United Nations list of non-self-governing territories

1946

• UNGA Resolution 64(I) regarding the Establishment of the Trusteeship Council.^[8]
• UNGA Resolution 66(I) regarding Transmission of information under Article 73 e of the Charter.^[9]

1947

• UNGA Resolution 142(II) regarding Standard form for the guidance of Members in the preparation of information to be transmitted under Article 73 e of the Charter.
• UNGA Resolution 143(II) regarding Supplemental documents relating to information transmitted under Article 73 e of the Charter.
• UNGA Resolution 144(II) regarding Voluntary transmission of information regarding the development of self-governing institutions in the Non-Self-Governing Territories.
• UNGA Resolution 145(II) regarding Collaboration of the specialized agencies in regard to Article 73 e of the Charter.
• UNGA Resolution 146(II) regarding Creation of a special committee on information transmitted under Article 73 e of the Charter.

1960

• UNGA Resolution 1514 (XV) Declaration on the granting of independence to colonial countries and peoples.
• UNGA regarding Principles which should guide members in determining whether or an obligation exists to transmit the information called for under Article 73e of the Charter.

1961

• UNGA Resolution 1654 (XVI) regarding the situation with regard to the implementation of the Declaration on the granting of independence to colonial countries and peoples.

1966

• International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights adopted by the UNGA on 16 December 1966.^[10]
• International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights adopted by the UNGA on 19 December 1966.^[11]

1990–2000

• UNGA Resolution A/RES/43/45 regarding Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples.
• UNGA Resolution A/RES/43/46 regarding Dissemination of information on decolonization.
• UNGA Resolution A/RES/43/47 regarding International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism.

2001–2010

• UNGA Resolution 55/145 regarding Dissemination of information on decolonization.
• UNGA Resolution 55/146 regarding 2nd International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism.
• UNGA Resolution 55/147 regarding Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples.
• United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Resolution 2007/25 regarding Support to Non-Self-Governing Territories by the specialized agencies and international institutions associated with the United Nations.

2011–present

• UNGA Resolution 65/116 regarding Dissemination of information on decolonization.
• UNGA Resolution 65/117 regarding Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples.
• UNGA Resolution 65/118 regarding Fiftieth anniversary of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples.
• UNGA Resolution 65/119 regarding 3rd International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism.

Change in status by administering power

More information Trust / Territory, Change in status ...

Overview of non-self-governing territories that had a change in status

Trust / Territory[6]	Change in status[6]	Current status	Administering power[6]	Population	Area / km2	Area / mi2	Year removed[6]	See also
Alaska	Granted statehood (full integration with the United States)	US state	United States	683,478	1,700,130	656,424	1959	Alaskan Independence Party
Cocos (Keeling) Islands	Voted to integrate into Australia	External territory of Australia	Australia	596	14	5	1984	Shire of Cocos
Cook Islands	Gained self-rule	State in free association with New Zealand	New Zealand	12,271	237	92	1965	Politics of the Cook Islands
French Guiana	Became an overseas department (full integration with the French Republic)	Overseas department and region of France	France	209,000	83,534	32,253	1947	Politics of French Guiana
French Polynesia (later reinstated)[a]	Became an overseas territory (semi-autonomous collectivity of the French Republic)	Overseas country of France: French Polynesia Overseas state private property of France: Clipperton Island	France	298,256	4,441	1,715	1947	Politics of French Polynesia
Greenland	Incorporated into Denmark as Greenland County (1953). Gained home rule as a Country within the Kingdom of Denmark (1979). Increased autonomy (2009)	Autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark[34][35]	Denmark	57,564	2,166,086	836,330	1954	Politics of Greenland
Guadeloupe	Became an overseas department (full integration with the French Republic)	Overseas department and region of France: Guadeloupe Overseas collectivities of France: Saint Barthélemy Saint Martin	France	408,000	1,628	629	1947	Politics of Guadeloupe, Saint Barthélemy, and Saint Martin
Hawaii	Granted statehood (full integration with the United States)	US state	United States	1,283,388	28,311	10,931	1959	Legal status of Hawaii
Hong Kong	Removed from the list on request of China[36]	Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (since 1 July 1997): Hong Kong	United Kingdom	7,018,636	1,092	422	1972	Politics of Hong Kong
Macau	Removed from the list on request of China[36]	Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (since 20 December 1999): Macau	Portugal	545,674	28	11	1972	Politics of Macau
Martinique	Became an overseas department (full integration with the French Republic)	Overseas department and region of France	France	401,000	1,128	436	1947	Politics of Martinique
Netherlands Antilles	Granted more autonomy	Constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Netherlands: Aruba Curaçao Sint Maarten Special municipalities of the Netherlands: Bonaire Sint Eustatius Saba	Netherlands	225,369	960	371	1955	Politics of Aruba Curaçao Sint Maarten the Netherlands Antilles
New Caledonia (later reinstated)[b]	Became an overseas territory (semi-autonomous collectivity of the French Republic)	Sui generis collectivity of France Overseas collectivity of France: Wallis and Futuna	France	224,824	19,060	7,359	1947	Politics of New Caledonia Politics of Wallis and Futuna
Niue	Gained self-rule	State in free association with New Zealand	New Zealand	1,444	260	100	1974	Politics of Niue
Northern Mariana Islands	Became a Commonwealth	Unincorporated territory of the United States with Commonwealth status	United States	53,883	168	65	1990	Politics of the Northern Mariana Islands
Panama Canal Zone	Removed from the list on request of Panama[citation needed]	Part of Colón, Panamá, and Panamá Oeste provinces of Panama	United States				1947	Politics of Panama
Puerto Rico	Became a Commonwealth (semi-autonomous unincorporated territory of the United States)	Unincorporated territory of the United States with Commonwealth status	United States	3,958,128	8,870	3,420	1952	Political status of Puerto Rico
Réunion	Became an overseas department (full integration with the French Republic)	Overseas department and region of France	France	868,000	2,512	970	1947	Politics of Réunion
Saint Pierre and Miquelon	Became an overseas department and then an overseas territory (semi-autonomous collectivity of the French Republic)	Overseas collectivity of France	France	7,044	242	93	1947	Politics of Saint Pierre and Miquelon
Suriname	Granted more autonomy (became independent in 1975)	Independent as Suriname	Netherlands	475,996	163,270	63,039	1955	Politics of Suriname

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Joined another state

More information Non-self-governing territory, State joined ...

Overview of non-self-governing territories that joined another state

Non-self-governing territory[6]	State joined[6]	Current status	Administering power	Population	Area		Year removed[6]	See also
					km2	mi2
British Cameroons	Northern Cameroons joined Nigeria Southern Cameroons joined Cameroon	Adamawa, Borno and Taraba states of Nigeria, Northwest and Southwest regions of Cameroon	United Kingdom				1961	Politics of Nigeria Politics of Cameroon Anglophone Crisis
Ifni	Integrated into Morocco	Sidi Ifni, Guelmim-Oued Noun, Morocco	Spain	51,517	1,502	580	1969	Politics of Morocco
Portuguese India	Annexed by India	The Indian state of Goa and the union territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu	Portugal				1961	Annexation of Goa Annexation of Dadra and Nagar Haveli
French India	Integrated into India	Puducherry union territory and Chandannagar of West Bengal state of India	France	973,829	492	190	1947	Coup d'état of Yanaon
Netherlands New Guinea	Integrated into Indonesia	Papua and West Papua provinces of Indonesia	Netherlands		420,540	162,370	1963	Act of Free Choice Papua Conflict
North Borneo	Joined with Malaya to form Malaysia[37]	Malaysian state of Sabah and the federal territory of Labuan	United Kingdom	285,000	76,115	29,388	1963	Malaysia Agreement[37]
São João Batista de Ajuda	Integrated into the Republic of Dahomey (now Benin)	Ouidah commune, Atlantique department, Benin	Portugal				1961	Politics of Benin
Sarawak	Joined with Malaya to form Malaysia[37]	Malaysian state of Sarawak	United Kingdom	546,385	124,450	48,050	1963	Malaysia Agreement[37]
Singapore	Joined with Malaya to form Malaysia[37]	Independent as Singapore	United Kingdom	4,608,167	693	268	1963	Malaysia Agreement[37] State of Singapore (Malaysia)
British Togoland	Joined British Gold Coast colony	Volta, Northern and Upper East regions of Ghana	United Kingdom				1957	Foreign relations of Ghana Western Togoland Rebellion

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Independence

More information Non-self-governing territory, Sub-unit ...

Overview of non-self-governing territories that gained independence

Non-self-governing territory[6]	Sub-unit	Independent as[6]	Administering power	Population	Area		Year removed[6]	Notes
					km2	mi2
Angola		Angola	Portugal	7,024,000[38]	1,246,700	481,400	1975	Including the enclave of Cabinda
Bahamas		The Bahamas	United Kingdom		13,878	5,358	1973
Barbados		Barbados	United Kingdom		431	166	1966
Basutoland		Lesotho	United Kingdom		30,355	11,720	1966
Bechuanaland		Botswana	United Kingdom				1966
Brunei		Brunei	United Kingdom	5,765	2,220	860	1984
French Cameroon		Cameroon	France				1960	Trust Territory
Cape Verde		Cape Verde	Portugal		4,033	1,557	1975
Belgian Congo		Congo-Léopoldville	Belgium	16,610,000[39]	2,344,858	905,355	1960	Now generally referred to as the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Cyprus		Cyprus	United Kingdom		9,251	3,572	1960	Parts of Cyprus are controlled by the partially recognised state of Northern Cyprus
Dutch East Indies		Indonesia (excluding Western New Guinea)	Netherlands				1950	Listed as Netherlands Indies on the United Nations
East Timor		East Timor	Portugal		15,007	5,794	2002	Portuguese Timor de facto ceased to exist from 1975 after becoming independent before an invasion by Indonesia but continued to exist de-jure until 2002
French Equatorial Africa	Chad	Chad	France				1960
	Middle Congo	Congo-Brazzaville	France				1960	Now generally referred to as the Republic of the Congo
	French Gabon	Gabon	France				1960
	Ubangi-Shari	Central African Republic	France				1960
Fiji		Fiji	United Kingdom				1970
Gambia		The Gambia	United Kingdom		10,380	4,010	1965
Gilbert and Ellice Islands	Gilbert Islands	Kiribati	United Kingdom				1979
	Ellice Islands	Tuvalu	United Kingdom				1978
Gold Coast		Ghana	United Kingdom				1957
British Guiana		Guyana	United Kingdom				1966
Portuguese Guinea		Guinea-Bissau	Portugal		36,125	13,948	1974
Spanish Guinea		Equatorial Guinea	Spain		28,051	10,831	1968	Listed as Fernando Póo and Río Muni on the United Nations
British Honduras		Belize	United Kingdom	145,000[40]	22,966	8,867	1981
French Indochina	Cambodia	Cambodia	France				1948	Gained full independence in 1953
	Laos	Kingdom of Laos	France				1949	Gained full independence in 1953
	Tonkin	Democratic Republic of Vietnam	France				1948	Reunified in 1976, de facto independent from 1945, Vietnam is not listed as being divided on the United Nations
	Annam (part)
	Cochinchina	State of Vietnam	France				1948	Reunified in 1976, gained full independence in 1954, Vietnam is not listed as being divided on the United Nations
	Annam (part)
Jamaica		Jamaica	United Kingdom		11,100	4,300	1962
Kenya		Kenya	United Kingdom				1963
British Leeward Islands	Antigua	Antigua and Barbuda	United Kingdom				1981	The British Leeward Islands ceased to exist as a entity in 1958
	Saint Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla	St. Kitts and Nevis	United Kingdom				1983	The British Leeward Islands ceased to exist as a entity in 1958, Anguilla was separated from Saint Christoper in 1971 and remains a non-self-governing territory
Madagascar		Comoros	France				1975	Mayotte has continued to be part of France since 1975 however is still claimed by Comoros with the United Nations supporting its claim until at least 1995[41]
		Madagascar	France				1960
Malaya		Malaya	United Kingdom	132,364	51,106	19,732	1957	Later became Malaysia
Malta		Malta	United Kingdom		316	122	1964
Mauritius		Mauritius	United Kingdom		2,040	790	1968	The current British Indian Ocean Territory was separated from British Mauritius in 1965 but is still claimed by Mauritius with the United Nations supporting its claim[42]
French protectorate of Morocco Spanish protectorate of Morocco		Morocco	France  Spain				1956	Morocco is solely listed as French on the United Nations, parts of Ifni were ceded in 1958 while Cape Juby was ceded in 1959, these were also not listed separately unlike the remainder of Ifni
Mozambique		Mozambique	Portugal	7,300,000[38]	784,955	303,073	1975
Nauru		Nauru	Australia		21	8.1	1968
New Hebrides		Vanuatu	Anglo-French Condominium	100,000[43]	12,189	4,706	1980
Nigeria		Nigeria	United Kingdom				1960
Northern Rhodesia		Zambia	United Kingdom	3,545,200[44]	752,618	290,587	1964
Nyasaland		Malawi	United Kingdom		752,618	290,587	1964
Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands		Marshall Islands	United States	68,000	180	69	1990	Independent state in free association with the United States
		Federated States of Micronesia	United States	111,000	702	271	1990	Independent state in free association with the United States
		Palau	United States	20,956	459	177	1994	Independent state in free association with the United States
Papua and New Guinea		Papua New Guinea	Australia				1975
Ruanda-Urundi		Burundi	Belgium				1962	Trust territory
Rwanda	Belgium				1962	Trust territory
São Tomé and Príncipe		São Tomé and Príncipe	Portugal		1,001	386	1975
Seychelles		Seychelles	United Kingdom		451	174	1976
Sierra Leone		Sierra Leone	United Kingdom		71,740	27,700	1961
Solomon Islands		Solomon Islands	United Kingdom		28,896	11,157	1978
British Somaliland		State of Somaliland	United Kingdom				1960	Joined the Trust Territory of Somalia within a week to form the Somali Republic, most of the territory is currently under the control of the partially recognised state of Somaliland
French Somaliland		Djibouti	France	200,000[45]	23,200	9,000	1977	Was called the Territory of the Afars and Issas from 1967
Trust Territory of Somaliland		Somalia	Italy				1960	Joined the State of Somaliland to form the Somali Republic
South West Africa		Namibia	South Africa	2,088,669	825,418	318,696	1968/1990	Trust territory, terminated in 1968 but South Africa remained in control of the territory until 1990, both years listed by the United Nations
Federation of South Arabia Protectorate of South Arabia		South Yemen	United Kingdom		285,192	110,113	1967	Unified with North Yemen in 1990, listed as Aden on the United Nations
Southern Rhodesia		Zimbabwe	United Kingdom	6,930,000[46]	390,580	150,800	1980	De facto independent as the unrecognised state of Rhodesia and Zimbabwe Rhodesia between 1965 and 1979
Swaziland		Swaziland	United Kingdom		17,364	6,704	1968
Tanganyika		Tanganyika	United Kingdom				1961	Trust Territory. Later joined with the People's Republic of Zanzibar to form the United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar, now Tanzania
French Togoland		Togo	France				1960	Trust Territory
Trinidad and Tobago		Trinidad and Tobago	United Kingdom		5,128	1,980	1962
Tunisia		Tunisia	France		163,610	63,170	1956
Uganda Protectorate		Uganda	United Kingdom				1962
French West Africa	Dahomey	Dahomey	France				1960
	French Guinea	Guinea	France				1958
	Ivory Coast	Ivory Coast	France				1960
	Mali Federation	Mali Federation	France				1960	Split into the countries of Mali and Senegal two months after independence, both are listed separately on the United Nations
	Mauritania	Mauritania	France				1960
	Niger	Niger	France				1960
	Upper Volta	Upper Volta	France				1960	Now called Burkina Faso
Western Samoa		Western Samoa	New Zealand				1962	Trust territory, now called Samoa
British Windward Islands		Dominica	United Kingdom				1978	The British Windward Islands ceased to exist as an entity in 1958
		Grenada	United Kingdom				1974	The British Windward Islands ceased to exist as an entity in 1958
		St. Lucia	United Kingdom				1979	The British Windward Islands ceased to exist as an entity in 1958
		St. Vincent and the Grenadines	United Kingdom				1979	The British Windward Islands ceased to exist as an entity in 1958
Zanzibar		Kenya	United Kingdom				1963	The Dominion of Kenya was formed by the unification of the Colony of Kenya and the Protectorate of Kenya; the protectorate, a ten-mile-wide (16 km) coastal strip (Mwambao), had been under Zanzibari sovereignty and administered by the UK[47]
		Zanzibar	United Kingdom		2,643	1,020	1963	The British protectorate over the Sultanate of Zanzibar was terminated in 1963 and the state was admitted to the UN; in 1964, the sultan was deposed and the People's Republic of Zanzibar was proclaimed; later that year, it joined with the Republic of Tanganyika to form the United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar, now Tanzania

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Referendums

One reason for controversy is that the list includes some dependencies that have democratically chosen to maintain their current status, or have had a referendum in which local government requirements were not met regarding the number of votes required to support a change of status or the number of voters participating (e.g., in the United States Virgin Islands).

Viability

A lack of population and landmass is an issue for at least one territory included on the list: the British overseas territory Pitcairn Islands, which has a population of less than 50 descended primarily from indigenous Polynesians and mutineers from HMS Bounty. Regardless, the territory's colonial status was disputed during the 2004 sexual assault trial where the seven defendants – comprising a third of the adult male population – unsuccessfully argued that the islanders had rejected British control ever since the 1789 mutiny and, as a result, British criminal law did not apply to them. Four other territories – Tokelau, Montserrat, the Falkland Islands and Saint Helena – are also less populous than any current UN member state.

In addition, some territories are financially dependent on their administering power.

Completely autonomous dependencies

Another criticism is that a number of the listed territories, such as Bermuda (see Politics of Bermuda), the Falkland Islands^[56] and Gibraltar,^{[57][58][59][60]} consider themselves completely autonomous and self-governing, with the "administering power" retaining limited oversight over matters such as defence and diplomacy.^{[citation needed]} In past years, there were ongoing disputes between some administering powers and the Decolonization Committee over whether territories such as pre-independence Brunei and the West Indies Associated States should still be considered "non-self-governing", particularly in instances where the administering power was prepared to grant full independence whenever the territory requested it. These disputes became moot as those territories eventually received full independence.

Removed under other circumstances

Territories that have achieved a status described by the administering powers as internally self-governing – such as Puerto Rico, the Netherlands Antilles, and the Cook Islands – have been removed from the list by vote of the General Assembly,^[6] often under pressure of the administering powers.

Some territories that have been annexed and incorporated into the legal framework of the controlling state (such as the overseas regions of France, and the US states of Alaska and Hawaii) are considered by the UN to have been decolonized, since they then no longer constitute "non-self-governing" entities; their populations are assumed to have agreed to merge with the former parent state. However, in 1961, the General Assembly voted to end this treatment for the "overseas provinces" of Portugal such as Angola and Mozambique, which were active focus of United Nations attention until they attained independence in the mid-1970s.

Territories have also been removed for other reasons. In 1972, for example, Hong Kong (then administered by the United Kingdom) and Macau (then administered by Portugal) were removed from the list at the request of the People's Republic of China, which had just been recognized as holding China's seat at the United Nations. This was due to the PRC's belief that their presence on the list implied eventual independence of the territory, instead of their status being handled by bilateral negotiations.^[36]

Change of status

On 2 December 1986, New Caledonia, an overseas territory of France, was reinstated on the list of non-self-governing territories, an action to which France objected. Within France it has had the status of a collectivité sui generis, or a one-of-a-kind community, since 1999. Under the 1998 Nouméa Accord, its Territorial Congress had the right to call for three referendums on independence between 2014 and 2018. The first referendum was held on 4 November 2018 (56.4% against independence), the second referendum on 4 October 2020 (53.26% against independence), and the third referendum on 12 December 2021 (96.50% against independence). While in all three the independence was rejected, the result of the third referendum stems from the boycott by the pro-independence Kanak community in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic in New Caledonia.

French Polynesia was also reinstated on the list on 17 May 2013, in somewhat contentious circumstances. Having been re-elected President of French Polynesia in 2011 (leader of local government), Oscar Temaru asked for it to be re-inscribed on the list; it had been removed in 1947. (French Polynesia is categorised by France as an overseas country, in recognition of its self-governing status.) During the year 2012, Oscar Temaru engaged in intense lobbying with the micro-states of Oceania, many of which, the Solomon Islands, Nauru and Tuvalu, submitted to the UN General Assembly a draft of a resolution to affirm "the inalienable right of the population of French Polynesia to self-determination and independence".

On 5 May 2013, Temaru's Union for Democracy party lost the legislative election to Gaston Flosse's pro-autonomy but anti-independence Tahoera'a Huiraatira party; obtaining only 11 seats against the party of Gaston Flosse, with 38 seats, and the autonomist party A Ti'a Porinetia with 8 seats.

At this stage, the United Nations General Assembly was due to discuss French Polynesia's re-inscription on the list twelve days later, in accordance with a motion tabled by Solomon Islands, Tuvalu and Nauru. On 16 May, the Assembly of French Polynesia, with its new anti-independence majority, adopted a motion asking the United Nations not to restore the country to the list. On 17 May, despite French Polynesia's and France's opposition, the country was restored to the list of non-self-governing territories. Temaru was present for the vote, on the final day of his mandate as president. The United Nations affirmed "the inalienable right of the people of French Polynesia to self-determination and independence".

A few hours before the UN review of the resolution, during its first meeting, the new Territorial Assembly adopted by 46 votes to 10 a "resolution" expressing the desire of Polynesians to maintain their autonomy within the French Republic. In spite of this resolution adopted by the parties representing 70% of the Polynesian voters, the UN General Assembly inscribed French Polynesia on the list of the territories to be decolonized during its plenary assembly of 17 May 2013. France did not take part in this session while the United States, Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom disassociated themselves from this resolution.^[61][62]

List not complete

Also controversial are the criteria set down in 1960 to 1961 by the United Nations General Assembly Resolution 1514 (XV),^[63] United Nations General Assembly Resolution 1541 (XV), Principle 12 of the Annex,^[64] and United Nations General Assembly Resolution 1654 (XVI)^[65] which only focused on colonies of the Western world, namely Australia, Belgium, Denmark, France, Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States. This list of administering powers was not expanded afterwards.^[66]

Nevertheless, some of the 111 members who joined the UN after 1960 gained independence from countries not covered by Resolution 1541 and were themselves not classified as "Non-Self-Governing Territories" by the UN. Of these that joined the UN between 1960 and 2008, 11 were independent before 1960 and 71 were included on the list (some as a group). Twenty new UN countries resulted from breakup of Second World states and of Yugoslavia: six were part of Yugoslavia, two were part of Czechoslovakia, and 12 were part of the Soviet Union (Ukraine and Belarus already had UN seats before the dissolution of the USSR, whose seat was reused by the Russian Federation without acceding anew). Out of the other ten, seven^[which?] (mostly Arab) were colonies or protectorates of the "Western" countries, and one each was a non-self-governing part of Ethiopia (later independent Eritrea), Pakistan (East Pakistan, later independent Bangladesh) and Sudan (later independent South Sudan). Also, the Baltic states (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania), which considered themselves illegally occupied by the Soviet Union, were not on the list either. Western New Guinea (also known as West Papua), which was ceded to Indonesia, is also not on the list as well as Sarawak and Sabah, which were handed to Malaya during its territorial expansion through the formation of Malaysia in 1963.^{[citation needed]} In 2018, the government of Vanuatu started seeking international support to have West Papua added to the list in 2019.^[67][68]

After the revocation of Norfolk Island's self-governing status by the Australian government in 2015, an island community group requested the UN add the island to the list of non-self-governing territories.^[69]