Question of American Samoa

A/RES/77/134No PDF available

Who created this mandate?

A Resolution of the General Assembly, under agenda item 55Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, published in 2022.

What other versions does this mandate have?

25 versions · 1977–2025

This is an older version — the most recent is A/RES/80/90

2025A/RES/80/90Question of American SamoaLatestCompare with previous version
2024A/RES/79/99Question of American SamoaCompare with previous version
2023A/RES/78/86Question of American SamoaCompare with previous version
2022A/RES/77/134Question of American SamoaCompare with previous version
2021A/RES/76/90Question of American SamoaCompare with previous version

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What subjects does this mandate have?

4 topics

American Samoa Question Decolonization Non-Self-Governing Territories Self-Determination of Peoples

What does this mandate say?

14 operative paragraphs

Reaffirms the inalienable right of the people of American Samoa to self-determination, in conformity with the Charter of the United Nations and with General Assembly resolution 1514 (XV), containing the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples;

Also reaffirms that, in the process of decolonization of American Samoa, there is no alternative to the principle of self-determination, which is also a fundamental human right, as recognized under the relevant human rights conventions;

Further reaffirms that it is ultimately for the people of American Samoa to determine freely their future political status in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Charter, the Declaration and the relevant resolutions of the General Assembly, and in that connection calls upon the administering Power, in cooperation with the territorial Government and appropriate bodies of the United Nations system, to develop political education programmes for the Territory in order to foster an awareness among the people of their right to self-determination in conformity with the legitimate political status options, based on the principles clearly defined in Assembly resolution 1541 (XV) and other relevant resolutions and decisions;

Takes note of the work of the territorial Government with respect to moving forward on political status, local autonomy and self-governance issues with a view to making political and economic progress, recalls the establishment in April 2016 of the Office of Political Status, Constitutional Review and Federal Relations, and notes the establishment in 2022 of the Constitutional Review Committee;

Recalls the indication by the territorial Government that American Samoa should remain on the list of Non-Self-Governing Territories, under the purview 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, until such time as its people have exercised their right to self-determination;

Also recalls the invitation extended in 2015 by the Governor of American Samoa to the Special Committee to send a visiting mission to the Territory, calls upon the administering Power to facilitate such a mission if the territorial Government so desires, and requests the Chair of the Special Committee to take all the steps necessary to that end;

Requests the administering Power to assist the Territory by facilitating its work concerning public educational outreach efforts, consistent with Article 73 b of the Charter, and in that regard calls upon the relevant United Nations organizations to provide assistance to the Territory, if requested;

Stresses that the Territory should continue to participate in the activities of the Special Committee, including regional seminars, in order to provide the Committee with up-to-date information regarding the decolonization process;

Also stresses the importance of the Special Committee being apprised of the views and wishes of the people of American Samoa and enhancing its understanding of their conditions, including the nature and scope of the existing political and constitutional arrangements between American Samoa and the administering Power;

Calls upon the administering Power to participate in and cooperate fully with the work of the Special Committee in order to implement the provisions of Article 73 e of the Charter and the Declaration and in order to advise the Committee on the implementation of the provisions under Article 73 b of the Charter on efforts to promote self-government in American Samoa, and encourages the administering Power to facilitate visiting and special missions to the Territory;

Reaffirms the responsibility of the administering Power under the Charter to promote the economic and social development and to preserve the cultural identity of the Territory, and requests the administering Power to take steps to enlist and make effective use of all possible assistance, on both a bilateral and a multilateral basis, in the strengthening of the economy of the Territory;

Takes into account the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including the Sustainable Development Goals, stresses the importance of fostering the economic and social sustainable development of the Territory by promoting sustained, inclusive and equitable economic growth, creating greater opportunities for all, reducing inequalities, raising basic standards of living, fostering equitable social development and inclusion and promoting the integrated and sustainable management of natural resources and ecosystems that supports, inter alia, economic, social and human development, while facilitating ecosystem conservation, regeneration, restoration and resilience in the face of new and emerging challenges, and strongly urges the administering Power to refrain from undertaking any kind of illicit, harmful and unproductive activities, including the use of the Territory as an international financial centre, that are not aligned with the interest of the people of the Territory;

Requests the Territory and the administering Power to take all measures necessary to protect and conserve the environment of the Territory against any degradation, and once again requests the specialized agencies concerned to monitor environmental conditions in the Territory and to provide assistance to the Territory, consistent with their prevailing rules of procedure;

Requests the Special Committee to continue to examine the question of American Samoa and to report thereon to the General Assembly at its seventy-eighth session and on the implementation of the present resolution.

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