New York: United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said ensuring the aspirational needs of small island territories under the purview of the Special Committee on Decolonization are met is a global responsibility.
“The concerns of the Territories are varied, and we must ensure their voices are heard loud and clear,” Guterres asserted at the opening of the Special Decolonization Committee’s annual session.
He added that “accelerating the decolonization agenda is a collective endeavour”.
In a statement delivered by Assistant Secretary-General Miroslav Jen?a, the Secretary-General opened the 2023 session of the 24-member body, known formally as the Special Committee on the Situation with regard to the implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples.
Today, 17 Non-Self-Governing Territories remain under the Special Committee’s purview. Most are small islands exposed to rising sea levels and are particularly vulnerable to climate disasters. “They are at the frontline of climate emergency,” he said, adding that the global community must ensure that these territories have the requisite resources and support to build resilience and invest in their future.
The Special Committee went on to elect by secret ballot Menissa Rambally (Saint Lucia) as its Chair for 2023. She obtained 14 votes, over Diego Pary Rodr?guez (Bolivia), who garnered 13 votes.
At the outset of the meeting, the Special Committee elected its Bureau by acclamation, re-electing Pedro Luis Pedroso Cuesta (Cuba), Arrmanatha Christiawan Nasir (Indonesia) and Alhaji Fanday Turay (Sierra Leone) as Vice-Chairs. Bassam Sabbagh (Syria) was elected as Rapporteur.
Members also approved the document “Organization of work: relevant resolutions and decisions of the General Assembly”, as well the Special Committee’s tentative work programme and timetable.
Source: Jordan News Agency