Question of Tokelau : resolution / adopted by the General Assembly

Question of Tokelau

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 Tokelau;

2. Approves the report of the United Nations Visiting Mission to Tokelau in 1986, and endorses the observations, conclusions and recommendations contained therein;

3. Reaffirms the inalienable right of the people of Tokelau to self-determination and independence in accordance with the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, contained in General Assembly resolution 1514 (XV);

4. Expresses its deep appreciation to the elders, people and public service of Tokelau and to the administering Power for the courtesies, co-operation and assistance extended to the Visiting Mission;

5. Notes that the people of Tokelau with whom the Visiting Mission consulted expressed their desire to maintain at this stage their present status and relationship with the administering Power;

6. Notes the continuing development of the General Fono (Council) of Tokelau as the Territory's highest political body, and considers that the process of devolution of authority to Tokelau's political and administrative institutions should continue;

7. Urges the administering Power, in co-operation with the Tokelau public service, to expand and intensify its programme of political education in the Territory so as to improve the awareness of the people of the Territory of the options available to them in the exercise of their right to self-determination and independence, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations and the Declaration;

8. Commends the people of Tokelau for their determination to manage their economic and political development in such a way as to ensure that it does not compromise or undermine Tokelau's distinct and valued cultural heritage, and urges the administering Power and international agencies to respect fully the wishes of the people of Tokelau in this regard;

9. Welcomes the assurance of the administering Power that legislation affecting Tokelau will only be passed after consultation with the General Fono(Council) of Tokelau, and commends the Fono for the role it is playing in the development of a new legal code to give due recognition to Tokelauan customs and culture;

10. Welcomes also the efforts being made to develop an education system specifically geared to the needs of Tokelau and urges that these efforts be intensified;

11. Requests the administering Power, taking into account the Visiting Mission's observations, conclusions and recommendations, to continue to enlist the assistance of the specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system, as well as other regional and international bodies, in the development and strengthening of the economy of the Territory;

12. Welcomes the participation of Tokelau in South Pacific regional organizations and institutions and requests the administering Power to facilitate the participation of the Territory as an associate member of various organizations of the United Nations system, as well as other regional and international bodies;

13. Expresses the view that measures to promote the economic and social development of Tokelau are an essential element in the process of self-determination and, in that connection, calls upon the administering Power, in close co-operation with the General Fono (Council), to continue to intensify and diversify its programmes of development assistance to Tokelau;

14. Notes the assistance extended to Tokelau by the United Nations Development Programme, the United Nations Children's Fund, the World Health Organization and other regional and international institutions and urges them to continue to increase such assistance to the Territory in close consultation with the Tokelau Administration;

15. 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 Tokelau at an appropriate time and in consultation with the administering Power, and to report thereon to the General Assembly at its forty-second session.