RESOLUTION OF THE STATUS ON NON SELF-GOVERNING TERRITORIES CHAIRPERSON: VIVIENNE HRILROKIM DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON: JAGRITEE H.

Transcription

1 2016 RESOLUTION OF THE STATUS ON NON SELF-GOVERNING TERRITORIES CHAIRPERSON: VIVIENNE HRILROKIM DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON: JAGRITEE H. SENAPATI

2 CONTENTS NOTE FROM THE CHAIRS... 2 INTRODUCTION TO SPECPOL... 4 DEFINITIONS OF KEY TERMS... 5 UN definition of Non-Self Governing territory:... 5 Declaration on Non-Self Governing territories:... 5 Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples:... 5 Non-Self-Governing Territories... 6 COUNTRY DEPENDENCY STATUS... 8 STATEMENT OF THE AGENDA HISTORY Situation Falkland Islands (Malvinas) Gibraltar Western Sahara: (A case study on Sovereignty) Polisario Front Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) Morocco s Involvement Past International Action TIMELINE OF IMPORTANT EVENTS MEASURES TAKEN BY THE UNITED NATIONS QUESTIONS A RESOLUTION MUST ANSWER NOTE ON POSITION PAPERS SPECIAL POLITICAL AND DECOLONIZATION COMMITTEE

3 NOTE FROM THE CHAIRS Dear Delegates, It is with pleasure that I welcome you, again, to Maria s Model United Nations and to the Special Political and Decolonization Committee. I look forward to meeting all of you and hear you debate on the pertinent agenda, which has been set for the coming session, Resolution of the Status of Non-Self Governing Territories with special focus on Territorial sovereignty. The agenda at hand affects the world s most turbulent regions and I sincerely hope that it grasps your interest and attention like it grasped mine. It is a very tentative job to research and conclude points on territorial sovereignty under the international law. I cannot wait to witness the committee thoroughly discussing and debating on such a challenging agenda. I personally believe that if we can complain and rant about the disputes and displacements taking all over the world, we can surely bring about a change. At this session of Maria s Model United Nations, you will be given such a platform and as well as the opportunity bring about THAT dynamic change. Additionally, delegates are to keep in mind that country policy is the anchor for all proposals both presented and supported by the delegate. Although collaboration is the goal, it is always secondary to the integrity of a delegate s country policy. The desire to compromise should never supersede the delegate s ability to uphold his country s stance on the issue. Delegates, we hope that this research guide has been useful in your preparation for the coming MMUN 2016 and we are hopeful that all your hard work comes to fruition at the conference. The following points must be kept in mind while preparing for the conference: MARIA S MODEL UNITED NATIONS 2016

4 Some questions have been listed in the guide that a resolution must answer, however it is important to look for other potential solutions to the problem and wider avenues researched. Even though it is important to look into each territory specifically, one must need to have a wider perspective in searching for solutions to the problem. We hope you use this research guide to your greatest benefit. Wishing you the very best of luck for your research. Vivienne Hrilrokim Chairperson, SPECPOL Jagritee Senapati Deputy Chairperson, SPECPOL Address: mmunspecpol@gmail.com SPECIAL POLITICAL AND DECOLONIZATION COMMITTEE

5 INTRODUCTION TO SPECPOL The Fourth Committee of the General Assembly of the United Nations, the Special Political and Decolonization Committee (SPECPOL) was established in 1993 and is the combination of the Decolonization Committee (formerly the Fourth Committee) and the Special Political Committee. It consists of all 193 members of the United Nations. This committee s inception took place in 1990 when the United Nations established as the International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism. This was particularly important for the decade of the creation of the UN was a time when 750 million people lived in a colonized territory. Today, in part, due to the work of the Fourth Committee, this number has been drastically decreased to approximately 2 million. Over 80 former colonies have become independent since The Fourth Committee frequently works in conjunction with groups such as the High Commissioner on Refugees and other specialized groups. SPECPOL concerns itself with healing countries from the lasting impact of their troubled histories. The committee s foremost goal is to ensure that all countries enjoy the independence to which they are rightfully entitled. The committee derives power from its mandate in Chapter XI of the United Nations Charter, which commits it to the preservation of the rights and dignities of the people living in non-self-governing territories. According to its mandate, the Fourth Committee can discuss issues such as selfdetermination, decolonization, and peacekeeping efforts. According to its mandate, the fourth committee is incapable of taking military intervention and a majority of its resolutions are passed along as suggestions to the Security Council. Despite if this, it plays a significant role for it gives the limelight to issues concerning the occupation, colonization, and subjugation of territories and its people, with the primary goal of making all countries independent from overseas powers. MARIA S MODEL UNITED NATIONS 2016

6 DEFINITIONS OF KEY TERMS UN definition of Non-Self Governing territory: In Chapter XI, article 73 of the United Nations Charter, a non-self-governing territory is used to refer to territories whose people have not yet attained full measure of selfgovernance. Declaration on Non-Self Governing territories: It is embodied in Chapter XI of the UN Charter which declares that the interest of the occupants of dependent territories are paramount and requires UN member states controlling non-self-governing territories to present an annual report concerning development in these territories. Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples: Also known as the UN Resolution 1514, this resolution was adopted by the UN General Assembly on December 14, It concerns itself with the rights of the colonized people to self-determination and emphasizes that the subjection of the peoples to alien domination is contrary to the Charter of the UN and is an impediment to the promotion of world peace and cooperation. SPECIAL POLITICAL AND DECOLONIZATION COMMITTEE

7 Non-Self-Governing Territories TERRITORY LISTING AS NSGT ADMINISTER ING POWER LAND AREA (sq.km.) 1 POPULATIO N 1 AFRICA Western Sahara Since , ,000 ATLANTIC AND CARIBBEAN Anguilla Since 1946 Bermuda Since 1946 United Kingdom United Kingdom 96 15, ,777 British Virgin Islands Since 1946 United Kingdom ,200 Cayman Islands Since 1946 United Kingdom ,691 Falkland Islands (Malvinas) Since 1946 United Kingdom 12,173 2,500 Montserrat Since 1946 Saint Helena Since 1946 United Kingdom United Kingdom 103 5, ,777 Turks and Caicos Islands Since 1946 United Kingdom ,458 United States Virgin Islands Since 1946 United States ,343 MARIA S MODEL UNITED NATIONS 2016

8 EUROPE Gibraltar Since 1946 United Kingdom PACIFIC ,700 American Samoa Since 1946 United States ,170 French Polynesia 1947 and since 2013 France 3, ,207 Guam Since 1946 United States ,358 New Caledonia and since 1986 France 18, ,767 Pitcairn Since 1946 United Kingdom Tokelau Since 1946 New Zealand ,411 SPECIAL POLITICAL AND DECOLONIZATION COMMITTEE

9 COUNTRY DEPENDENCY STATUS American Samoa- Unincorporated and unorganized territory of the US; administered by the Office of Insular Affairs, US Department of the Interior Anguilla- Overseas territory of the UK Bermuda- Overseas territory of the UK British Virgin Islands-Overseas territory of the UK; internal self-governing Cayman Islands-Overseas territory of the UK Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)-Overseas territory of the UK; also claimed by Argentina French Polynesia- Overseas lands of France; overseas territory of France from ; overseas collectivity of France since 2003, though it is often referred to as an overseas country due to its degree of autonomy Gibraltar- Overseas territory of the UK Guam- Organized, unincorporated territory of the US with policy relations between Guam and the US under the jurisdiction of the Montserrat-Overseas territory of the UK New Caledonia- Territorial collectivity (or a sui generis collectivity) of France since 1998 Pitcairn Islands-Overseas territory of the UK Puerto Rico-Unincorporated, organized territory of the US with commonwealth status; policy relations between Puerto Rico and the US conducted under the jurisdiction of the Office of the President Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha -Overseas territory of the UK Tokelau- Self-administering territory of New Zealand; note - Tokelau and New Zealand have agreed to a draft constitution as Tokelau moves toward free association with New Zealand; a UN-sponsored referendum on Self Governance in October 2007 MARIA S MODEL UNITED NATIONS 2016

10 did not produce the two-thirds majority vote necessary for changing the political status Turks and Caicos Islands- Overseas territory of the UK Virgin Islands organized, unincorporated territory of the US with policy relations between the Virgin Islands and the US under the jurisdiction of the Office of Insular Affairs, US Department of the Interior SPECIAL POLITICAL AND DECOLONIZATION COMMITTEE

11 STATEMENT OF THE AGENDA 65 years after the General Assembly s Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, there remain 17 territories, with a total population of 1.6 million people, administered by four foreign powers. A majority of these territories termed as non-self-governing territories are small islands colonised in the 18 th and 19 th centuries. Prior to 1945, the issue of self-determination merited little concern by the international community. Only with the conception of Chapter XI of the United Nations Charter, the Declaration Regarding Non-Self Governing Territories, did states begin to consider decolonisation as a legitimate and a serious issue. It is with this cognizance that the United Nations adopted the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples and established the Special Committee on Decolonisation to oversee its implementation in 1962.A Plan of Action was subsequently conceived to serve as a framework for the decolonisation process. Since its foundation, the Committee has facilitated the change of status of over 100 territories worldwide. While the Special Committee, currently halfway through the third International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism ( ), continues to aim for the achievement of self-determination in all existing Non-Self Governing Territories and calls for intensified efforts for this cause, the decolonization process has been at a standstill since the early 2000s. No territory has achieved self-government since East Timor gained full independence from Indonesia in 2002.The decolonization process has lost some of its initial momentum in recent years. MARIA S MODEL UNITED NATIONS 2016

12 HISTORY When the United Nations was established in 1945, 750 million people - almost a third of the world's population - lived in Territories that were non-self-governing, dependent on colonial powers. Today, fewer than 2 million people live in such territories. The Charter of the United Nations established, in Chapter XI (Articles 73 and 74), the principles that continue to guide United Nations decolonization efforts, including respect for self-determination of all peoples. The United Nations Charter also established the International Trusteeship System in Chapter XII (articles 75-85) and the Trusteeship Council in Chapter XIII (articles 86-91) to monitor certain Territories, known as "Trust" Territories. Those Territories, each subject to separate agreements with administering States, were formally administered under Mandates from the League of Nations, or were separated from countries defeated in the Second World War, or were voluntarily placed under the system by States responsible for their administration. Eleven Territories were placed under this system. Since the creation of the United Nations more than 80 former colonies have gained their independence. Among them, all eleven Trust Territories have achieved selfdetermination through independence or free association with an independent State. There are 17 Non-Self-Governing Territories remaining today. The Charter binds administering Powers to recognize that the interests of dependent Territories are paramount, to agree to promote social, economic, political and educational progress in the Territories, to assist in developing appropriate forms of self-government and to take into account the political aspirations and stages of development and advancement of each Territory. Administering Powers are also obliged under the Charter to convey to the United Nations information on conditions in the Territories. The United Nations monitors progress towards self-determination in the Territories. SPECIAL POLITICAL AND DECOLONIZATION COMMITTEE

13 Hoping to speed the progress of decolonization, the General Assembly adopted, in 1960, the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples. Known as the Declaration on decolonization, it stated that all people have a right to self-determination and proclaimed that colonialism should be brought to a speedy and unconditional end. In 1962 the General Assembly established the Special Committee on Decolonization to monitor implementation of the Declaration and to make recommendations on its application. In 1990, the General Assembly proclaimed as the International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism and adopted a Plan of Action. In 2001, the Second International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism was proclaimed. In 2011, the General Assembly proclaimed as the Third International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism. The following map shows all the non-self-governing territories along with the administering powers: MARIA S MODEL UNITED NATIONS 2016

14 Situation Falkland Islands (Malvinas) In 2013, the United Nations Special Committee on Decolonization approved a resolution calling for the peaceful settlement of the Question of the Falkland Islands (Malvinas), as member states urged an end to the festering dispute that had long plagued the South Atlantic islands and surrounding territories. The Special Committee on Decolonisation reiterated that the way to put an end to the special and particular colonial situation of the Falkland Island (Malvinas) was the peaceful and negotiated settlement of the dispute over sovereignty between Argentina and the United Kingdom. Also emphasized was the importance of actively engaging Falkland Islanders themselves in the discussion. SPECIAL POLITICAL AND DECOLONIZATION COMMITTEE

15 Gibraltar Concerning Gibraltar, there exist arguments both for and against its removal from the United Nations list of 17 remaining Non-Self-Governing Territories. Gibraltar appealed to the Special Committee to delist the Territory from the United Nations roster, stating that its Government and people supported, with the United Kingdom, a Trilateral Forum for dialogue and it was unfortunate, suspect and unacceptable that the Committee had adopted the position of one single party: Spain. In response to the protest, Spain stated that, in line with resolution A/69/462 and the Special Committee s recommendations, it was trying to reach an agreement with the United Kingdom on a new regional cooperation framework dealing with issues that directly affected the cooperation between inhabitants of both sides of the separation fence in Gibraltar. Western Sahara: (A case study on Sovereignty) The Western Sahara is a large unconsolidated region with a current population of approximately 550,000 in North-West Africa. In 1884 the region was split between the French and Spanish at the Berlin Conference Full Spanish control was maintained until 1965 after which external factors such as the cold war and decolonization resulted in most western powers giving colonies independence. Despite internal and external tensions from the rough transition from the dictatorship of Generalissimo Franco to a democracy, Spain held onto the Western Sahara region until 1975 when it was ceded to Morocco and Mauritania setting the stage for a prolonged conflict over the sovereignty of the land. Polisario Front The Polisario Front is one of the major factions in the Western Saharan conflict, the other being Morocco. The Polisario was started with poor funding in the mid 1970s in difficult military conditions including constant pressure from the Moroccan Air Force. Eventually, the Front was able to rally together numerous Sahrawi individuals in the region and tens of thousands of other refugees and create a de facto state, the MARIA S MODEL UNITED NATIONS 2016

16 Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) In the SADR s early days support and recognition skyrocketed. Several military victories against Moroccan Army (under the control of leader King Hassan) increased the group s control over the region. Additionally, the SADR was able to convince Mauritania to give up any claims to Western Sahara and gained direct support from Algeria. By December 1982 the state was already recognized by 52 developing nations and by 1990, 74. Despite the Polisario Front and SADR s victories, by 1982 the conflict was reaching a turning point. Although numerous nation-states and the Organization of African Unity (OAU) had recognized the validity of the SADR (causing the withdrawal of Morocco from the OAU), several key western powers refused to sign on. Morocco had established critical relationships with many of these western powers by providing extensive aid in the ongoing cold war. To make matters worse, after Morocco suffered a devastating defeat at an outpost of Guelta Zemmur in late 1981, the government constructed large berms or earthen walls closing off 85% of the territory to the Polisario Front and making guerilla warfare tactics exceedingly difficult. SPECIAL POLITICAL AND DECOLONIZATION COMMITTEE

17 Morocco s Involvement Since the outset of the conflict Morocco was better equipped financially, militarily and politically than the opposing Polisario Front. During the Cold War Morocco supported the efforts of the western powers through various methods including allowing for the construction of US military bases, sharing intelligence, and diplomatic support. Much of the violence in the war carried out by the Moroccan government was supported either directly or indirectly by western authorities. Due to aforementioned support in the Cold War, Morocco gained a consistent source of weaponry and finances from several western powers, mainly the United States. Although in the late 1970s U.S. citizens began questioning the supply of weaponry and assets, the Moroccan government s expenditure of more than one millions USD on two simultaneous lobbying efforts in 1979 coupled with other international concerns such as the Iran Hostage crisis led to the issue taking a back burner in U.S. political discourse. The end of the cold war and the eventual switch of focus to radical Islamic terrorism resulted in Morocco s previous levels of support eventually dwindling. Nevertheless, few active attempts have been made by foreign powers to resolve the situation in the Western Sahara. MARIA S MODEL UNITED NATIONS 2016

18 Due to the Moroccan Government s harsh policies tens of thousands of Sahrawi individuals have been severed from visiting and meeting friends and family members in the Polisario state. Furthermore, in an effort to reduce the perceived power of the Polisario Front, Morocco has consistently exaggerated the number of Sahrawi individuals living in areas under its control. Sahrawi people have been subjected to discrimination. They are tailed by informers and frequently have their vehicles openly followed by Moroccan security forces. Past International Action Since 1965, several attempts by the UN, NGOs and individual nation-states to resolve the on-going conflict in Western Sahara have been unsuccessful. The first UN resolution on the subject (GA 2072 XX) in 1965 called for Spain to end colonialism in the region based on previous agreements in prior GA resolutions. Unfortunately the resolution didn t specify exactly how Spain should end colonialism and failed to take into account or even mention the people living in the region. After Spain s inaction for one year, the 1966 GA resolution 2229 (XXI) elaborated slightly on the prior related resolution mentioning the right of the peoples of Ifni and Sahara to self-determination while still failing to specify any means by which this goal would be accomplished. GA Resolution 2983 (XXVII) in 1972 took a firm stance on Spain s need to give up the Western Sahara region, yet the inability of the GA to specify a method for granting the people of Western Sahara independence in any of its resolutions set the stage for dispute when Spain did finally cede the territory to Morocco and Mauritania in SPECIAL POLITICAL AND DECOLONIZATION COMMITTEE

19 1975 in response to pressure from the UN and the International Court of Justice (ICJ). Compounding the seriousness of the situation, after a special envoy of the Secretary General determined that a planned referendum did not have suitable conditions, the UN deferred responsibility for the region almost exclusively to the OAU in what was supposed to be a temporary stopgap measure (see above section on Polisario Front). The UN and OAU made several attempts to have the Polisario Front engage in constructive dialogue between the Moroccan Government. However, the Moroccan government s refusal to acknowledge the legitimacy of the SADR precluded face to face talks. The lack of a ceasefire and the continued supply of armaments to Morocco by western countries (primarily the United States) only led to further deterioration of discussions. After years of discussion Secretary General Cuéllar finally unveiled his plan for settling the situation in Western Sahara in 1990, eventually termed MIN- URSO (the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara). The plan was passed unanimously by the Security Council and called for a ceasefire and established highly specific guidelines for a referendum. Unsurprisingly the plan was opposed strongly by both Moroccan and SADR officials and ultimately failed for numerous reasons ranging from an improper implementation, unrealistic timetables and a lack of funding. The final major attempt for peace was known as the Baker Plans, named after former U.S. Secretary of the Treasury James Baker who attempted to negotiate them. Initially in 2000, Baker pushed the Polisario Front and Morocco to sign on to a modified version of the Houston Accords, a resurrection of MINURSO, although it quickly became clear that neither group was interested in making secessions ruling it out of the question. After the failure of several other attempts for dialogue, Baker took it upon himself to draft the first Baker Plan in June of The plan s primary goals were to spur MARIA S MODEL UNITED NATIONS 2016

20 discussion and as a result no specific measures for a referendum were mentioned. Because of the vagueness of the potential for a referendum and a clause that mentioned any specific referendum requiring that any voter must have been a full time resident of the Western Sahara for the preceding one year (excluding many refugee Sahrawi people) it was quickly accepted by the Moroccan government and rejected by the Algerian government and Polisario front. After Baker s difficulties to get all parties on board with his first plan Baker drafted his second plan. This plan included much more specific details on the Referendum, and a plan for Western Saharan selfdetermination including a structure for the post Moroccan-government. This time around Algeria (and eventually the Polisario Front) were on board with strong resistance from Morocco. After a long and difficult period of trying to convince the Security Council to endorse his plan, in resolution 1495 they eventually ended up only strongly supporting it which Morocco viewed as a loophole to not act on it. This coupled with Moroccan support for the War on Terror resulting inaction from the side of the U.S. government resulted in the failure of Baker s Second plan and his resignation. Much has been made of potential agreements between the various factions involved in the conflict for Western Saharan sovereignty, but how should the opinions of the individuals living in the territory (Sahrawi and others) be incorporated into any such plan? How will the interest of all the stake holders (Morocco, the SADR) be protected without compromising anyone else s? How will the situation of conflict and tension be normalised whilst solving the issue over sovereignty? SPECIAL POLITICAL AND DECOLONIZATION COMMITTEE

21 TIMELINE OF IMPORTANT EVENTS 26 th June, 1945: Signing of the UN Charter in San Francisco 14 December, 1960: the Declaration of Granting Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples was adopted by the UN General Assembly. 1963: Western Sahara was added to the list of Non-Self-governing territories when it was a Spanish colony. 26 February 1976: Spain informed the Secretary-General that as of that date it had terminated its presence in the territory of Western Sahara. Spain considered itself thenceforth exempt from any international responsibility in connection with its administration, in view of the cessation of its participation in the temporary administration established for the territory. 2 nd December, 1986: The General Assembly determined that New Caledonia was a Non-Self-Governing Territory. 1990: The General Assembly reaffirmed that the question of Western Sahara was a question of decolonization that remained to be completed by its people. May 2002: East Timor, initially administered by Portugal, under Indonesian control between 1975 and 1999, attained independence and joined the United Nations in September, the same year as Timor Leste December 2007: Formation of new Gibraltarian Constitution MARIA S MODEL UNITED NATIONS 2016

22 17 th May, 2013: French Polynesia reinstated on the UN list of Non Self Governing Territories 25 th February, 2014: Bonaire request for enlisting on the UN list of Non- Self Governing Territories March 2014: Rapanui request for enlisting on the UN list of Non self-governing Territories SPECIAL POLITICAL AND DECOLONIZATION COMMITTEE

23 MEASURES TAKEN BY THE UNITED NATIONS 1. December 14, 1960: The United Nations General Assembly adopted the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples on 2. June 2015, the Special Committee approved draft resolution A/AC.109/2015/L.3 on the question of information from Non-Self-Governing Territories transmitted under Article 73(e) of the United Nations Charter which aims to facilitate the prompt transfer of statistical and qualitative information regarding Non-Self Governing Territories to the Special Committee and United Nations Secretary General. 3. It also approved draft resolution A/ AC.109/2015/L.4 on the dissemination of information on decolonization emphasizing on the importance of making possible options of self-termination available to Non-Self Governing Territories. 4. Department of Political Affairs, Decolonization Unit: Provides substantive support to the Special Committee on Decolonization, prepares annual working papers on the situation in the Non-Self-Governing Territories, and maintains the UN website on decolonization. 5. The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) has accepted several Non-Self-Governing Territories as associate members. As associate members of the Caribbean Development and Cooperation Committee (CDCC), which is the permanent subsidiary body of ECLAC, Non-Self- Governing Territories can participate in United Nations global conferences as official observers, receive technical and advisory services, and benefit from MARIA S MODEL UNITED NATIONS 2016

24 training workshops and seminars. The following Territories enjoy associate member status: Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, Montserrat and United States Virgin Islands. In March 2006, the Turks and Caicos Islands was added to the list of associate members of ECLAC. 6. The Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States (OHRLLS) can assist those Non-Self-Governing Territories that are small islands and face numerous vulnerabilities and constraints through its mandate to provide coordination in the implementation of the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States. The Programme of Action focuses on seven areas of commitment aimed at reducing poverty and the promotion of sustainable development. The OHRLLS can provide coordinated follow-up, undertake appropriate advocacy work, mobilize resources and provide support to group consultations of Small Island developing States. 7. The UNICEF Office for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean covers several islands, including three Non-Self-Governing Territories: British Virgin Islands, Montserrat, and Turks and Caicos Islands. UNICEF programmes in the Caribbean focus on three main areas: early childhood development, including health, nutrition and education; adolescents and life skills, including HIV/AIDS and social investment for child protection which includes policy work; and advocacy and capacity-building within the context of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). SPECIAL POLITICAL AND DECOLONIZATION COMMITTEE

25 8. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) can provide technical assistance and policy advice in the areas of macroeconomic, financial and fiscal management, production and management of economic statistics, disaster mitigation and resettlement and recovery programmes, and capacity-building in environmental sustainability. Through its Caribbean Regional Technical Assistance Centre (CARTAC) project established in 2002, UNDP has provided Anguilla with assistance in financial sector supervision and development of risk management guidelines. It also assists Montserrat through the project Disaster Mitigation, Capacity-building and Institutional Strengthening in Support of Montserrat s Post-Emergency Resettlement Programme. UNDP provides non-project support to a number of other initiatives and activities in the Non-Self-Governing Territories. 9. The Regional Offices of the United Nations Environment Programme UNEP) can promote intergovernmental policy dialogue and regional cooperation; increase national capacity for environmental management and emergency response; raise awareness and enhance information exchange; and translate global policies into regional action. 10. The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) can provide assistance in capacity building to Non-Self-Governing Territories in logistics, forecasting and management of reproductive health commodities, as well as in planning and questionnaire design for population censuses. It can also provide reproductive health commodities. MARIA S MODEL UNITED NATIONS 2016

26 11. Contentious Issues Administering powers like Great Britain and the United States may not be willing to give up some of the territories due to their resource reserves and strategic geopolitical locations. Guam, for instance, is strategically located in the western Pacific, lodging one of the most important U.S. military bases in the region. Mistrust also fuels tensions between the Special Committee and the administering powers, the latter of which believe that the Committee is still engaged in Cold War rhetoric. The decolonization stalemate is in part a legacy of the East-West divide of the 1950s through 1980s, when the former Soviet Union joined developing countries in pressing Western nations to grant their colonies full independence. Many habitants of Non-Self Governing Territories fail to correctly understand the concept of self-determination. Resolution 1514 states that all peoples have the right to self-determination; by virtue of that right they freely determine their political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development. Some remaining colonies are not actively advocating for selfrule. This is possibly due to a lack of knowledge about the choice they have between independence, free association with the foreign power now ruling them, integration within that country, or some other mutually agreed upon option for self-rule. A UN sponsored referendum on Self-Determination took place in February 2006 in Tokelau, out of 581 votes cast 349 were for free association, being short of the two thirds majority required to pass the resolution. SPECIAL POLITICAL AND DECOLONIZATION COMMITTEE

27 QUESTIONS A RESOLUTION MUST ANSWER 1. How can the issue of colonialism by consent be solved? 2. What role should the SPECPOL play among the non-self-governing territories, the administering states and other countries involved in the sovereignty dispute? How far should its influence extend? 3. How can the United Nations take effective measures to prevent further impasses from hindering the independence process? 4. Is it possible to work out a plan of action that will put an end to the ongoing conflict over territories and prevent wars over ownership of these territories from breaking out in the future? 5. Much has been made of potential agreements between the various factions involved in the conflict for Western Saharan sovereignty and also in several territories, but how should the opinions of the individuals living in the territory (Sahrawi and others) be incorporated into any such plan? 6. How can a new agreement be implemented for ending the Western Sahara conflict which avoids the same fate as the numerous failed attempts? 7. What can be done to reduce the obstinacy to accepting an agreement of all groups involved in the Western Sahara conflict? MARIA S MODEL UNITED NATIONS 2016

28 Reference Links: bibga&uri=full= ~! ~!8&ri=1&aspect=subtab124&menu=search&source =~!horizon SPECIAL POLITICAL AND DECOLONIZATION COMMITTEE

29 NOTE ON POSITION PAPERS The Position Paper is a one or two page document that is essentially an outline of the position of your country on the agenda at hand and will allow the chairperson to get a glance of the direction your respective country will take during the session. It also proves to be an important starting point for the delegates when putting up their opinions and solutions during the course of the debate and also helps them emphasise the ideas, policies and sub topics they will concentrate upon most during committee in relevance to their importance in their respective countries policies and the agenda as a whole. How to write a Position Paper? Position papers are usually one to one-and-a-half pages in length. Your position paper should include a brief introduction followed by a comprehensive breakdown of your country's position on the topics that are being discussed by the committee. A good position paper will not only provide facts but also make proposals for resolutions. They will include: * A brief introduction to your country and its history concerning the topic and committee; * How the issue affects your country; * Your country's policies with respect to the issue and your country's justification for these policies; * Statistics to back up your country's position on the issue; * Actions taken by your government with regard to the issue; * Conventions and resolutions that your country has signed or ratified; MARIA S MODEL UNITED NATIONS 2016

30 * UN actions that your country supported or opposed; * What your country believes should be done to address the issue; * What your country would like to accomplish in the committee's resolution; and * How the positions of other countries affect your country's position. Submission of Position Papers: The position papers are to be sent to the chair s address (mmunspecpol@gmail.com) in PDF format by 17 th MAY, 2016 SPECIAL POLITICAL AND DECOLONIZATION COMMITTEE

31 MARIA S MODEL UNITED NATIONS 2016

32 SPECIAL POLITICAL AND DECOLONIZATION COMMITTEE