agreed that the Micronesians themselves should determine the method to be used to give effect to this formulation. With this agreement, United States Government concerns with the draft constitution have been resolved.

My Government sees advantages in the development and maintenance of common links among the Micronesian districts but believes that the issue of political unity must be decided by the Micronesians themselves. We note the view of the Congress of Micronesia leadership in their letter of 16 March that rejection of the draft constitution of the Federated States of Micronesia by a district in a fair and impartial referendum would constitute a decision on the part of the people of that district to separate from Micronesia. If the draft constitution is approved by the necessary majority in at least four of the six districts to which it will be put to a vote on 12 July, but is rejected in one or more districts, the United States will enter into consultations with the interested parties to affect the necessary administrative changes.

U.N. Doc. T/OBS.10/44, May 17, 1978.

For S.J. Res. No. 7-80, S.D. 1, see Congress of Micronesia, Laws and Resolutions, 7th Cong., 2d regular sess., Jan. 9-Feb. 27, 1978, p. 315.

The U.N. Trusteeship Council adopted, on June 8, 1978, conclusions and recommendations on conditions in the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, which, in regard to constitutional developments and progress towards self-government or independence, read as follows:

CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENTS AND PROGRESS TOWARDS
SELF-GOVERNMENT OR INDEPENDENCE

571. The Trusteeship Council reaffirms the inalienable right of the people of Micronesia to self-determination, including the right to independence in accordance with the Charter and the Trusteeship Agreement.

572. The Council recalls its conviction that the political unity of the Caroline Islands and the Marshall Islands should if possible be maintained, but it recognizes that it is ultimately for the Micronesians themselves to decide upon their future political relations with each other. It notes with satisfaction that the Congress of Micronesia has decided in favor of unity within the framework of a constitution of the Federated States of Micronesia. It notes, however, that the districts of Palau and the Marshall Islands have expressed the wish that the question of their political status should be negotiated separately with the United States.

573. It notes with satisfaction that the Administering Authority considers that it would be in the interests of the people of Micronesia to maintain some form of unity. It notes that the Administering Authority nevertheless feels that it is for the Micronesians to decide upon the political unity and governmental structures of the Territory. The Council hopes that the Administering Authority will continue its efforts to establish mutually beneficial relations between the districts in all fields.

574. The Council expresses the hope that the Micronesians will cooperate with the Administering Authority in maintaining and developing mutually beneficial relations between the districts. In that connection, the Council hopes that the Micronesians will take all necessary steps to establish, after the termination of the Trusteeship Agreement, the all-Micronesian entity which they agreed upon at Molokai, Hawaii, in October 1977.

575. With regard to the negotiations on the Territory's future political status held between the representatives of Micronesia and the United States Government, the Council notes with satisfaction that these negotiations were officially resumed in October 1977 at Molokai after an interruption of 17

months and that they were followed by two further meetings, at San Diego, California, in January 1978 and at Hilo in April 1978.

576. The Council notes that for the first time representatives of the Palau and Marshall Islands Political Status Commissions were officially invited to take part in these discussions.

577. The Council notes that, during the discussions at its forty-fifth session, the Administering Authority, the special advisers and various petitioners expressed their views on the nature of Micronesian representation in the negotiations on the future political status of the Territory.

578. It notes that the various parties seem to have recognized at Hilo that the solution to the problem of Micronesian representation in these negotiations will depend on the results of the constitutional referendum of 12 July 1978.

579. As in 1977, the Council does not wish to make precise recommendations on the future political status of the Territory. It reiterates its view that, among all the options open to the inhabitants, including independence, the status of free association, if endorsed by the population, would not be inconsistent with the aims of the Trusteeship Agreement.

580. It notes with interest the statement of principles for free association, which was approved on 9 April 1978 at Hilo by representatives of the United States, the Commission on Future Political Status and Transition of the Congress of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands Political Status Commission and the Palau Political Status Commission. The Council points out that at this stage what is involved is guidelines on the basis of which a final agreement is to be concluded. It expresses the hope that the Administering Authority will keep it informed of the progress made in the discussions held on the subject. 581. The Council notes that it will be possible for the status of free association established on the basis of these principles to be ended unilaterally. 582. The Council notes that any agreement reached on free association will be put to a plebiscite which, according to the principles agreed upon at Hilo, the United Nations will be invited to observe.

583. The Council reiterates its opinion that the people of Micronesia should be given the fullest opportunity, before the referendum, to inform themselves about the various political choices open to them, including independence.

584. The Trusteeship Council takes note of the statement by the High Commissioner to the effect that all parties to the negotiations on political status had agreed on the guidelines for ensuring that the ESG [Education for SelfGovernment] program would be objective and accurate. It hopes that these guidelines will allow greater latitude in the elaboration of education programs so as to suit them to local needs. It hopes that these programs will be widely used in schools throughout the Territory. However, the Council, in view of the criticism expressed by a special adviser, concerning the program, asks all the parties concerned to agree on the aims and methods of the education program while recognizing its crucial importance to the creation of an informed electorate in the Territory.

585. The Council accepts with pleasure the invitation of the Administering Authority to observe the referendum on the draft constitution for the Federated States of Micronesia to be held on 12 July 1978. It notes with satisfaction the creation by the Congress of Micronesia of a constitutional Referendum Board. Although the Council has been informed regarding the detailed provisions already established by the authorities of the Territory with respect to the voting procedure, it hopes that all measures will be taken to ensure the fairness of the vote and the security of the ballot boxes. The Council hopes that the presence of the visiting mission will prevent irregularities and lead to broad participation by the voters.

586. In view of the existence of separatist tendencies in the districts of Palau and the Marshall Islands, the Council requests that the visiting mission give particular attention to ensuring that the political campaign and voting operations take place under normal conditions and in a completely free manner. 587. The Council notes with satisfaction the undertaking by the Administering Authority to respect the results of the referendum of 12 July, whatever the outcome, and to cooperate with the appropriate Micronesian authorities, before the end of the mandate, in implementing all provisions of the constitution consistent with the Trusteeship Agreement.

588. The Council notes that the Administering Authority and the Congress of Micronesia have stated that they have overcome their differences with re

gard to the compatibility of the constitution with the projected status of free association.

589. The Council notes with satisfaction that if a status of free association is approved by the people of Micronesia, it will take effect upon the termination of the Trusteeship Agreement.

590. The Council welcomes the intention expressed by the Administering Authority to seek agreement with the parties concerned, in strict compliance with the relevant provisions of the Charter, on terminating the Trusteeship Agreement by 1981 at the latest.

591. The Council notes with satisfaction that on 23 October 1977 the Government of the United States approved the constitution of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and that the Governor, Lieutenant-Governor, legislators and other authorities elected in December 1977 took office on 9 January 1978. It also notes that some parts of the Covenant to Establish a Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands in Political Union with the United States of America took effect on 9 January 1978 when the constitution entered into force.

592. The Council notes with satisfaction that the Administering Authority still intends to terminate the Trusteeship Agreement simultaneously for the Northern Mariana Islands and for the rest of the Territory.

593. The Council notes with satisfaction that the Administering Authority hopes to maintain social, economic and cultural cooperation between the Northern Mariana Islands and the rest of the Territory. It urges the Administering Authority and the Government of the Northern Mariana Islands to pursue that objective.

Report of the Trusteeship Council to the Security Council on the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, June 24, 1977-June 8, 1978, U.N.S.C. Off. Rec., 33d year, Special Supp. No. 1, U.N. Doc. S/12971 (1979), pp. 97–99.

The conclusions and recommendations quoted, ante, constituted section F of the annex to the report of the Trusteeship Council's drafting committee (U.N. Document T/L. 1211, June 2, 1978), which the Council considered and voted upon section by section. Section F was adopted by two votes (France and the United Kingdom) to one (the Soviet Union), with one abstention (the United States). Stoney Cooks, United States Representative to the U.N. Trusteeship Council, explained that it was "customary for the Administering Authority to abstain from voting on conclusions and recommendations of the report of the Trusteeship Council, inasmuch as they are addressed to the Administering Authority," but he assured the Council that "as in the past, the United States will consider all the conclusions and recommendations very carefully." The draft report of the drafting committee was then voted upon as a whole, and adopted by three votes (France, the United Kingdom, and the United States) to one (the Soviet Union). Mr. Cooks then explained:

Although my delegation voted in favor of the report as a whole, I wish to reiterate for the record that the United States delegation has taken no position on the recommendations or conclusions of the report of the Trusteeship Council.

Provisional Verbatim Record of the 1481st meeting of the U.N. Trusteeship Council, T/PV.1481, June 8, 1978, pp. 23-24/25.

The U.N. Trusteeship Council, which meets in annual sessions, is composed of five members: the United States, the Administering Authority; and China,

France, the Soviet Union, and the United Kingdom, the permanent members of the Security Council who do not administer Trust Territories. However, China does not participate in the Trusteeship Council's work.

In a statement to the Trusteeship Council on the opening day of its forty-fifth session, May 15, 1978, Mr. Cooks sketched the background to adoption of the Statement of Principles, April 9, 1978, at Hilo, Hawaii, ante:

The Molokai meeting [ante] was significant in a number of respects. It was the first formal negotiating session at which the Marshall Islands and Palau were represented by their own status commissions, negotiating with the United States on both multilateral and bilateral levels. This arrangement reflects the wishes of those districts as expressed by their legislatures and is the result of a negotiating format initially proposed by the United States during the Roundtable Conference held on Guam in July of last year. The discussions at Molokai provided a valuable exchange of views both between the Micronesians and ourselves and among the three Micronesian status commissions. However, they disclosed significantly different interpretations of the concept of free association.

Following the Molokai round, the United States began work on the specific language of a draft compact of free association which was presented to the Micronesians at a heads of delegation meeting in San Diego, California, in January of this year. The San Diego meeting offered a forum at which significant new compromise solutions were explored. Based on the proposals growing out of the San Diego meeting, the United States reconsidered its longstanding positions and drafted a set of eight principles embodying a new concept for a future political relationship of free association. These principles were presented to and discussed with the Micronesian political status commissions at a heads of delegation meeting held in Hilo, Hawaii, April 7–9, 1978. At the conclusion of this meeting, a statement incorporating these principles was signed by the heads of the three political status commissions and the United States, marking a major breakthrough in these long and complex negotiations. We are confident that a mutually acceptable agreement of free association based on these agreed principles can be achieved in the months ahead.

The eight principles agreed upon in Hilo will provide Micronesians with the maximum authority and responsibility for their own affairs consistent with the free association relationship. The political relationship will be government-to-government and will be terminable at any time, either by mutual consent or unilaterally through a plebiscite by the peoples of Micronesia or by the Government of the United States acting in accordance with its constitutional processes. The United States will assume specific defense and security responsibilities for a fixed term. Micronesians will have full authority over their internal affairs and will have full authority over non-defense related foreign affairs, including the right to control their own marine resources and to seek direct participation at international conferences on this and other appropriate subjects. The United States economic assistance to Micronesia will be furnished

for a fixed term at levels which have yet to be negotiated, and the agreed levels will not be terminable by a unilateral U.S. termination of free association.

The United States approach to its future relationship with Micronesia continues to be based on the tenets enunciated by the United States representative at last year's meeting of the Council. As pointed out at that time, we feel that any mutually agreeable arrangement must provide an appropriate allocation of the authority of the peoples of Micronesia to act on their own behalf and the responsibility of the United States for Micronesian actions. With our agreement to these eight principles, the range within which the Micronesians will have the authority to take independent action on their own behalf has been significantly expanded. It follows, therefore, that the responsibility of the peoples of Micronesia for their actions must likewise increase. We believe that this points to a healthy relationship suited to the interests and aspirations of the Micronesians.

In sum, we feel we have made real progress during the past year, and we are hopeful that we can continue this progress based on a spirit of mutual cooperation to enable us to reach our goal of terminating the trusteeship by 1981.

As the Council is aware, the peoples of the Marshall Islands and the Caroline Islands will go to the polls July 12 to vote on whether to adopt the proposed Constitution of the Federated States of Micronesia. While the United States stands ready to assist where possible, a referendum board established by the Trust Territory Government in accordance with Congress of Micronesia legislation will be responsible for the conduct of the referendum. Last year we invited the Council to send a Visiting Mission to observe the referendum, and I wish to renew the invitation at this time.

The July 12 referendum has a double significance. Apart from expressing their will on the constitution and the structure of government to be formed under it, the peoples of Micronesia will also decide the question of their political unity. Assuming that the constitution is approved by the necessary majority in at least four of the six districts in which it will be put to a vote, a negative vote in any particular district will constitute a mandate for the exclusion of that district from the government to be formed under the constitution.

While the United States continues to believe that the peoples of the Marshall Islands and the Caroline Islands would benefit from common links among the districts, the question of political unity is clearly one to be decided by the Micronesians themselves. We were, therefore, encouraged by the fact that all three of the Micronesian negotiating commissions agreed in principle at the Molokai Conference that common links among the districts will continue in the posttrusteeship period and that these links will be defined by an agreement among the six districts.

Press Release USUN-47 (78), May 15, 1978.

For a statement by Adrian P. Winkel, High Commissioner of the Trust Territory, before the Trusteeship Council on May 15, 1978, see Press Release USUN46 (78), May 15, 1978.