UN Documentation: Decolonization

The General Assembly is the main body with oversight on matters relating to decolonization.

• Fourth Committee
  • ​Main committee of the General Assembly concerned with decolonization, among other topics
  • Reviews reports of subsidiaries on matters related to decolonization, including reports of
    • Trusteeship Council
    • Special Committee on the Situation with regard to the Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples
  • Hears petitioners in open formal meetings, see meeting records
  • Makes recommendations to General Assembly plenary on decolonization matters
  • See General Assembly : Main Committees for information about documentation patterns
• Trusteeship Council
  • Principal organ of the UN
  • Active from 1946-1994
  • Now meets infrequently
  • Considered only the 11 trust territories
  • See UN Documents : Trusteeship Council for details on documentation
• Special Committee on the Situation with regard to the Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples
  • Established by A/RES/1654 (XVI) of 27 November 1961
  • Considers situation in Non-Self-Governing Territories

The Fourth Committee, one of the six Main Committees of the General Assembly, is allocated agenda items related to special political and decolonization matters, including peacekeeping.

• Document series symbol for working documents
  • A/C.4/session/-
  • example: A/C.4/69/L.14
• Summary records
  • A/C.4/session/SR.-
  • example: A/C.4/69/SR.20
• Press release series symbol
  • GA/SPD/-
  • example: GA/SPD/576

The Fourth Committee submits a separate report to the plenary on every agenda item allocated to it, including the item "comprehensive review of peacekeeping operations".

Each report:

• indicates the meetings at which the item was considered
• summarizes the committee's consideration of the item
• identifies the sponsors of draft resolutions
• reports the vote, if any, of Member States on draft texts
• transmits the final version of draft resolutions and/or decisions recommended to the plenary for adoption
• symbol pattern
  • A/session/-
  • example: A/70/499

The plenary considers each report and votes on the draft resolutions or decisions it contains.

For example, the General Assembly adopted resolution 70/92 based on the report of the Fourth Committee (A/70/499).

Historical note

Prior to the 48th session (1993), the Fourth Committee handled only decolonization questions. An additional Main Committee, the Special Political Committee (SPC), handled political questions.

• symbol pattern: A/SPC/-
• press release series symbol: GA/SPC/-

Until 1993, the SPC was listed in UN documents and publications after the First Committee. When the SPC and the Fourth Committee merged in accordance with General Assembly resolution 47/233, the Fourth Committee moved to the second spot. Today, in some publications such as the Journal, the order of the Committees is: First, Fourth, Second, Third, Fifth, Sixth.

Available translations:

The Special Committee on the Situation with regard to the Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples is a subsidiary of the General Assembly composed of 29 members.

• Special Committee on the Situation with regard to the Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples website
• Declaration adopted by A/RES/1514 (XV) of 14 Dec. 1960
• Established by A/RES/1654 (XVI) of 27 Nov. 1961
• Also known as
  • C-24 or Committee of 24
  • Special Committee on Decolonization
• Originally 17 members; membership expanded over time
  • 24 members by A/RES/1810 (XVII) of 17 Dec. 1962 
  • 25 members by General Assembly decision 34/425 of 13 Dec. 1979 (see page 266 of A/34/46)
  • 27 members by General Assembly decision 59/520 of 10 Dec. 2004 (see page 15 of A/59/49 (Vol. II))
  • 28 members by General Assembly decision 63/526 of 5 Dec. 2008 (see page 20 of A/63/49 (Vol.II))
  • 29 members by General Assembly decision 64/554 of 15 Apr. 2010 (see page 199 of A/64/49 (Vol.III))
  • A/RES/1970 (XVIII) of 16 December 1963 assigned the Special Committee to examine information transmitted under Article 73e
• Document series symbol for working documents: 
  • A/AC.109/--
  • example: A/AC.109/2016/14
• Meeting records
  • Both verbatim records and summary records were issued until 1993
  • Verbatim records issued in limited distribution with symbol: A/AC.109/PV.-- 
    • Suspended in accordance with A/RES/50/206 B
  • Summary records issued with symbol: A/AC.109/SR.--
    • Beginning in 1999, the year was incorporated to the symbol: A/AC.109/year/SR.--
    • example: A/AC.109/2016/SR.8
• Petitions
  • Petitions may be submitted by groups or individuals
  • Documents issued from 1962-1973, with note "Circulated in accordance with a decision taken by the Sub-Committee on Petitions and Information"
    • A/AC.109/PET.--
  • Petitions made in meetings are recorded in meeting records
• Sessional reports
  • Supplement 23 of the General Assembly Official Records (GAOR)
  • A/session/23
  • example: A/78/23
  • Search results for Report 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
• Subsidiaries
  • Subcommittee on Petitions and Information, active 1962-1991
    • A/AC.109/SC.1/--
    • Some meeting records issued
      • A/AC.109/SC.1/SR.--
  • Working Group (on organization), active 1962-1996
    • No series symbol assigned
    • Reports issued as L documents
      • A/AC.109/L.--
      • example: A/AC.107/L.1852
• Visiting and special missions
  • Search results for reports of visiting missions from Digital Library
• Press release series symbol: GA/COL/--

Article 73e of the Charter requires UN Member States which administer "territories whose peoples have not yet attained a full measure of self-government" to transmit to the Secretary-General information related to the economic, social and educational conditions in the territories.

Several committees were established to review the information provided under Article 73e from 1947-1963.

Special Committee on Information Transmitted under Article 73e of the Charter (1947-1951)

• Document series symbols for working documents
  • A/AC.9/--
  • A/AC.17/--
  • A/AC.28/--
• Sessional reports
  • Supplement to the General Assembly Official Records (GAOR)
  • no distinctive symbol pattern
  • Search results for Report of the Special Committee on Information Transmitted under Article 73e of the Charter

Committee on Information from Non-Self-Governing Territories (1952-1963)

• Document series symbol for working documents
  • A/AC.35/--
  • A/AC.35/SC.1/ (1950-1952) Standard Form Subcommittee
  • A/AC.35/SC.2/ (1951-1951) Subcommittee on Economic Conditions
  • A/AC.35/SC.3/ (1951-1951) Subcommittee on Factors Indicative of Degree of Self-Government
  • A/AC.35/SC.4/ (1953-1953) Subcommittee on Education
  • A/AC.35/SC.5/ (1952-1955) Subcommittee on Social Conditions
  • A/AC.35/SC.6/ (1954-1954) Subcommittee on Economic Conditions
  • A/AC.35/SC.7/ (1956-1956) Subcommittee on Education
  • A/AC.35/SC.8/ (1957-1957) Subcommittee on Economic Conditions
  • A/AC.35/SC.9/ (1958-1958) Subcommittee on Social Conditions
  • A/AC.35/SC.10/ (1959-1959) Subcommittee on Educational Conditions
  • A/AC.35/SC.11/ (1960-1960) Subcommittee for Examination of the Report on Progress in Non-Self-Governing Territories
  • A/AC.35/SC.12/ (1961-1961) Subcommittee on Social Advancement
• Sessional reports 
  • Supplement to the General Assembly Official Records (GAOR)
  • no distinctive symbol pattern
  • Search results for Report of the Committee on Information from Non-Self-Governing Territories
• Committee dissolved by A/RES/1970 (XVIII) of 16 December 1963

Special Committee of Six on the Transmission of Information under Article 73e of the Charter (1960)

• Established by A/RES/1467 (XIV) to study the principles which should guide Members in determining whether or not an obligation exists to transmit information called for in Article 73e of the Charter
• Document series symbol for working documents
  • A/AC.100/--
• Meeting records
  • A/AC.100/SR.1-14
• Report: A/4526
  • See General Assembly Official Records, 15th session, Annexes, agenda item 38 (page 468 of pdf)
• Final outcome: A/RES/1541 (XV) : Principles which should guide Members in determining whether or not an obligation exists to transmit the information called for under Article 73e of the Charter

Special Committee on the Situation with regard to the Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples (1963-present)

• A/RES/1970 (XVIII) of 16 December 1963 assigned the Special Committee to examine information transmitted under Article 73e
• Secretary-General reports information transmitted under article 73e to the General Assembly. Search results for the reports of the Secretary-General on Information from Non-Self-Governing Territories transmitted under Article 73 e of the Charter of the United Nations