UNGA79: SPECIAL POLITICAL AND DECOLONIZATION (FOURTH COMMITTEE): DRAFT RESOLUTION XIX: IMPLEMENTATION OF THE DECLARATION ON THE GRANTING OF INDEPENDENCE TO COLONIAL COUNTRIES AND PEOPLES [ITEM 58] EXPLANATION OF VOTE
17 October 2024
As delivered
Thank you Chair,
As this is the first time Australia is taking the floor, I would like to congratulate you and the bureau on your election and assure you of Australia’s cooperation and support.
Chair,
Australia is a proud supporter of the right of peoples of Non-Self-Governing Territories to self-determination in accordance with international law, including the UN Charter.
As we have in previous years, Australia abstained from this resolution due to the retention in operative paragraph 14 of a call to terminate all military activities and eliminate military bases in Non-Self-Governing Territories.
Australia recognises the obligation of nations to promote the wellbeing of those in the territories they administer, as enshrined in UN Charter. We do not believe that taking action to defend such territories necessarily runs counter to these obligations, or the interests of the peoples of those territories.
In many cases such action serves to advance international peace and security, an important consideration in Article 73 of the UN Charter – which is dedicated to promoting the interests of the inhabitants of Non-Self-Governing Territories.
In our Pacific region, many countries work together to address shared challenges. In an increasingly disaster-prone region, military support plays a key role in delivering critical humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. The same military cooperation promotes maritime security, providing further benefits to the region and its people.
In abstaining from this resolution, Australia joins other countries in affirming OP14 remains unacceptable – and in our view, it should be removed from future iterations of the text.