As part of its continued quest to promote world self-determination and eliminate colonialism, the United Nations Special Committee on Decolonization, also referred to as the C-24, is gearing up to organize the 2025 Pacific Regional Seminar in Dili, Timor-Leste, between May 21 and 23. The session is a major landmark in the Fourth International Decade for the Elimination of Colonialism (2021–2030), a worldwide effort reaffirming the UN commitment to eliminating colonial domination and promoting Non-Self-Governing Territories’ socioeconomic and cultural growth.
Titled “Pathways to a sustainable future — advancing socioeconomic and cultural development of the Non-Self-Governing Territories,” this three-day seminar will seek to intensify international discussion, evaluate what has been achieved, and build practical recommendations for territories moving toward self-determination. Seminar outcomes will be instrumental in informing the Special Committee’s substantive session deliberations and recommendations in June, ultimately feeding into UN General Assembly proceedings later in the year.
A Historic Dialogue Forum
The Pacific Regional Seminar is among the most significant annual meetings of the C-24. It is an essential forum for bringing together stakeholders from Non-Self-Governing Territories, administering Powers, Member States, civil society groups, and independent analysts. They will collectively discuss the political, social, and economic contexts of the territories at present as well as emerging strategies for sustainable development and self-determination.
The seminar demonstrates the dynamic character of global decolonization. While historical accounts of independence movements have dominated previous decades, the current decade is putting more emphasis on sustainable development, cultural identity, and capacity building. Accordingly, the Dili seminar will touch upon not only political ambitions but also the crucial pillars of economic sustainability and identity assertion for the territories.
What Are the Non-Self-Governing Territories?
There are 17 territories that are presently officially acknowledged by the United Nations as being Non-Self-Governing. They are: American Samoa, Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands (Malvinas), French Polynesia, Gibraltar, Guam, Montserrat, New Caledonia, Pitcairn, Saint Helena, Tokelau, Turks and Caicos Islands, United States Virgin Islands, and Western Sahara.
These lands are governed by four principal nations: the United Kingdom, the United States, France, and New Zealand. While they vary widely in geographic extent, political status, and population, all 17 are alike in being designated by the United Nations as those that have not yet realized full self-government according to the 1960 UN Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples.
Leadership and Participation
Ambassador Menissa Rambally of Saint Lucia, a seasoned diplomat and decolonization and development advocate, has been selected to chair the seminar this year. Rambally will lead the committee’s work in assessing territory-specific issues and building consensus among stakeholders.
The cross-representation character of the seminar’s attendance is one of its distinctive virtues. Representatives of administering Powers—those nations currently in charge of the Non-Self-Governing Territories—will sit alongside voices from the territories themselves, providing an honest and balanced exchange. International experts and civil society representatives will bring human rights, environmental sustainability, economic planning, and cultural preservation perspectives to the table, providing a complete understanding of the multifaceted road to self-ruling.
Focus Areas and Agenda
Major areas of emphasis of the seminar are:
Increasing political participation and representative government in the territories.
Developing economic resilience through sustainable means and inclusive growth.
Safeguarding indigenous and local cultures in the face of globalization pressures.
Evaluating the functions of administering Powers in augmenting or stymying advancements.
Encouraging youth participation in politics and decision-making.
Seeking regional partnerships for capacity strengthening and sharing of resources.
Each session will highlight selected territories in order to permit detailed discussion and specific policy recommendations. The seminar will also review the effectiveness of current decolonization structures and determine where reforms or acceleration are necessary.
From Seminar to Action
The Dili seminar is not a terminus but a part of a coordinated continuum. After the meeting, its findings and recommendations will be evaluated during the Special Committee’s substantive session, to be held from June 9 to 20, 2025. Its results therefrom will be submitted to the United Nations General Assembly, where they may shape resolutions and the general international agenda on decolonization.
Preparatory to the seminar, the United Nations Secretariat has released new working papers on all 17 Non-Self-Governing Territories. The papers, posted on the UN’s Decolonization website, provide background, recent trends, and statistical profiles to guide deliberations and assist evidence-based decision-making.
Timor-Leste: A Symbolic Host
The selection of Dili, Timor-Leste as host city for the seminar is of deeply symbolic significance. Timor-Leste is one of the newest countries to emerge from colonialism, gaining full independence in 2002 following a long and hard fight. Its development toward democratic institutions, poverty reduction, and establishing its cultural identity is exemplary of the objectives of the decolonization process and offers a compelling case study for regions still seeking self-determination.
Looking Ahead
As the world begins the second half of the Fourth International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism, experiences such as the Pacific Regional Seminar serve to remind us that the decolonization agenda is still incomplete. Although much has been accomplished since the UN’s original declaration in 1960, there is still work to be done—changing with the times and centered today more than ever on sustainable development and inclusive governance.
The 2025 Timor-Leste seminar provides an opportunity to reaffirm global solidarity, close political gaps, and assist in the shaping of a future where each territory has the ability to choose its own fate, keep its identity, and prosper on its own terms.
PHOTO CREDIT: United Nations
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