(Note:  Due to the ongoing financial liquidity crisis currently affecting the United Nations, this meeting was not covered in English.)

The Special Committee on Decolonization continues the substantive part of its 2025 session today, hearing from petitioners and taking action on a draft resolution concerning Puerto Rico.

The 29-member Special Committee — formally known as the Special Committee on the Situation with regard to the Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples — annually reviews the list of territories whose people have not yet attained a full measure of self-government.  [Coverage to date of the substantive portion of the Special Committee’s 2025 session, which began on 9 June, is available here.]

The Committee will take up its agenda item titled “Special Committee decision of 20 June 2024 concerning Puerto Rico:  hearing of petitioners”, during which it will hear from petitioners followed by Committee members and observers.

The Committee will have before it the report on this item prepared by the Committee’s Rapporteur (document A/AC.109/2025/L.13).  The report considers the question of Puerto Rico in the light of previous reports; recent political, economic, military and regional developments concerning Puerto Rico; and action taken by United Nations bodies on the matter.

Then, it will take action on a draft resolution titled “Decision of the Special Committee of 20 June 2024 concerning Puerto Rico” (document A/AC.109/2025/L.7).  Among other provisions, the draft resolution would reaffirm the inalienable rights of the people of Puerto Rico to self-determination and independence and call on the Government of the United States to assume its responsibility to promote a process that will enable such people to fully exercise those rights.

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