UNGA79: SPECIAL POLITICAL AND DECOLONIZATION (FOURTH COMMITTEE): DRAFT RESOLUTION XX: ERADICATION OF COLONIALISM IN ALL ITS FORMS AND MANIFESTATIONS [ITEM 58] EXPLANATION OF VOTE
17 October 2024
As delivered
Thank you Chair,
Australia is a strong supporter of the rights of people to self-determination.
We will continue to promote the full implementation of Article 73 of the UN Charter.
Australia works across the United Nations’ decolonisation agenda, which we recognise is sadly incomplete.
Chair, this resolution could have been an opportunity to reflect on the complex legacy of colonisation.
And we could have worked to address the new forms of colonialism we see in 2024.
The absence of a genuine dialogue on the issue at hand raises questions about the intent of the drafters.
That is why we abstained from voting on the resolution before us today.
For example, one of the co-sponsors of the resolution - a permanent member of the UN Security Council – is actively undermining the decolonisation agenda by waging an illegal war to reassert imperial control over an independent sovereign state.
The Russian Federation continues its attempt to redraw internationally recognised borders by force.
Russia’s illegal and immoral war of aggression in Ukraine undermines the UN Charter.
It undermines our collective commitment to uphold sovereignty and territorial integrity, which are intrinsic to decolonisation.
Russia’s actions make a mockery of its own claim to be a champion of decolonisation and should be exposed.
Chair,
Australia remains open to good faith discussions on innovative solutions to the complex issue of self-determination.
Australia remains open to this, as a nation that is still contending with our colonial legacy and working to redress injustice for First Nations peoples.
But in our view, this resolution is not that. It is not that, rather, it is a missed opportunity to take genuine steps to eradicate colonialism.
Thank you.