Progress in General Assembly Fourth Committee

After an eventful and productive committee session yesterday, the Holy See had high expectations when it came to addressing our second topic, the Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples. I am pleased to report that our delegation’s expectations have been met in the form of two resolutions: Resolution VOICE and Resolution HH, now passed as GA Fourth/II/1. These resolutions are bound by a common theme of granting more agency to Non-Self Governed Territories (NSGT) while also remaining distinct enough that the Holy See recommends that Member States pass both. Resolution VOICE specifically addresses the problems NSGT’s faced before independence, while allowing NSGT’s to have an observer status in the United Nations. This grants these territories a greater voice in the international community. GA Fourth/II/1 focuses on the post-independence issues that NSGT’s will face in their transition to self-governance, such as through asking the Special Committee on the Situation with Regard to the Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence of Colonial Countries and Peoples (C-24) to provide guidance and support. The Holy See has no doubts that VOICE will pass alongside GA Fourth/II/1 and believes that God’s work has been done today.