United Nations Security Council Resolution 683 – Pacific Islands (Trust Territory)

Resolution 683 (1990) of 22 December 1990

The Security Council,

Recalling Chapter XII of the Charter of the United Nations, which established an international trusteeship system,

Conscious of its responsibility relating to strategic areas as set forth in Article 83, paragraph 1, of the Charter,

Recalling its resolution 21 (1947) of 2 April 1947, by which it approved the Trusteeship Agreement for the former Japanese Mandated Islands,1 18 since known as the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands,

Noting that the Trusteeship Agreement designated the United States of America as Administering Authority of the Trust Territory, Mindful that article 6 of the Trusteeship Agreement, in conformity with Article 76 of the Charter, obligated the Administering Authority, inter alia, to promote the development of the inhabitants of the Trust Territory toward self-government or independence as may be appropriate to the particular circumstances of the Trust Territory and its peoples and the freely expressed wishes of the peoples concerned,

Aware that, towards this end, negotiations between the Administering Authority and representatives of the Trust Territory began in 1969 and resulted in the conclusion of a Compact of Free Association in the case of the Federated States of Micronesia and the Marshall Islands, and a Commonwealth Covenant in the case of the Northern Mariana Islands,

Satisfied that the peoples of the Federated States of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands and the Northern Mariana Islands have freely exercised their right to self-determination in approving their respective new status agreements in plebiscites observed by visiting missions of the Trusteeship Council and that, in addition to these plebiscites, the duly constituted legislatures of these entities have adopted resolutions approving the respective new status agreements, thereby freely expressing their wish to terminate the status of these entities as parts of the Trust Territory,

Hoping that the people of Palau will be able in due course to complete the process of freely exercising their right to self-determination,

Taking note of Trusteeship Council resolution 2183 (LIII) of 28 May 1986 and of subsequent reports of the Trusteeship Council to the Security Council,

Determines, in the light of the entry into force of the new status agreements for the Federated States of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands and the Northern Mariana Islands, that the objectives of the Trusteeship Agreement have been fully attained, and that the applicability of the Trusteeship Agreement has terminated, with respect to those entities.

Adopted at the 2972nd meeting by 14 votes to 1 (Cuba).