTHE DECLARATION ONTHEGRANTING OF INDEPENDENCE TOCOLONIAL COUNTRIES ANDPEOPLES REPORT OFTHEREGIONAL SEMINAR INOBSERVANCE OFTHETHIRTIETH ANNIVERSARY OFTHEDECLARATION ONTHEGRANTING OFINDEPENDENCE TOCOLONIAL COUNTRIES ANDPEOPLES, HELDATPORTVILA,VANUATU, FROM9TO11MAY1990 Rapporteur: Mr.Samuel A.MDEE(United Republic ofTanzania) CONTENTS Paragraphs Page INTRODUCTION ..•.•.•.•••..••....•.........•.......•.............. I.ORGANIZATION OFTHESEMINAR...•...••......•...•....•..••..1 - 5 6-102 3 II.CONDUCT OFTHESEMINAR A.Proceedings ofthemeetings ...••.....•....•...••...... B.Summary ofstatements byrepresentatives of Non-Self-Governing Territories •.......••.......•....••11-36 11-20 21-363 3 5 Ill.ADOPTION OFTHEREPORT OFTHESEMINAR.....•........•...... Annexes37 8 I. II. rrI.Themesdiscussed attheSeminar Statement bythePrimeMinister of Listofparticipants andobserversVanuatu . .............................. ".....14 15 18 90-17637 1736h(E) /...AlAC.109/1040 English Page2 INTRODUCTION 1.Atitsforty-fourth session, theGeneral Assembly, bearing inmindthatthe year1990wouldmarkthethirtieth anniversary oftheDeclaration ontheGranting ofIndependence toColonial Countries andPeoples andontherecommendation ofthe Special Committee ontheSituation withregard totheImplementation ofthe Declaration ontheGranting ofIndependence toColonial Countries andPeoples, adopted resolution 44/100 of11December 1989,towhichwasannexed aprogramme of activities tobecarried outinobservance ofthatanniversary. 2.Boththeresolution andtheprogramme ofactivities emphasized theimportance oftheoccasion asanopportunity toevaluate theprogress achieved overthepast 30yearsintheimplementation oftheDeclaration and,inthelightoftherecent accession ofNamibia toindependence, toreflect ontheoutstanding problems of decolonization andtoformulate aneffective approach andmethodology thatwould assist theSpecial Committee initsfuture consideration oftheremaining Territories. 3.Initsenabling legislation, theGeneral Assembly commended theprogramme of activities forappropriate action toallStates, theUnited Nations bodies concerned, thespecialized agencies andotherorganizations oftheUnited Nations system andthenon-governmental organizations activeinthefieldof decolonization. Within thatcontext, theSpecial Committee wasmandated notonly tofollow closely theimplementation oftheProgramme butalsotoholdtworegional seminars: oneinthePacific andtheotherintheCaribbean, thetworegions where themajority oftheremaining 18Territories arelocated. 4.Asstatedintheguidelines andrulesofprocedure fortheseminars (A/AC.109/1022), theprimary objectives ofthetworegional events weretoprovide theSpecial Committee withtheopportunity todiscuss thespecific problems ofthe remaining colonial andNon-Self-Governing Territories, mostofthemsmallisland Territories, theirspecial needsandthechallenges posedbytheirgeographical location andotherspecific conditions andtodrawupplansfortherapid decolonization ofthoseTerritories bearing inmindtheprovisions ofGeneral Assembly resolution 43/47of22November 1988calling foracomplete decolonization bytheyear2000. 5.Informulating strategies onhowbesttoassist thepeoples ofthose Territories intheirprogress towards theexercise oftheirrightto self-determination, special attention wastobegiventotheviewsexpressed by theirrepresentatives attheseminars, hencetheimportance theSpecial Committee attached totheparticipation oftheNon-Self-Governing Territories andthe exceptional effortsitdeployed tosecure suchparticipation. Inthisconnection, theunderstanding shownbytheadministering Powers wasofgreatassistance in ensuring theattendance ofthelargest number everofparticipants from
analysis: This text appears to be related to the United Nations and its efforts to promote decolonization and self-determination of colonial countries and peoples. The document reports on a regional seminar held in Port Vila, Vanuatu, to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples. The seminar aimed to discuss the specific problems of remaining colonial and Non-Self-Governing Territories and to draw up plans for their rapid decolonization. The text does not seem to be directly related to economic development, natural resources, or environmental issues, but rather focuses on political and humanitarian aspects.