Complete decolonization by 2000 pursued.

• Position: Fourth Committee of the United Nations General Assembly

Recognizing that the "eradication of colonialism is one of the priorities of the Organization for the decade beginning in 1990", the General Assembly on 25 November called upon the administering Powers to take all necessary steps to enable the peoples of Non-Self-Governing Territories to "exercise fully as soon as possible their right to self-determination and independence". By adopting resolution 47/23, the Assembly requested the Special Committee on decolonization to continue to pay special attention to the small Territories, in particular through the dispatch of regular visiting missions, and to recommend to the Assembly the most suitable steps to be taken to enable the population of those Territories to exercise their right to self-determination. It reaffirmed its declaration of the decade beginning in 1990 as the international Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism.

In other decolonization texts adopted directly in plenary, the Assembly requested (47/24) that a variety of means be employed to publicize the work of the UN in the field of decolonization and urged (47/22) UN agencies and international institutions to intensify their assistance to Non-Self-Governing Territories.

In all, the Assembly adopted seven resolutions and four decisions on the recommendation of its Fourth Committee (Decolonization).

On 13 October, the Chairman of the Special Committee on decolonization, Renagi Renagi Lohia of Papua New Guinea, said that it had decided to take measures to focus attention on the special needs of the remaining 18 Non-Self-Governing Territories. While positive changes in South Africa were noted, it had decided not to eliminate references to apartheid in its recommendations, he stated.

The Assembly reaffirmed (47/15) the inalienable right of the peoples of colonial and Non-Self-Governing Territories to self-determination and independence and to the enjoyment of their natural resources. It condemned those activities of foreign economic and other interests in the colonial Territories which impeded efforts to eliminate colonialism, apartheid and racial discrimination.

In texts (47/27 A and B) on 10 Non-Self-Governing Territories--American Samoa, Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Guam, Montserrat, Tokelau, Turks and Caicos Islands, and the United States Virgin Islands--the Assembly reiterated that such factors as size of territory and of population and limited natural resources should not serve as a pretext to...