2. Decides to place the present resolution on the agenda of the Committee on Information from Non-Self-Governing Territories for its next session in 1953. Considering that it is necessary to continue the study of ways and means of ensuring international respect for the right of peoples to self-determination, Considering that the recommendations it has adopted at its seventh session do not represent the only steps that can be taken to promote respect for such right, 1. Requests the Economic and Social Council to ask the Commission on Human Rights to continue preparing recommendations concerning international respect for the right of peoples to self-determination, and particularly recommendations relating to the steps which might be taken, within the limits of their resources and competence, by the various organs of the United Nations and the specialized agencies to develop international respect for the right of peoples to self-determination; 2. Requests the Commission on Human Rights to submit through the Economic and Social Council its recommendations to the General Assembly. 24. ATTAINMENT OF SELF-GOVERNMENT OR INDEPENDENCE: Resolutions 558 (VI), 752 (VIII), 858 (IX), and 946 (X) of the General Assembly, 1952-1955 A) RESOLUTION 558 (VI), JANUARY 18, 1952 1 The General Assembly, 1 Considering that in the case of only one Trust Territory, namely Somaliland under Italian administration, the Trusteeship Agreement provides, in accordance with General Assembly resolution 289A (IV) of 21 November 1949,2 for a specific period of ten years at the end of which the Trust Territory shall be an independent sovereign State, Considering that under Article 76b of the Charter one of the basic objectives of the International Trusteeship System is the progressive development of the inhabitants of the Trust Territories towards selfgovernment or independence as may be appropriate to the particular circumstances of each Territory and its peoples and the freely expressed wishes of the peoples concerned, and as may be provided in the terms of each Trusteeship Agreement, 1. Notes, that in the case of no Trust Territory other than that of Somaliland has the Administering Authority concerned submitted information as to the time and manner in which the Territory is 1 General Assembly, Official Records, Sixth Session, Supplement No. 20 (A/2119), pp. 57-58. Ibid., Fourth Session, Resolutions (A/1251), pp. 10–12. expected to attain the objective of self-government or independence; and accordingly, 2. Invites the Administering Authority of each Trust Territory other than Somaliland to include in each annual report on its administration information in respect of: (a) The measures, taken or contemplated, which are intended to lead the Trust Territory, in the shortest possible time, to the objective of self-government or independence; (b) The manner in which, in these respects, the particular circumstances of the Territory and its people and the freely expressed wishes of the peoples concerned are being taken into account; (c) The adequacy of the provisions of the existing Trusteeship Agreement in relation to all the foregoing factors; (d) The rough estimate of the time which it considers, under existing conditions, may be needed to complete one or more of the various measures which are meant to create the pre-conditions for the attainment by the Trust Territory of the objective of self-government or independence; (e) The period of time in which it is expected that the Trust Territory shall attain the objective of self-government or independence. B) RESOLUTION 752 (VIII), DECEMBER 9, 1953 1 The General Assembly, Recalling its resolution 558 (VI) of 18 January 19522 by which it invited the Administering Authority of each Trust Territory other than Somaliland under Italian administration to include in each annual report information concerning measures taken or contemplated towards self-government or independence and, inter alia, the estimated period of time required for such measures and for the attainment of the ultimate objective, Having received from the Administering Authorities concerned annual reports covering periods subsequent to 18 January 1952 in respect of all except one of the Trust Territories, namely, the Territories of Western Samoa, New Guinea, Nauru, Tanganyika, RuandaUrundi, Togoland under British administration, Togoland under French administration and the Cameroons under French administration, Noting that the Administering Authorities have not provided in these annual reports the information requested in resolution 558 (VI), Noting, however, that the Administering Authority of Western Samoa has declared its intention to initiate in 1954 consultations among the representatives of the inhabitants leading to the establishment of a self-governing State, 1. Reaffirms resolution 558 (VI) of 18 January 1952; 2. Commends to the Administering Authorities of the other Trust Territories the example provided by the Administering Authority of 1 General Assembly, Official Records, Eighth Session, Supplement No. 17 (A/2630), p. 30. 2 Supra. Western Samoa in inviting the inhabitants themselves in 1954 to formulate proposals for the establishment of a self-governing State; 3. Requests the Trusteeship Council to include in its next and succeeding reports to the General Assembly a separate section dealing with the implementation of resolution 558 (VI) and the present resolution, specifying in particular the measures taken in respect of: (a) Consultations with the inhabitants of each Trust Territory in regard to the measures taken or contemplated towards self-government; (b) The development in each Trust Territory of representative, executive and legislative organs and the extension of their powers; (c) The development in each Trust Territory of universal adult suffrage and direct elections; (d) The training and appointment of indigenous persons in each Trust Territory for positions of responsibility in the administration; (e) The development of adequate public revenue; and stating in each case its conclusions and recommendations in the light of resolution 558 (VI) and the present resolution. C) RESOLUTION 858 (IX), DECEMBER 14, 1954 1 The General Assembly, 1 Recalling its resolution 558 (VI) of 18 January 1952 by which it invited the Administering Authority of each Trust Territory, other than Somaliland under Italian administration, to include in each annual report information concerning measures taken or contemplated towards self-government or independence and, inter alia, the estimated period of time required for such measures and for the attainment of the ultimate objective, Recalling further its resolution 752 (VIII) of 9 December 1953 by which it requested the Trusteeship Council to include in its next and succeeding reports to the General Assembly a separate section dealing with the implementation of resolutions 558 (VI) and 752 (VIII), specifying the various measures taken or contemplated towards selfgovernment or independence and stating in each case its conclusions and recommendations in the light of these resolutions, Considering that one of the most effective means of assisting the peoples of the Trust Territories to achieve the objectives set forth in Article 76b of the Charter is to provide them with an opportunity to obtain experience in the work of government and administration by participation in representative bodies with adequate powers to carry out such work, 1. Notes with satisfaction that, in response to the request of the General Assembly, the Trusteeship Council has included in its report covering the period from 22 July 1953 to 16 July 1954 a separate section dealing with the attainment by the Trust Territories of the objective of self-government or independence; 2 1 General Assembly, Official Records, Ninth Session, Supplement No. 21 (A/2890), pp. 31-32. Ibid., Supplement No. 4 (A/2680), pp. 279 ff. 2. Notes, however, that the Council has not formulated in this report any conclusions or recommendations on the measures taken or contemplated towards self-government or independence; 3. Expresses the hope that the Council will include its conclusions and recommendations on this question in its next and succeeding reports to the General Assembly; 4. Recommends that the Council instruct its visiting missions to give special attention in their reports to the Council to the question of attainment by the Trust Territories of self-government or independence in the light of resolutions 558 (VI) and 752 (VIII) and of the present resolution; 5. Recommends to the Administering Authorities that, as a means to facilitate an approximate determination of the date on which the populations of the Trust Territories would be prepared for selfgovernment or independence, they should intensify their efforts to the utmost to bring about the establishment of new representative organs of government and administration in the Trust Territories, with increasing participation therein by indigenous elements of those Territories, or to develop on the same basis organs of that type already in existence; that they should ensure that the nature and powers of these organs reflect the special status conferred on the Trust Territories by Chapter XII of the Charter and by the Trusteeship Agreements; and that they should hasten the attainment of the objectives set forth in Article 76 of the Charter. D) RESOLUTION 946 (X), DECEMBER 15, 1955 1 1 Recalling that, by its resolutions 558 (VI) of 18 January 1952, 752 (VIII) of 9 December 1953 and 858 (IX) of 14 December 1954, it invited the Administering Authority of each Trust Territory, other than Somaliland under Italian administration, to include in each annual report information concerning measures taken or contemplated towards self-government or independence, and estimates of the periods of time required for such measures, and requested the Trusteeship Council to include in each of its reports to the General Assembly a separate section dealing with the subject and stating in each case its conclusions and recommendations, Noting with regret the omission from the report 2 of the Council covering the period from 17 July 1954 to 22 July 1955 of the separate section envisaged by the above-mentioned resolutions, Noting further that the Council, by its resolution 1254 (XVI) of 19 July 1955, decided to instruct each of its drafting committees on the annual reports concerned, beginning from its seventeenth session, to prepare, in the course of its regular functions and in the light of General Assembly resolutions 752 (VIII) and 858 (IX), appropriate draft conclusions and recommendations concerning the question of the attainment by the Territory of self-government or independence, 1 General Assembly, Official Records, Tenth Session, Supplement No. 19 (A/3116), p. 26. 2 Ibid., Supplement No. 4 (A/2933). 1. Draws the attention of the Trusteeship Council to the importance which the General Assembly continues to attach to the question of the attainment by the Trust Territories of the objective of self government or independence; 2. Requests the Council to ensure that the procedure devised by it for dealing in future with this question will enable it to comply fully with the terms of the relevant General Assembly resolutions and, accordingly, to include in its next and succeeding reports to the Assembly a separate section containing the information indicated in those resolutions and the conclusions and recommendations of the Council thereon. 25. FACTORS INDICATIVE OF THE ATTAINMENT OF INDEPENDENCE OR OF OTHER SEPARATE SYSTEMS OF SELFGOVERNMENT: Resolution 742 (VIII) (with Annex) of the General Assembly, November 27, 1953 1 The General Assembly, 1 Bearing in mind the principles embodied in the Declaration regarding Non-Self-Governing Territories and the objectives set forth in Chapter XI of the Charter, Recalling the provisions of resolutions 567 (VI)2 and 648 (VII),3 adopted by the General Assembly on 18 January and 10 December 1952 respectively, indicating the value of establishing a list of factors which should be taken into account in deciding whether a Territory has or has not attained a full measure of self-government, Having regard to the competence of the General Assembly to consider the principles that should guide the United Nations and the Member States in the implementation of obligations arising from Chapter XI of the Charter and to make recommendations in connexion with them, 4 Having examined the report of the Ad Hoc Committee on Factors (Non-Self-Governing Territories) set up by resolution 648 (VII), 1. Takes note of the conclusions of the report of the Ad Hoc Committee on Factors (Non-Self-Governing Territories); 2. Approves the list of factors as adopted by the Fourth Committee; 3. Recommends that the annexed list of factors should be used by the General Assembly and the Administering Members as a guide in determining whether any Territory, due to changes in its constitutional status, is or is no longer within the scope of Chapter XI of the Charter, in order that, in view of the documentation provided under General Assembly, Official Records, Eighth Session, Supplement No. 17 (A/2630), pp. 21-23. Ibid., Sixth Session, Supplement No. 20 (A/2119), pp. 60-62. See doc. A/2428. For the replies of governments indicating their views on the "factors," see docs. A/AC.67/2 (8 May 1953), A/AC.67/2/Corr. 1 (28 May 1953), A/AC.67/2/Add. 1 (11 June 1953), and A/AC.67/2/Add. 2 (30 June 1953). For report of the Fourth Committee, see doc. A/2556 and Corr. 1 (17 Nov. 1953). the |