RI HELPS ADOPTION OF UN RESOLUTIONS ON DECOLONIZATION OF COLONIZED TERRITORIES 

    New York - Indonesia has helped the adoption of UN resolutions on issues related to the process of decolonization in a number of non-self-governing territories. Under the Indonesian leadership, UN sessions which lasted for three days this week endorsed six resolutions. "All the resolutions were endorsed by acclamation," Indonesian Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Marty Natalegawa told ANTARA on Saturday (14/6). 

    The series of UN sessions held from June 9 to 12 was presided over by Marty Natalegawa in his capacity as Chairman of the UN Special Committee on Decolonization. The resolutions concern issues related to Puerto Rico and Samoa-America, Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Guam, Montserrat, Pitcairn, Saint Helena, Turks and Caicos Islands, US Virgin Islands, and the Falkands, also known as Malvinas. 

    In addition, the resolutions also deal with the implementation of a declaration on the granting of independence to colonized territories and their peoples by special world bodies and international institutions affiliated to the UN. Marty said the UN Special Committee will convene another meeting on June 18 to discuss Gibraltar and on June 23 to discuss Tokelau and New Caledonia.  

  On June 19, the committee will discuss the report of a regional seminar on decolonization-UN held in Indonesia's Bandung city from May 14 to 16.  The UN Special Committee on Decolonization also known as C24 is a committee under the mechanism of the Committee IV of the UN General Assembly tasked with accelerating the process of decolonization in non-self-governing territories. Since the UN was established, nearly 750 million people have exercised their right to self-determination, and more than 80 once-colonized territories have gained independence. (Antara, 16/6/08)