Question of Guam : resolution / adopted by the General Assembly

The General Assembly,

Having considered the question of Guam,

Having examined the relevant chapters 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,

Recalling its resolution 1514 (XV) of 14 December 1960, containing the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, and all resolutions and decisions of the United Nations relating to Guam, in particular General Assembly resolution 43/42 of 22 November 1988,

Conscious of the need to ensure the full and speedy implementation of the Declaration in respect of the Territory,

Having heard the statement of the representative of the United States of America, as the administering Power,

Recalling the approval, in referendums held in Guam in 1987, of a draft Commonwealth Act, which, upon its enactment by the United States Congress, would reaffirm the right of the people of Guam to draft their own Constitution and to govern themselves,

Noting that the draft Commonwealth Act provides that the Congress of the United States would recognize the inalienable right to self-determination of the Chamorro people, for which provisions would be made in the Guam Constitution,

Aware of the special circumstances of the geographical location and economic conditions of the Territory and bearing in mind the necessity of diversifying and strengthening further its economy as a matter of priority in order to promote economic stability,

Taking note of the statement of the representative of the administering Power that legislation had been introduced in the United States Congress to release 1,431 hectares of land no longer required by the Department of Defense and that the 100th Congress of the United States had considered the issue, and noting that a decision has yet to be taken on the matter,

Noting the potential for diversifying and developing the economy of Guam through commercial fishing and agriculture,

Taking note of the statement of the representative of the administering Power concerning the growth in tourism and the desire of the Government of Guam for balanced economic growth,

Taking note also of the statement of the representative of the administering Power that the cultural identity of the Chamorro people, the indigenous inhabitants of Guam, would be recognized,

Recalling the dispatch in 1979 of a United Nations visiting mission to the Territory,

Mindful that United Nations visiting missions provide an effective means of ascertaining the situation in the small Territories and reiterating that the possibility of sending a further visiting mission to Guam at an appropriate time should be kept under review,

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 Guam;

2.         Reaffirms the inalienable right of the people of Guam to self-determination and independence in conformity with the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples;

3.         Reaffirms its conviction that such factors as territorial size, geographical location, size of population and limited natural resources should in no way delay the implementation of the Declaration, which fully applies to Guam;

4.         Reaffirms the importance of fostering an awareness among the people of Guam of the possibilities open to them with regard to their right to self-determination and calls upon the United States of America, as the administering Power, in co-operation with the territorial Government, to expedite the process of decolonization strictly in accordance with the expressed wishes of the people of the Territory;

5.         Reaffirms its strong conviction that the presence of military bases and installations in the Territory could constitute a major obstacle to the implementation of the Declaration and that it is the responsibility of the administering Power to ensure that the existence of such bases and installations does not hinder the population of the Territory from exercising its right to self-determination and independence in conformity with the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations;

6.         Urges the administering Power to continue to take all necessary measures not to involve the Territory in any offensive acts or interference against other States and to comply fully with the purposes and principles of the Charter, the Declaration and the resolutions and decisions of the General Assembly relating to military activities and arrangements by colonial Powers in Territories under their administration;

7.         Reaffirms the responsibility of the administering Power, under the Charter, to promote the economic and social development of Guam and, in that connection, calls upon the administering Power to take further steps to strengthen and diversify the economy of the Territory, with a view to reducing its economic dependence on the administering Power;

8.         Reiterates that one of the obstacles to economic growth in Guam is the holding of large tracts of land by the United States federal authorities, and calls upon the administering Power, in co-operation with the territorial Government, to expedite the transfer of land to the people of the Territory and to take the necessary steps to safeguard their property rights;

9.         Urges the administering Power, in co-operation with the territorial Government, to take effective measures to safeguard and guarantee the inalienable right of the people of Guam to own and dispose of the natural resources of the Territory, including marine resources, and to establish and maintain control over the future development of those resources, as well as to support measures by the territorial Government aimed at removing constraints to growth in commercial fishing and agriculture;

10.       Reaffirms the importance of continued efforts by the territorial Government, with the support of the administering Power, to promote and develop Guam's unique cultural identity;

11.       Urges the administering Power to give full recognition to the status and rights of the Chamorro people;

12.       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 Guam at an appropriate time and in consultation with the administering Power, and to report thereon to the General Assembly at its forty-fifth session.