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United Nations list of non-self-governing territories

(Redirected from Non-self-governing states)
"Non-self-governing territory" redirects here. For a more inclusive list of such territories, see dependent territory.

Chapter XI of the United Nations Charter defines a non-self-governing territory (NSGT) as a territory "whose people have not yet attained a full measure of self-government". Chapter XI of the UN Charter also includes a "Declaration on Non-Self-Governing Territories" that the interests of the occupants of dependent territories are paramount and requires member states of the United Nations in control of such territories to submit annual information reports concerning the development of those territories. Since 1946, the UNGA has maintained a list of non-self governing territories under member states' control. Since its inception, dozens of territories have been removed from the list, typically when they attained independence or internal self-government, while other territories have been added as new administering countries joined the United Nations or the UN General Assembly (UNGA) reassessed their status.

UN General Assembly
Resolution 66 (I)
United Nations General Assembly resolution A/RES/66 (I) dated 14 January 1946
Date14 December 1946
Meeting no.Sixty fourth
CodeA/RES/66(1) (Document)
SubjectTransmission of information under Article 73e of the Charter [relating to non-self-governing territories]
ResultAdopted

Since 1961 the list has been maintained by the Special Committee on Decolonization.

History

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Chapter XI of the UN Charter contains a Declaration Concerning Non-Self-Governing Territories.[1] Article 73(e) requires UN member states to report to the United Nations annually on the development of NSGTs under their control. From the initial reports provided by eight member states (Australia, Belgium, Denmark, France, the Netherlands, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States), a list was compiled in 1946 listing 72 NSGTs.[2][3] In several instances, administering states were later allowed to remove dependent territories from the list, either unilaterally (as in the case of French overseas territories such as French Polynesia),[4][5] or by a vote of the General Assembly (as in the cases of Puerto Rico, Greenland, the Netherlands Antilles and Suriname).[6]

 
Map of territories on the United Nations list of non-self-governing territories.

The list draws its origins from the period of colonialism and the Charter's concept of non-self-governing territories. As an increasing number of formerly colonized countries became UN members, the General Assembly increasingly asserted its authority to place additional territories on the list and repeatedly declared that only the General Assembly had the authority to authorize a territory's being removed from the list upon attainment of any status other than full independence. For example, when Portugal joined the United Nations it contended that it did not control any non-self-governing territory, claiming that areas such as Angola and Mozambique were an integral part of the Portuguese state, but the General Assembly rejected this position. Similarly, Western Sahara was added in 1963 when it was a Spanish colony. As with Namibia, which was seen, due to its former status as a League of Nations mandate territory, as a vestige of German colonial legacy in Africa, until it was removed in 1990 upon its independence. A set of criteria for determining whether a territory is to be considered "non-self-governing" was established in General Assembly Resolution 1541 (XV) of 1960.[7] Also in 1960, the General Assembly adopted Resolution 1514 (XV), promulgating the "Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples", which declared that all remaining non-self-governing territories and trust territories were entitled to self-determination and independence. The following year, the General Assembly established the Special Committee on the Situation with Regard to the Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples (sometimes referred to as the Special Committee on Decolonization, or the "Committee of 24" because for much of its history the committee was composed of 24 members), which reviews the situation in non-self-governing territories each year and reports to the General Assembly. A revised list in 1963 listed 64 NSGTs.

Resolutions adopted

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1946

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  • UNGA Resolution 64(I) regarding the Establishment of the Trusteeship Council.[8]
  • UNGA Resolution 66(I) regarding Transmission of information under Article 73 e of the Charter.[9]

1947

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  • UNGA Resolution 142(II) regarding Standard form for the guidance of Members in the preparation of information to be transmitted under Article 73 e of the Charter.
  • UNGA Resolution 143(II) regarding Supplemental documents relating to information transmitted under Article 73 e of the Charter.
  • UNGA Resolution 144(II) regarding Voluntary transmission of information regarding the development of self-governing institutions in the Non-Self-Governing Territories.
  • UNGA Resolution 145(II) regarding Collaboration of the specialized agencies in regard to Article 73 e of the Charter.
  • UNGA Resolution 146(II) regarding Creation of a special committee on information transmitted under Article 73 e of the Charter.

1960

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1961

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1966

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1990–2000

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2001–2010

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2011–present

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Criticism

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The list remains controversial in some countries for various reasons:

Referendums

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One reason for controversy is that the list includes some dependencies that have democratically chosen to maintain their current status, or have had a referendum in which local government requirements were not met regarding the number of votes required to support a change of status or the number of voters participating (e.g., in the United States Virgin Islands).

Falkland Islands

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The Falkland Islands is a British Overseas Territory with a population of 4,000 people and an autonomous government, that is also claimed by Argentina due to an inherited historical colonial claim to the islands by Spain. In March 2013, the Falkland Islands government organised a referendum on the status of the territory. With a 92% turnout, 99.7% of Falkland Islands voters voted to maintain the status quo, with only three islanders (0.2%) favouring a change.[12]

Gibraltar

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Gibraltar is largely a self-governing British territory on the tip of the Iberian Peninsula with a population of about 30,000 people, whose territory is claimed by Spain. It continues to be listed as an NSGT though its residents expressed a preference in two referendums to retain the status quo. In 1967, they were asked whether to retain their current status or to become part of Spain. The status quo was favoured by 12,138 votes to 44. In 2002, a proposal for a joint British–Spanish administration of the territory was voted down by 17,900 votes to 187. (The "no" vote accounted for more than 85% of Gibraltar's entire electorate).[13] The United Nations did not recognise either referendum, with the 1967 referendum being declared in contravention of previous UN resolutions.[14] The Spanish government does not recognize any right of the current Gibraltar inhabitants to self-determination, on the grounds that they are not the original population of the territory, but residents transferred by the colonial power, the United Kingdom.[15]

Tokelau

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The territory of Tokelau divides political opinion in New Zealand.[16] In response to attempts at decolonizing Tokelau, New Zealand journalist Michael Field wrote in 2004: "The UN ... is anxious to rid the world of the last remaining vestiges of colonialism by the end of the decade. It has a list of 16 territories around the world, virtually none of which wants to be independent to any degree."[17] Field further notes that Patuki Isaako, who was head of Tokelau's government at the time of a UN seminar on decolonization in 2004, informed the United Nations that his country had no wish to be decolonized, and that Tokelauans had opposed the idea of decolonization ever since the first visit by UN officials in 1976.

In 2006, a UN-supervised referendum on decolonization was held in Tokelau, where 60.07% of voters supported the offer of self-government. However, the terms of the referendum required a two-thirds majority to vote in favor of self-government. A second referendum was held in 2007, in which 64.40% of Tokelauans supported self-government, falling short of the two-thirds majority by 16 votes. This led New Zealand politician and former diplomat John Hayes, on behalf of the National Party, to state that "Tokelau did the right thing to resist pressure from [the New Zealand government] and the United Nations to pursue self-government".[18] In May 2008, the United Nations' Secretary General Ban Ki-moon urged colonial powers "to complete the decolonization process in every one of the remaining 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories".[19] This led the New Zealand Herald to comment that the United Nations was "apparently frustrated by two failed attempts to get Tokelau to vote for independence from New Zealand".[20]

Viability

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A lack of population and landmass is an issue for at least one territory included on the list: the British overseas territory Pitcairn Islands, which has a population of less than 50 descended primarily from indigenous Polynesians and mutineers from HMS Bounty. Regardless, the territory's colonial status was disputed during the 2004 sexual assault trial where the seven defendants – comprising a third of the adult male population – unsuccessfully argued that the islanders had rejected British control ever since the 1789 mutiny and, as a result, British criminal law did not apply to them. Four other territories – Tokelau, Montserrat, the Falkland Islands and Saint Helena – are also less populous than any current UN member state.

In addition, some territories are financially dependent on their administering state.

Completely autonomous dependencies

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  Currently listed territories
  Formerly listed territories

Another criticism is that a number of the listed territories, such as Bermuda (see Politics of Bermuda), the Falkland Islands[21] and Gibraltar,[22][23][24][25] consider themselves completely autonomous and self-governing, with the "administering power" retaining limited oversight over matters such as defence and diplomacy.[citation needed] In past years, there were ongoing disputes between some administering powers and the Decolonization Committee over whether territories such as pre-independence Brunei and the West Indies Associated States should still be considered "non-self-governing", particularly in instances where the administering country was prepared to grant full independence whenever the territory requested it. These disputes became moot as those territories eventually received full independence.

Removed under other circumstances

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Territories that have achieved a status described by the administering countries as internally self-governing – such as Puerto Rico, the Netherlands Antilles, and the Cook Islands – have been removed from the list by vote of the General Assembly,[6] often under pressure of the administering countries.

Some territories that have been annexed and incorporated into the legal framework of the controlling state (such as the overseas regions of France, and the U.S. states of Alaska and Hawaii) are considered by the UN to have been decolonized, since they then no longer constitute "non-self-governing" entities; their populations are assumed to have agreed to merge with the former parent state. However, in 1961, the General Assembly voted to end this treatment for the "overseas provinces" of Portugal such as Angola and Mozambique, which were active focus of United Nations attention until they attained independence in the mid-1970s.

Territories have also been removed for other reasons. In 1972, for example, Hong Kong (then administered by the United Kingdom) and Macau (then administered by Portugal) were removed from the list at the request of the People's Republic of China, which had just been recognized as holding China's seat at the United Nations. This was due to the PRC's belief that their presence on the list implied eventual independence of the territory, instead of their status being handled by bilateral negotiations.[26]

Change of status

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On 2 December 1986, New Caledonia, an overseas territory of France, was reinstated on the list of non-self-governing territories, an action to which France objected. Within France it has had the status of a collectivité sui generis, or a one-of-a-kind community, since 1999. Under the 1998 Nouméa Accord, its Territorial Congress had the right to call for three referendums on independence between 2014 and 2018. The first referendum was held on 4 November 2018 (56.4% against independence), the second referendum on 4 October 2020 (53.26% against independence), and the third referendum on 12 December 2021 (96.50% against independence). While in all three the independence was rejected, the result of the third referendum stems from the boycott by the pro-independence Kanak community in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic in New Caledonia.

French Polynesia was also reinstated on the list on 17 May 2013, in somewhat contentious circumstances. Having been re-elected President of French Polynesia in 2011 (leader of local government), Oscar Temaru asked for it to be re-inscribed on the list; it had been removed in 1947. (French Polynesia is categorised by France as an overseas country, in recognition of its self-governing status.) During the year 2012, Oscar Temaru engaged in intense lobbying with the micro-states of Oceania, many of which, the Solomon Islands, Nauru and Tuvalu, submitted to the UN General Assembly a draft of a resolution to affirm "the inalienable right of the population of French Polynesia to self-determination and independence".

On 5 May 2013, Temaru's Union for Democracy party lost the legislative election to Gaston Flosse's pro-autonomy but anti-independence Tahoera'a Huiraatira party; obtaining only 11 seats against the party of Gaston Flosse, with 38 seats, and the autonomist party A Ti'a Porinetia with 8 seats.

At this stage, the United Nations General Assembly was due to discuss French Polynesia's re-inscription on the list twelve days later, in accordance with a motion tabled by Solomon Islands, Tuvalu and Nauru. On 16 May, the Assembly of French Polynesia, with its new anti-independence majority, adopted a motion asking the United Nations not to restore the country to the list. On 17 May, despite French Polynesia's and France's opposition, the country was restored to the list of non-self-governing territories. Temaru was present for the vote, on the final day of his mandate as President. The United Nations affirmed "the inalienable right of the people of French Polynesia to self-determination and independence".

A few hours before the UN review of the resolution, during its first meeting, the new Territorial Assembly adopted by 46 votes to 10 a "resolution" expressing the desire of Polynesians to maintain their autonomy within the French Republic. In spite of this resolution adopted by the parties representing 70% of the Polynesian voters, the UN General Assembly inscribed French Polynesia on the list of the territories to be decolonized during its plenary assembly of 17 May 2013. France did not take part in this session while the United States, Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom disassociated themselves from this resolution.[27][28]

List not complete

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Main articles: Special Committee on Decolonization and Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples

Also controversial are the criteria set down in 1960 to 1961 by the United Nations General Assembly Resolution 1514 (XV),[29] United Nations General Assembly Resolution 1541 (XV), Principle 12 of the Annex,[30] and United Nations General Assembly Resolution 1654 (XVI)[31] which only focused on colonies of the Western world, namely Australia, Belgium, Denmark, France, Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States. This list of administering states was not expanded afterwards.[32]

Nevertheless, some of the 111 members who joined the UN after 1960 gained independence from countries not covered by Resolution 1541 and were themselves not classified as "Non-Self-Governing Territories" by the UN. Of these that joined the UN between 1960 and 2008, 11 were independent before 1960 and 71 were included on the list (some as a group). Twenty new UN countries resulted from breakup of Second World states and of Yugoslavia: six were part of Yugoslavia, two were part of Czechoslovakia, and 12 were part of the Soviet Union (Ukraine and Belarus already had UN seats before the dissolution of the USSR, whose seat was reused by the Russian Federation without acceding anew). Out of the other ten, seven[which?] (mostly Arab) were colonies or protectorates of the "Western" countries, and one each was a non-self-governing part of Ethiopia (later independent Eritrea), Pakistan (East Pakistan, later independent Bangladesh) and Sudan (later independent South Sudan). Territories like Tibet, the Xinjiang Uygur Region (administered by China) and Siberia (or parts thereof; administered by the Soviet Union, later by Russia) have never been on the list. Also, the Baltic states (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania), which considered themselves illegally occupied by the Soviet Union, were not on the list either. Western New Guinea (also known as West Papua), which was ceded to Indonesia, is also not on the list as well as Sarawak and Sabah, which were handed to Malaya during its territorial expansion through the formation of Malaysia in 1963.[citation needed] In 2018, the government of Vanuatu started seeking international support to have West Papua added to the list in 2019.[33][34]

After the revocation of Norfolk Island's self-governing status by the Australian government in 2015, an island community group requested the UN add the island to the list of non-self-governing territories.[35]


Current entries

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See also: Special Committee on Decolonization § Listed non-self-governing territories

The following 17 territories are currently included in the list.[36]

Overview of non-self-governing territories
Territory Administering state Domestic legal status Other claimant(s) Population Area Referendum(s) See also
km2 sq mi
  American Samoa   United States Unincorporated unorganized territory None 55,519 200 77 No official referendum has been held. Politics of American Samoa
  Anguilla   United Kingdom Overseas territory None 14,108 96 37 No official referendum has been held. Politics of Anguilla
  Bermuda   United Kingdom Overseas territory None 62,000 57 22 A 1995 Bermudian independence referendum was held. 74% of votes cast were against independence.[37] Politics of Bermuda
  British Virgin Islands   United Kingdom Overseas territory None 28,103 153 59 No official referendum has been held. Politics of the British Virgin Islands
  Cayman Islands   United Kingdom Overseas territory None 55,500 264 102 No official referendum has been held. Foreign relations of the Cayman Islands
  Falkland Islands   United Kingdom Overseas territory   Argentina 2,500 12,173 4,700 Two referendums have been held in 1986 and 2013 on whether the Falklands should join Argentina. On both occasions, voters overwhelmingly chose continued British control.[38][39] Falkland Islands sovereignty dispute
  French Polynesia[A]   France Overseas country None 271,000 4,000 1,500 No official referendum has been held. Politics of French Polynesia
  Gibraltar   United Kingdom Overseas territory   Spain 29,752 6 2.3 There were referendums in 1967 and in 2002, both returning an overwhelming victory for the pro-British side.[41][42] Status of Gibraltar
  Guam   United States Unincorporated organized territory None 159,358 540 210 Three status referendums have been held, one in 1976[43] and two in 1982 (one in January[44] and the other in September[45]), with all three of them supporting an improved Commonwealth status under U.S. control. Politics of Guam
  Montserrat   United Kingdom Overseas territory None 5,000 103 40 No official referendum has been held. Government of Montserrat
  New Caledonia[B]   France Sui generis collectivity None 252,000 18,575 7,172 There were referendums in 1987,[47] 2018,[48] 2020,[49] and 2021,[50] all deciding against independence. Politics of New Caledonia
  Pitcairn[C]   United Kingdom Overseas territory None 50 36 14 No official referendum has been held. Politics of the Pitcairn Islands
  Saint Helena[D]   United Kingdom Overseas territory None 5,396 310 120 No official referendum has been held. Politics of Saint Helena
  Tokelau   New Zealand Territory None 1,411 12 4.6 There were two referendums on self-determination in Tokelau in 2006 and 2007, with both coming just shy of the required two-thirds "yes" margin.[51][52] Politics of Tokelau
  Turks and Caicos Islands   United Kingdom Overseas territory None 31,458 948 366 No official referendum has been held. Politics of the Turks and Caicos Islands
  U.S. Virgin Islands   United States Unincorporated organized territory None 106,405 352 136 A 1993 United States Virgin Islands status referendum was held. The status quo was widely preferred among voters, but the result was invalidated because of the low turnout.[53] Politics of the United States Virgin Islands
Western Sahara[E]   Spain
(de jure,[56] but not de facto) 		Disputed
619,060 266,000 103,000 The United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara has attempted to organize a referendum since 1991, but none has been held so far.[57] Political status of Western Sahara

Notes

  1. ^ On 18 May 2013, the United Nations General Assembly voted to place French Polynesia back on the list.[40]
  2. ^ On 2 December 1986, the United Nations General Assembly voted to place New Caledonia back on the list.[46]
  3. ^ Officially the Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno Islands.
  4. ^ Officially Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha.
  5. ^ A disputed territory with undetermined political status.[54] Formerly Spanish Sahara up to 1976, administration is currently split between Morocco and the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, both of which claim the entire territory. The Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic's administrative control is limited to approximately 30% of the territory, with the remaining 70% of the territory occupied by Morocco.[55] The United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara is the United Nations peacekeeping mission to the territory (see Western Sahara conflict).

Former entries

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The following territories were originally listed by UN General Assembly Resolution 66 (I) of 14 December 1946 as Trust and Non-Self-Governing Territory. The dates show the year of independence or other change in a territory's status which led to their removal from the list,[58] after which information was no longer submitted to the United Nations.[6]

Change in status by administering state

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Overview of non-self-governing territories that had a change in status
Trust / Territory[6] Change in status[6] Current status Administering state[6] Population Area / km2 Area / mi2 Year removed[6] See also
  Alaska Granted statehood (full integration with the United States) U.S. state   United States 683,478 1,700,130 656,424 1959 Legal status of Alaska
  British Hong Kong Removed from the list on request of China[26] Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (since 1 July 1997):
  Hong Kong 		  United Kingdom 7,018,636 1,092 422 1972 Politics of Hong Kong
  Cocos (Keeling) Islands Voted to integrate into Australia External territory of Australia   Australia 596 14 5 1984 Shire of Cocos
  Cook Islands Gained self-rule State in free association with New Zealand   New Zealand 12,271 237 92 1965 Politics of the Cook Islands
  Dutch Guiana Granted more autonomy   Suriname   Netherlands 475,996 163,270 63,039 1955 Politics of Suriname
  French Guiana Became an overseas department (full integration with the French Republic) Overseas department and region of France   France 209,000 83,534 32,253 1947 Politics of French Guiana
  French Polynesia (later reinstated)[a] Became an overseas territory (semi-autonomous collectivity of the French Republic) Overseas country of France:
  French Polynesia

Overseas state private property of France:
  Clipperton Island 		  France 298,256 4,441 1,715 1947 Politics of French Polynesia
  Greenland Incorporated into Denmark as Greenland County (1953). Gained home rule as a Country within the Kingdom of Denmark (1979). Increased autonomy (2009) Autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark[59][60]   Denmark 57,564 2,166,086 836,330 1954 Politics of Greenland
  Guadeloupe Became an overseas department (full integration with the French Republic) Overseas department and region of France:
  Guadeloupe

Overseas collectivities of France:
  Saint Barthélemy
  Saint Martin 		  France 408,000 1,628 629 1947 Politics of Guadeloupe, Saint Barthélemy, and Saint Martin
  Hawaii Granted statehood (full integration with the United States) U.S. state   United States 1,283,388 28,311 10,931 1959 Legal status of Hawaii
  Martinique Became an overseas department (full integration with the French Republic) Overseas department and region of France   France 401,000 1,128 436 1947 Politics of Martinique
  Netherlands Antilles Granted more autonomy Constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Netherlands:
  Aruba
  Curaçao
  Sint Maarten

Special municipalities of the Netherlands:
  Bonaire
  Sint Eustatius
  Saba 		  Netherlands 225,369 960 371 1955 Politics of Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, and the Netherlands Antilles
  New Caledonia (later reinstated)[b] Became an overseas territory (semi-autonomous collectivity of the French Republic) Sui generis collectivity of France

Overseas collectivity of France:
  Wallis and Futuna 		  France 224,824 19,060 7,359 1947 Politics of New Caledonia and Wallis and Futuna
  Niue Gained self-rule State in free association with New Zealand   New Zealand 1,444 260 100 1974 Politics of Niue
  Northern Mariana Islands Became a Commonwealth Unincorporated territory of the United States with Commonwealth status   United States 53,883 168 65 1990 Politics of the Northern Mariana Islands
  Panama Canal Zone Removed from the list on request of Panama[citation needed] Part of Colón, Panamá, and Panamá Oeste provinces of Panama   United States 1947 Politics of Panama
  Portuguese Macau Removed from the list on request of China[26] Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (since 20 December 1999):
  Macau 		  Portugal 545,674 28 11 1972 Politics of Macau
  Puerto Rico Became a Commonwealth (semi-autonomous unincorporated territory of the United States) Unincorporated territory of the United States with Commonwealth status   United States 3,958,128 8,870 3,420 1952 Political status of Puerto Rico
  Réunion Became an overseas department (full integration with the French Republic) Overseas department and region of France   France 868,000 2,512 970 1947 Politics of Réunion
  Saint Pierre and Miquelon Became an overseas department and then an overseas territory (semi-autonomous collectivity of the French Republic) Overseas collectivity of France   France 7,044 242 93 1947 Politics of Saint Pierre and Miquelon
  1. ^ The United Nations General Assembly voted to reinstate French Polynesia (former French Establishments in Oceania) to the list by General Assembly Resolution A/67/265 on 18 May 2013.
  2. ^ New Caledonia was reinstated on the list in 1986 by the General Assembly Resolution No. A/RES/41/41 of the Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples

Joined another state

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Overview of non-self-governing territories that joined another state
Non-self-governing territory[6] State joined[6] Current status Administering state Population Area Year removed[6] See also
km2 sq mi
  British Cameroons Northern Cameroons joined Nigeria
Southern Cameroons joined Cameroon 		Adamawa, Borno and Taraba states of Nigeria, Northwest and Southwest regions of Cameroon   United Kingdom 1961 Politics of Nigeria
Politics of Cameroon
  Ifni Integrated into Morocco Sidi Ifni, Guelmim-Oued Noun, Morocco   Spain 51,517 1,502 580 1969 Politics of Morocco
  Portuguese India Annexed by India The Indian state of Goa and the union territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu   Portugal 1961 Annexation of Goa
  French India Integrated into India Puducherry union territory and Chandannagar of West Bengal state of India   France 973,829 492 190 1947 Coup d'état of Yanaon
  Netherlands New Guinea Integrated into Indonesia as Irian Jaya Papua and West Papua provinces of Indonesia   Netherlands 420,540 162,370 1963 Act of Free Choice
  North Borneo Joined with Malaya to form Malaysia[61] Malaysian state of Sabah and the federal territory of Labuan   United Kingdom 285,000 76,115 29,388 1963 Malaysia Agreement[61]
  São João Batista de Ajuda Integrated into the Republic of Dahomey (now Benin) Ouidah commune, Atlantique department, Benin   Portugal 1961 Politics of Benin
  Colony of Sarawak Joined with Malaya to form Malaysia[61] Malaysian state of Sarawak   United Kingdom 546,385 124,450 48,050 1963 Malaysia Agreement[61]
  British Togoland Joined British Gold Coast colony Volta, Northern and Upper East regions of Ghana   United Kingdom 1957 Foreign relations of Ghana

Independence

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Overview of non-self-governing territories that gained independence
Non-self-governing territory[6] Sub-unit Independent as[6] Administering state Population Area Year removed[6] See also
km2 sq mi
  Aden Protectorate   South Yemen   United Kingdom 285,192 110,113 1967 Yemeni unification in 1990
  Portuguese Angola   Angola   Portugal 7,024,000[62] 1,246,700 481,400 1975 Including the enclave of Cabinda
  British Leeward Islands Antigua   Antigua and Barbuda   United Kingdom 1981
  Bahamas   The Bahamas   United Kingdom 13,878 5,358 1973
  Barbados   Barbados   United Kingdom 431 166 1966
  Basutoland   Lesotho   United Kingdom 30,355 11,720 1966
  Bechuanaland Protectorate   Botswana   United Kingdom 1966
  Brunei   Brunei Darussalam   United Kingdom 5,765 2,220 860 1984
  French Cameroun   Cameroon   France 1960 Trust Territory
  Portuguese Cape Verde   Cape Verde   Portugal 4,033 1,557 1975
  Belgian Congo   Congo Léopoldville   Belgium 16,610,000[63] 2,344,858 905,355 1960
  British Cyprus   Cyprus   United Kingdom 9,251 3,572 1960
  Dutch East Indies   Indonesia (excluding Western New Guinea)   Netherlands 1950
  East Timor   East Timor   Indonesia 688,711 15,007 5,794 2002 Politics of East Timor
  Portuguese Timor   Indonesia   Portugal 15,007 5,794 2002 Indonesian occupation of East Timor
  French Equatorial Africa   French Congo   Republic of the Congo   France 1960
  French Gabon   Gabon   France 1960
  Ubangi Shari   Central African Republic   France 1960
  French Chad   Chad   France 1960
  Fiji Islands   Fiji   United Kingdom 1970
  Gambia Colony and Protectorate   The Gambia   United Kingdom 10,380 4,010 1965
  Gilbert and Ellice Islands   Gilbert Islands   Kiribati   United Kingdom 1979
  Tuvalu (Ellice Islands)   Tuvalu   United Kingdom 1978
  Gold Coast   Ghana   United Kingdom 1957
  British Guiana   Guyana   United Kingdom 1966
  Portuguese Guinea   Guinea-Bissau   Portugal 36,125 13,948 1974
  Spanish Guinea   Equatorial Guinea   Spain 28,051 10,831 1968
  British Honduras   Belize   United Kingdom 145,000[64] 22,966 8,867 1981
  French Indochina   French protectorate of Cambodia   Cambodia   France 1953
  French protectorate of Laos   Kingdom of Laos   France 1949
  Tonkin (French protectorate)   Democratic Republic of Vietnam   France 1945 Vietnamese unification in 1976
  Annam (French protectorate)
  French Cochinchina   State of Vietnam   France 1949 Vietnamese unification in 1976
  Colony of Jamaica   Jamaica   United Kingdom 11,100 4,300 1962
  Colony of Kenya   Kenya   United Kingdom 1963 Formed by the unification of the Colony of Kenya and the Kenya Protectorate
  British Leeward Islands   Saint Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla   St. Kitts and Nevis   United Kingdom 1983 Separated from Anguilla, which is still a non-self-governing territory
  French Madagascar   Comoros   France 1975
  French Madagascar   Madagascar   France 1960
  Malayan Union   Federation of Malaya   United Kingdom 132,364 51,106 19,732 1957 Later became Malaysia
  Colony of Malta   Malta   United Kingdom 316 122 1964
  British Mauritius   Mauritius   United Kingdom 2,040 790 1968
  French protectorate of Morocco   Morocco   France 1956
  Portuguese Mozambique   Mozambique   Portugal 7,300,000[62] 784,955 303,073 1975
  Trust Territory of Nauru   Nauru   Australia 21 8.1 1968
  New Hebrides   Vanuatu    Anglo-French Condominium 100,000[65] 12,189 4,706 1980
  British Nigeria   Nigeria   United Kingdom 1960
  Northern Rhodesia   Zambia   United Kingdom 3,545,200[66] 752,618 290,587 1964
  Nyasaland   Malawi   United Kingdom 752,618 290,587 1964
  Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands   Marshall Islands   United States 68,000 180 69 1990 Independent states in free association with the United States
  Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands   Federated States of Micronesia   United States 111,000 702 271 1990 Independent states in free association with the United States
  Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands   Palau   United States 20,956 459 177 1994 Independent states in free association with the United States
  Territory of Papua and New Guinea   Papua New Guinea   Australia 1975
  Ruanda-Urundi   Burundi   Belgium 1962
  Ruanda-Urundi   Rwanda   Belgium 1962
  Portuguese São Tomé and Príncipe   São Tomé and Príncipe   Portugal 1,001 386 1975
  Seychelles   Seychelles   United Kingdom 451 174 1976
  Sierra Leone Colony and Protectorate   Sierra Leone   United Kingdom 71,740 27,700 1961
  Singapore   Federation of Malaya   United Kingdom 4,608,167 693 268 1963 Singapore first became a state of Malaysia in 1963, before becoming independent in 1965.
  British Solomon Islands   Solomon Islands   United Kingdom 28,896 11,157 1978
  British Somaliland   State of Somaliland   United Kingdom 1960 Joined the Trust Territory of Somalia within a week to form the Somali Republic
  French Somaliland   Djibouti   France 200,000[67] 23,200 9,000 1977
  Trust Territory of Somaliland   Somalia   Italy 1960 Joined the State of Somaliland to form the Somali Republic
  South West Africa   Namibia   South Africa 2,088,669 825,418 318,696 1990 Foreign relations of Namibia
  Southern Rhodesia   Zimbabwe   United Kingdom 6,930,000[68] 390,580 150,800 1980
 Swaziland   Swaziland   United Kingdom 17,364 6,704 1968
  Tanganyika   Tanganyika   United Kingdom 1961 Trust Territory. Later joined with the People's Republic of Zanzibar to form the United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar, now Tanzania
  French Togoland   Togo   France 1960 Trust Territory
  Trinidad and Tobago   Trinidad and Tobago   United Kingdom 5,128 1,980 1962
  French Tunisia   Tunisia   France 163,610 63,170 1956
  Uganda Protectorate   Uganda   United Kingdom 1962
  French West Africa   French Sudan   Ivory Coast   France 1960
  French West Africa   French Sudan   Mali   France 1960
  French West Africa   French Sudan   Mauritania   France 1960
  French West Africa   French Guinea   Guinea   France 1958
  French West Africa   French Dahomey   Dahomey   France 1960
  French West Africa   Colony of Niger   Niger   France 1960
  French West Africa   Colony of Niger   Senegal   France 1960
  French West Africa   Colony of Niger   Upper Volta   France 1960
  Western Samoa Trust Territory   Western Samoa   New Zealand 1962
  British Windward Islands   Dominica   United Kingdom 1978
  British Windward Islands   Grenada   United Kingdom 1974
  British Windward Islands   St. Lucia   United Kingdom 1979
  British Windward Islands   St. Vincent and the Grenadines   United Kingdom 1979
  Sultanate of Zanzibar   Kenya   United Kingdom 1963 The Dominion of Kenya was formed by the unification of the Colony of Kenya and the Protectorate of Kenya; the protectorate, a ten-mile-wide (16 km) coastal strip (Mwambao), had been under Zanzibari sovereignty and administered by the UK[69]
  Sultanate of Zanzibar   Zanzibar   United Kingdom 2,643 1,020 1963 The British protectorate over the Sultanate of Zanzibar was terminated in 1963 and the state was admitted to the UN; in 1964, the sultan was deposed and the People's Republic of Zanzibar was proclaimed; later that year, it joined with the Republic of Tanganyika to form the United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar, now Tanzania

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "The Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples". United Nations Treaty Collection. Retrieved 18 October 2011.
  2. ^ Simon, Sven (5 June 2014), Walter, Christian; von Ungern-Sternberg, Antje; Abushov, Kavus (eds.), "Western Sahara", Self-Determination and Secession in International Law, Oxford University Press, p. 259, doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198702375.003.0013, ISBN 978-0-19-870237-5, retrieved 5 August 2020
  3. ^ Nations, United. "International Week of Non-Self-Governing Territories". United Nations. Retrieved 5 August 2020.
  4. ^ Gonschor, Lorenz (2013). "Mai te hau Roma ra te huru: The Illusion of "Autonomy" and the Ongoing Struggle for Decolonization in French Polynesia". The Contemporary Pacific. 25 (2): 260. ISSN 1043-898X. JSTOR 23725651.
  5. ^ "French Polynesia Battles for Independence". thediplomat.com. Retrieved 5 August 2020.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Trust and Non-Self-Governing Territories (1945–2002) listed by General Assembly of the United Nations
  7. ^ i.e. extenuating circumstance, historical control, longstanding/stagnated issue, etc.
  8. ^ United Nations General Assembly Resolution 64(I)
  9. ^ United Nations General Assembly Resolution 66(I)
  10. ^ "UN Treaty Collection: International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights". Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 18 February 2014.
  11. ^ "UN Treaty Collection: International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights". Archived from the original on 1 September 2010. Retrieved 14 February 2014.
  12. ^ "Falklands referendum: Voters choose to remain UK territory", BBC News, 12 March 2013
  13. ^ "Q&A: Gibraltar's referendum". BBC News. 8 November 2002. Retrieved 25 November 2011.
  14. ^ "Resolution 2353" (PDF). UN. 19 December 1967. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 August 2013. Retrieved 28 September 2012.
  15. ^ Self-Determination of Peoples: A Legal Reappraisal, Antonio Cassese, Cambridge University Press, 1995, page 209
  16. ^ Election 2011, Radio New Zealand
  17. ^ Field, Michael (2 June 2004). "Tokelau wonders, 'What have we done wrong?'". Pacific Islands Report. AFP. Archived from the original on 21 December 2007. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
  18. ^ "Congratulations Tokelau", National Party press release, 26 October 2007
  19. ^ "Colonialism has no place in today's world," says Secretary General in message to Decolonization Seminar in Indonesia". United Nations press release, 14 May 2008
  20. ^ "Tokelau decolonisation high on agenda". The New Zealand Herald. NZPA. 17 May 2008. Retrieved 25 November 2011.
  21. ^ "New Year begins with a new Constitution for the Falklands". MercoPress. 1 January 2009. Retrieved 9 July 2013.
  22. ^ Parliament.uk, UK House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee 2007–2008 Report, pg 16
  23. ^ Telegraph.co.uk, David Blair, Gibraltar makes plans for self-government, Daily Telegraph, 28 February 2002 "GIBRALTAR'S parliament approved an ambitious package of constitutional reform yesterday designed to give the colony almost complete self-government."
  24. ^ "Gibraltar". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 18 August 2009. Gibraltar is an overseas territory of the United Kingdom and is self-governing in all matters but defence.
  25. ^ "Laws of Gibraltar – On-line Service". Gibraltarlaws.gov.gi. Retrieved 13 May 2011.
  26. ^ a b c Carroll, John M. (2007). A Concise History of Hong Kong. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc. p. 176.
  27. ^ "Tahiti assembly votes against UN decolonisation bid", Radio New Zealand International, 17 May 2013
  28. ^ "L'ONU adopte une résolution sur la décolonisation de la Polynésie française". Le Monde, 17 May 2013
  29. ^ General Assembly Resolution 1514 (XV) Archived 24 October 2013 at the Wayback Machine adopted by United Nations General Assembly
  30. ^ General Assembly Resolution 1541 (XV) adopted by United Nations General Assembly on the reports of the Sixth Committee
  31. ^ General Assembly Resolution 1654 (XVI) Archived 12 November 2013 at the Wayback Machine adopted by United Nations General Assembly
  32. ^ United Nations Trusteeship Agreements or were listed by the General Assembly as Non-Self-Governing
  33. ^ "Vanuatu will continue West Papua initiative", One PNG, 6 September 2018
  34. ^ "Pacific Forum backs ‘constructive engagement’ over West Papua", Asia Pacific Report, 7 September 2018
  35. ^ "Norfolk Island Amendment (Supreme Court) Bill 2020".
  36. ^ "Non-Self-Governing Territories". United Nations.
  37. ^ "Bermudians vote to stay British". The Independent. 17 August 1995. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
  38. ^ ch, Beat Müller, beat (at-sign) sudd (dot) (2 April 1986). "Falkland-Inseln, 2. April 1986 : Status -- [in German]". www.sudd.ch. Retrieved 31 May 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  39. ^ "Falklands referendum: Voters choose to remain UK territory". BBC News. 12 March 2013. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
  40. ^ General Assembly adds French Polynesia to UN decolonization list
  41. ^ correspondent, Terence Prittie, our diplomatic (11 September 2018). "Gibraltar votes to remain with Britain – archive, 11 September 1967". the Guardian. Retrieved 31 May 2022. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  42. ^ "Gibraltar votes out joint rule with Spain". the Guardian. 8 November 2002. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
  43. ^ ch, Beat Müller, beat (at-sign) sudd (dot) (4 September 1976). "Guam (USA), 4. September 1976 : Status -- [in German]". www.sudd.ch. Retrieved 31 May 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  44. ^ ch, Beat Müller, beat (at-sign) sudd (dot) (30 January 1982). "Guam (USA), 30. Januar 1982 : Status -- [in German]". www.sudd.ch. Retrieved 31 May 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  45. ^ ch, Beat Müller, beat (at-sign) sudd (dot) (4 September 1982). "Guam (USA), 4. September 1982 : Status (Stichentscheid) -- [in German]". www.sudd.ch. Retrieved 31 May 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  46. ^ General Assembly adds New Caledonia to UN decolonization list
  47. ^ Markham, James M.; Times, Special To the New York (14 September 1987). "New Caledonia Votes to Remain French Territory". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
  48. ^ "Vive la France: New Caledonia rejects independence in historic referendum". ABC News. 4 November 2018. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
  49. ^ "New Caledonia rejects independence from France". France 24. 4 October 2020. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
  50. ^ "New Caledonia votes in tense final referendum on independence from France". France 24. 11 December 2021. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
  51. ^ "Beehive.govt.nz - Tokelau referendum does not produce a two thirds majority in favour of a change of status". 14 May 2006. Archived from the original on 14 May 2006. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
  52. ^ "Tokelau votes to remain dependent territory of New Zealand". NZ Herald. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
  53. ^ United States Virgin Islands, 11 October 1993: Status Direct Democracy (in German)
  54. ^ BBC News: Western Sahara profile
  55. ^ City Population: Western Sahara (disputed territory)
  56. ^ Kassoti, Eva. "The Front Polisario v. Council Case: The General Court, Völkerrechtsfreundlichkeit and the External Aspect of European Integration". European Papers - A Journal on Law and Integration. 2017 2 (1). European Papers (www.europeanpapers.eu): 339–356. doi:10.15166/2499-8249/122. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
  57. ^ "Background". MINURSO. 26 October 2016. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
  58. ^ "United Nations General Assembly Resolution 66 (I)". Archived from the original on 1 June 2022. Retrieved 24 July 2022.
  59. ^ Infobox image Archived 20 March 2009 at the Wayback Machine in "History" section of "About Greenland", English version of the official country government website. Accessed online 2008-09-28, Sunday.
  60. ^ "JURIST | School of Law | University of Pittsburgh".
  61. ^ a b c d See: The UK Statute Law Database: the Acts of the Parliament of the United Kingdom Malaysia Act 1963
  62. ^ a b 1967 estimate
  63. ^ 1960 estimate
  64. ^ 1980 estimate, see: British Honduras#Demographics
  65. ^ 1976 estimate
  66. ^ 1963 estimate, see: Northern Rhodesia#Demographics
  67. ^ 1963 estimate
  68. ^ 1978 estimate
  69. ^ "Agreement between the government of the United Kingdom, His Highness the Sultan of Zanzibar, the government of Kenya and the government of Zanzibar", London, 8 October 1963
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