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Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples
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<h2 id="context">Context</h2> <p>A declaration on <a href="/facts/Decolonization/EkIM0zpj">decolonization</a> was first proposed by the <a href="/facts/Soviet_Union/m7wWsPto">Soviet Union</a>, calling for the rapid independence of the remaining colonies. However a number of states considered that too rapid a decolonization would lead to chaos in those former colonies, so they resolved to bring the matter more rapidly to the General Assembly. Forty-three Asian and African states brought forward this compromise declaration which called for "immediate steps to be taken", which had many possible interpretations short of rapid decolonization.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:7" href="#fn:7"><sup>7</sup></a> </p><p>The United States had long encouraged decolonization, and was expected to support the declaration, but abstained as a result of pressure from the United Kingdom. Despite abstaining, one U.S. representative, <a href="/facts/Zelma_George/nyrkqw9A">Zelma George</a>, led an ovation after the vote. Many states felt the U.S. had let them down.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:8" href="#fn:8"><sup>8</sup></a> </p><p>Many European and <a href="/facts/NATO/dCeTddMY">NATO</a> states had voted for the declaration, so there was not a broad Western position on it. The United Kingdom, with most remaining colonies, thought the declaration was an implied criticism of it, and also there should be a period of proper preparation for independence. While having limited influence on other delegates, the UK views influenced the U.S. vote, which was escalated to a final decision by <a href="/facts/President_Eisenhower/a21WXe8r">President Eisenhower</a>. U.S. Ambassador <a href="/facts/James_Jeremiah_Wadsworth/IGMIFoJA">James Wadsworth</a> in his speech explained that they agreed with the overall objective but there were "difficulties in the language and thought" and raised various technical issues. Senator <a href="/facts/Wayne_Morse/wKver4VX">Wayne Morse</a> characterized it in one instance as "the United States State Department bent over backwards to read the paragraph incorrectly".<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:9" href="#fn:9"><sup>9</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="legacy">Legacy</h2> <p>The declaration was a milestone in the process of <a href="/facts/Decolonization/EkIM0zpj">decolonization</a>. </p><p>In 2000, on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of Resolution 1514, UN General Assembly adopted Resolution 55/146 that declared 2001–2010 the <a href="/facts/Second_International_Decade_for_the_Eradication_of_Colonialism/6fwsEr1U">Second International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:10" href="#fn:10"><sup>10</sup></a> This follows on from 1990 to 2000 having been the <a href="/facts/International_Decade_for_the_Eradication_of_Colonialism/6fwsEr1U">International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:11" href="#fn:11"><sup>11</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="see-also">See also</h2> <ul><li><a href="/facts/United_Nations_list_of_non-self-governing_territories/zjXdgekp">United Nations list of non-self-governing territories</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Dependent_territory/n2XWkq20">Dependent territory</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/United_Nations_General_Assembly_Resolution_1654_(XVI)/BxjwTbyR">United Nations General Assembly Resolution 1654 (XVI)</a></li></ul> <h2 id="external-links">External links</h2> <a href="/facts/Wikisource/TrMdylNf">Wikisource</a> has original text related to this article: United Nations General Assembly Resolution 66 <ul><li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20131024225840/http://daccess-dds-ny.un.org/doc/RESOLUTION/GEN/NR0/152/88/IMG/NR015288.pdf?OpenElement">Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.un.org/en/decolonization/nonselfgov.shtml">United Nations Trusteeship Agreements or were listed by the General Assembly as Non-Self-Governing</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120508055042/http://www2.ohchr.org/english/law/independence.htm">Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples</a> in The Office of the <a href="http://www.ohchr.org">United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)</a> website</li> <li>ECOSOC Resolution 2007/25, 26 July 2007: <a href="https://www.un.org/en/ecosoc/docs/2007/resolution%202007-25.pdf">Support to Non-Self-Governing Territories by the specialized agencies and international institutions associated with the United Nations</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.un.org/en/events/decolonization50/unradio.shtml">50th Anniversary on 14 December 2010 of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples</a> in the UN Radio.</li> <li><a href="http://legal.un.org/avl/ha/dicc/dicc.html">Introductory note</a> by <a href="/facts/Ted_McWhinney/3GF9oXgt">E. McWhinney</a>, <a href="http://legal.un.org/avl/ha/dicc/dicc.html">procedural history note and audiovisual material</a> on the <i>Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples</i> in the <a href="http://legal.un.org/avl/historicarchives.html">Historic Archives of the United Nations Audiovisual Library of International Law</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=A/RES/1514%28XV%29">Text of the declaration</a></li></ul> <h2 id="references">References</h2> <ol> <li id="fn:1"><p>Getachew, Adom (2019). Worldmaking after Empire: The Rise and Fall of Self-Determination. Princeton University Press. pp. 14, 73–74. doi:10.2307/j.ctv3znwvg. ISBN 978-0-691-17915-5. JSTOR j.ctv3znwvg. <a href="978-0-691-17915-5" target="_blank">978-0-691-17915-5</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:2"><p>Getachew, Adom (2019). Worldmaking after Empire: The Rise and Fall of Self-Determination. Princeton University Press. pp. 14, 73–74. doi:10.2307/j.ctv3znwvg. ISBN 978-0-691-17915-5. JSTOR j.ctv3znwvg. <a href="978-0-691-17915-5" target="_blank">978-0-691-17915-5</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:3"><p>Reus-Smit, Christian (2011). "Struggles for Individual Rights and the Expansion of the International System". International Organization. 65 (2): 207–242. doi:10.1017/S0020818311000038. ISSN 1531-5088. S2CID 145668420. <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/international-organization/article/abs/struggles-for-individual-rights-and-the-expansion-of-the-international-system/9D4AB3695056FA85DCDE1D90D3C551B3" target="_blank">https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/international-organization/article/abs/struggles-for-individual-rights-and-the-expansion-of-the-international-system/9D4AB3695056FA85DCDE1D90D3C551B3</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:4"><p>United Nations General Assembly Session -1 Resolution 1514. A/RES/1514(XV) Retrieved 2014-7-15. <a href="/wiki/United_Nations_General_Assembly" target="_blank">/wiki/United_Nations_General_Assembly</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:5"><p>Danspeckgruber, Wolfgang F. (2002). The Self-Determination of Peoples: Community, Nation, and State in an Interdependent World. Lynne Rienner. ISBN 9781555877682. <a href="9781555877682" target="_blank">9781555877682</a> <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:6"><p>International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, Preamble <a href="/wiki/International_Convention_on_the_Elimination_of_All_Forms_of_Racial_Discrimination" target="_blank">/wiki/International_Convention_on_the_Elimination_of_All_Forms_of_Racial_Discrimination</a> <a href="#fnref:6" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:7"><p>Morse, Wayne (1961). "The United States in the United Nations, 1960 - A Turning Point". U.S. Government Printing Office. pp. 19–24. Retrieved 2 February 2021. <a href="/wiki/Wayne_Morse" target="_blank">/wiki/Wayne_Morse</a> <a href="#fnref:7" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:8"><p>Morse, Wayne (1961). "The United States in the United Nations, 1960 - A Turning Point". U.S. Government Printing Office. pp. 19–24. Retrieved 2 February 2021. <a href="/wiki/Wayne_Morse" target="_blank">/wiki/Wayne_Morse</a> <a href="#fnref:8" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:9"><p>Morse, Wayne (1961). "The United States in the United Nations, 1960 - A Turning Point". U.S. Government Printing Office. pp. 19–24. Retrieved 2 February 2021. <a href="/wiki/Wayne_Morse" target="_blank">/wiki/Wayne_Morse</a> <a href="#fnref:9" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:10"><p>United Nations General Assembly Session 55 Resolution 146. Second International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism A/RES/55/146 Retrieved 2014-7-15. <a href="/wiki/United_Nations_General_Assembly" target="_blank">/wiki/United_Nations_General_Assembly</a> <a href="#fnref:10" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:11"><p>United Nations General Assembly Session 43 Resolution 47. International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism A/RES/43/47 22 November 1988. Retrieved 2014-7-15. <a href="/wiki/United_Nations_General_Assembly" target="_blank">/wiki/United_Nations_General_Assembly</a> <a href="#fnref:11" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> </ol>