Human Rights Council
overview
Formed in 1964 under UNGA Res. 1654 (XVI), the United Nations Special Committee on Decolonization (C-24) has worked to secure the right to political self-determination in Non Self-Governing Territories (NSGs) since its founding in a multitude of ways. The committee's primary focus in the present day is to enforce its original mandate for the benefit of the remaining 17 NSGs. The world is currently in its third “international decade for the Eradication of Colonialism," per UNGA resolution 43/47. Committee activities currently focus on researching the economic and political contexts of existing NSGs and making recommendations on how to further facilitate decolonization.
First Issue: Repatriation Laws
Repatriation laws for cultural artifacts touch on cultural and legal issues that are at the ethical heart of the C-24 special committee. Regarding the primary mandate of the committee, the repatriation of artifacts may draw on C-24’s ability to make recommendations to facilitate self-government or independence of NSGs, as well as its broader focus on the decolonization process.
Repatriation laws and practices are currently limited to cultural movements and national laws in the countries historically impacted by colonial looting. There are a number of legal knots involved in this work, as some of the artifacts that are currently possessed by former colonial powers were acquired through means that were legal in the past, yet illegal in the present. Regardless of the nature of their acquisition, there is a rising movement to view these items through the lens of intellectual property, as their value is dependent on their cultural and historical background as well as their physical nature.
Second Issue: Land Ownership Rights
Land ownership issues are a core requirement for political sovereignty, and thus are strongly supported by the UNGA Res. 1514 (XV). The full realization of self-determination of a people cannot begin until the legal ownership of their nation's lands has been firmly implemented. This issue also somewhat departs from the traditional focus of the C-24 on the 17 remaining NSGTs globally, while remaining within the focus of decolonization that the committee has long upheld.
Competing land ownership claims in the context of decolonization often involve the intersection of larger states who possess existing NSGTs, as well as conflict between former NSGTs and colonial powers. Key examples of this include the Falkland Islands, the island of Cyprus, the territory of Western Sahara, New Caledonia, and US-held NSGTs.
The C-24 does not necessarily have to depart from historical precedents set by the committee regarding this issue, as it can instead rely on its core mission to secure the self-determination of NSGTs such as those mentioned. Further debate into the nature of rights for native tribes in various contexts may also be pursued in this committee.
Your chairs
HEAD CHAIR - MATTHEW SIMMONS
CO-CHAIR - TBA