STATEMENT BY THE DELEGATION OF THE REPUBLIC OF AZERBAIJAN, ON BEHALF OF THE NON-ALIGNED MOVEMENT, DURING THE RESUMED SESSION OF THE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON THE SITUATION WITH REGARD TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE DECLARATION ON THE GRANTING OF INDEPENDENCE TO COLONIAL COUNTRIES AND PEOPLES (C-24), ON THE QUESTION OF PUERTO RICO

Mr. President,

1- I have the honor to speak on behalf of 120 Member States of the Non-Aligned Movement during this resumed session of the Special Committee on the Situation with regard to the Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples (C-24).

2- At the outset we would like to express our sincere appreciation to you and other members of the Bureau, as well as to the Committee as a whole for the hard work and valuable efforts put into the issue of decolonization; one to which the Movement has historically attached particular importance.
Mr. President,

3- In relation to the Question of Puerto Rico, which has been on the agenda of this Special Committee for over 42 years, the Non-Aligned Movement reaffirms the validity and relevance of its principled position, particularly with respect to the right of the people of Puerto Rico to self-determination and independence, on the basis of the General Assembly resolution 1514 (XV) of 14 December 1960, and calls for the consideration of this question in all its aspects.

4- Moreover, the Member States of the Movement reiterate their unwavering support to the resolutions on Puerto Rico, many of which have been adopted by consensus within the framework of this Special Committee, and call for their expeditious implementation. In addition, we seize this opportunity to make vows for the adoption of yet another resolution on Puerto Rico this year, by consensus, as in previous years, and taking into account our position on this issue.


Mr. President,

5- During the XVIII Summit, held in Baku, Azerbaijan, on 25-26 October 2019, Heads of State and Government of the Non-Aligned Movement expressed their concern that the present political subordination of the Puerto Rican people impedes their sovereign decision-making regarding their serious economic and social problems, including the present fiscal crisis, insolvency of the government of Puerto Rico, and the need to restructure public debt, as well as regarding the humanitarian crisis resulting from the effects of hurricanes Irma and Maria, which has aggravated the already serious economic and social problems, resulting in a rise in poverty levels in Puerto Rico from 45% to around 60% of the population, which has caused massive migration and has seriously impaired efforts to achieve sustainable economic development.

6- Similarly, the Heads of State and Government expressed their concern with legislation adopted in the U.S. Congress to impose a fiscal control board over the Government of Puerto Rico, which will effectively infringe upon the limited power of the Government of San Juan over its budget and fiscal and other affairs. In addition, they urged the Government of the United States of America to return to the Puerto Rican people the occupied land and installations of Vieques Island and the Roosevelt Road Naval Station, which constitute a Latin American and Caribbean nation.

7- To conclude, the Non-Aligned Movement calls on the Government of the United States of America to assume its responsibility to expedite the process that will allow the Puerto Rican people to fully exercise their inalienable right to self-determination and independence.


I thank you, Mr. President