Question of Guam.

34. RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED ON THE REPORTS OF THE FOURTH COMMITTEE
39. Question of Guam

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,[1] Recalling its resolution 1514 (XV) of 14 December 1960, containing the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, and all other resolutions and decisions of the United Nations relating to Guam, Noting that the administering Power continues to maintain military installations in the Territory, Considering that the policy of maintaining military bases and installations in Non-Self-Governing Territories which inhibit the right of self-determination of peoples is incompatible with the relevant resolutions of the United Nations, Having heard the statements of the administering Power, [2] Welcoming the active participation of the administering Power in the work of the Special Committee and expressing the hope that this co-operation will be strengthened further so as to accelerate progress towards the full implementation of the Declaration with respect to Guam, Having examined the report of the United Nations Visiting Mission dispatched to the Territory in July 1979 [3] Noting the observations of the Visiting Mission relating to the results of the constitutional referendum held in Guam on 4 August 1979, Conscious of the need to accelerate progress towards the full implementation of the Declaration with respect to Guam, Mindful that Guam requires the continued attention and assistance of the United Nations in the achievement by its people of the objectives embodied in the Charter of the United Nations and in the Declaration, Aware of the special circumstances of the geographical location and economic conditions of Guam and stressing the necessity of diversifying the Territory's economy as a matter of priority in order to reduce its dependence on fluctuating economic activities,

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;[4]

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

3. Reaffirms its conviction that questions of territorial size, geographical location and limited resources should in no way delay the implementation of the Declaration with respect to the Territory;

4. Calls upon the Government of the United States of America, as the administering Power, in consultation with the freely elected representatives of the people of Guam, to continue to take all the necessary steps to ensure the full and speedy attainment of the goals set forth in the Declaration with respect to the Territory and to take such additional measures as will ensure preservation of the identity and cultural heritage of the people of Guam;

5. Expresses its appreciation to the members of the United Nations Visiting Mission dispatched to the Territory in July 1979 for the constructive work accomplished and to the administering Power and to the Government and people of Guam for the co-operation and assistance extended to the Mission;

6. Takes note of the report of the Visiting Mission and the observations, conclusions and recommendations contained therein;

7. Calls upon the administering Power to take all possible steps to strengthen and diversify the economy of Guam and to work out concrete programmes of assistance and economic development for the Territory;

8. Recalls that the administering Power has the responsibility to ensure that the people of Guam are kept fully informed of their inalienable right to self-determination and independence, in accordance with the Declaration;

9. Further calls upon the administering Power to take the necessary action to enable the inhabitants of Guam to regain possession of unutilized land held at present by the federal authorities and by the military;

10. Recalls its relevant resolutions concerning military bases in colonial and Non-Self-Governing Territories, recognizes that the presence of military bases could constitute a factor impeding the implementation of the Declaration and rearms its strong conviction that the presence of military bases in Guam should not prevent the people of the Territory from exercising their inalienable right to self-determination and independence in accordance with the Declaration and the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations;

11. Urges the administering Power, in co-operation with the freely elected authorities and representatives of the people of Guam, to safeguard the inalienable right of the people of the Territory to the enjoyment of their natural resources by taking effective measures which guarantee the right of the people to own and dispose of those natural resources and to establish and maintain control of their future development;

12. Requests the administering Power to continue to enlist the assistance of the specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system in accelerating progress in all sectors of the national life of Guam;

13. 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 thirty-fifth session.

75th plenary meeting
21 November 1979

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[1] Official Records of the General Assembly, Thirty-fourth Session, Supplement No. 23 (A/34/Rev.1), chaps. IV and XXVII. [2] Ibid., Thirty-fourth Session, Fourth Committee, 22nd meeting, paras. 17-21, and 27th meeting, paras. 64 and 65. [3] Ibid., Thirty-fourth Session, Supplement No. 23 (A/34/ Rev.1), chap. XXVII, annex. [4] Ibid., chap. XXVII.