51 / 88
51
The International Decades
for the Eradication
of Colonialism
In the late 1980s, the Special Committee on Decolonization decided
something must be done to encourage the continuing process of
helping Non-Self-GoverningTerritories become independent. Although
many former colonies either had become independent nations—and
members of the United Nations—or had freely chosen to associate
themselveswithother countries,theprocess had stalled.Progress toward
self-determination in the remaining Non-Self-Governing Territories
had slowed dramatically, with little being done by the administering
powers to help the territories work toward independence.The Special
Committee suggested that a renewed emphasis on self-determination
for all peoples would help reenergize the process.
Wo r d s t o U n d e r s ta n d
eradication
: complete elimination of something so that it
cannot recur or return.
implement
: to put something into action.
referendum
: vote on an issue.
Chapter Four
Chapter Four