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We came together from the Caribbean, Europe, Latin America, Asia, North America and Africa in Abuja, Nigeria from August 12-13, 2024.

OUR gathering under the theme: “The Forgotten Peoples: International Conference to Decolonize the World” was in furtherance of the United Nations “Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples”(General Assembly Resolution 1514 (XV) of 14th December, 1960.

THE Assembly was constituted irrespective of age, gender, race, colour, beliefs or status.

AS human beings, we are united in our conviction that no human should own another, and that no country should own another.

EQUALLY, as citizens of the world, we hold that all human beings are born free and equal and that freedom is sacred without which life becomes meaningless and unliveable.

CONVINCED that the United Nations International Bill of Human Rights is so fundamental that it must not be abridged in any form.

CONSCIOUS of the fact that peace, progress and development in the world is impossible without social justice;

THE Assembly hereby adopts: ‘The Abuja Framework To Decolonize The World’ specifically to eradicate the scourge of colonialism on earth, and generally, to advance, protect and defend fundamental rights.

SUGGESTED ACTIONS.

ACKNOWLEDGING that Colonialism is very much in existence despite measures to eradicate it, we identify five key players in the fight to eradicate colonization namely the United Nations, the colonizing countries, the colonized territories, states and the international community:

UNITED NATIONS

The United Nations, since its 1945 inception, has been instrumental to the decolonization of over 80 former colonies. However, eight decades after its birth – and sixty-four years after its ‘Declaration on Decolonization’ – the UN is yet to complete its task of decolonizing the world.

Accordingly, the UN should, as a matter of necessity and urgency, speed up and complete the decolonization process.

In this light, we suggest the UN should:

· Properly identify and designate all affected territories as colonies in accordance with its Charter which defines them as: “territories whose people have not yet attained a full measure of self-government”

· Address colonies by their proper name and not as ‘Self-Governing Territories’ NSGTs which serves to obscure their true status.

· Concentrate on and aim more directly at decolonization and, less on ancillary matters.

· Recognize all colonies rather than merely the seventeen which have been designated.

· Admit all colonies into the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) just as India and the Philippines were admitted in 1945 while still being British and American colonies respectively.

· Hold public Decolonization Hearings and Negotiations between the colonies and the colonizing countries to work out actionable plans for decolonization and their implementation.

· Design concrete and actionable plans for decolonization in the world by the year 2030 which is when the UN Fourth Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism ends.

· Develop and mete out a range of sanctions against colonizers who obstruct the decolonization of territories.

COLONIZING COUNTRIES.

The main colonizing countries have been instrumental in the formulation and adoption of the “Universal Declaration of Human Rights” on December 10, 1948.

Specifically, Britain championed Parliamentary Democracy, the United States of America, USA hosts the Statue of Liberty for all, while France promoted human ideals to live for; “Liberty, Equality, Fraternity.”

To these countries, along with Morocco, New Zealand and other colonizing countries, we suggest:

· Conscious and sincere actions by their governments to decolonize the territories and rid the world of the colonialism scourge.

· Committees to be set up by their parliaments to decolonize the territories under their control.

· They should not convert the colonies into criminal havens for promoting money laundering, tax evasion, the storage of looted wealth, experimentation sites or, the testing of new arms.

· The media of the concerned countries should return the colonial question to the front burner and carry out follow-up reports and actions in accordance with their international obligations to uphold fundamental human rights, the right to self-determination and, political, economic, cultural and social rights.

· Citizens of colonizing countries should speak up for the colonized as indifference to the plight of the latter, is tantamount to complicity.

· At independence, the colonizing countries should pay reparations as take-off grants to territories they have colonized.

COLONIZED TERRITORIES

Territories and peoples under colonialism should:

· Continue their struggle for self-determination and national independence in accordance with United Nations Charter and Resolutions, as well as international and natural laws.

· Constantly expose the exploitation of their human and material resources by the colonial powers.

· Strive for unity as the main weapon of the colonialists is to divide-and-rule.

· Counter the propaganda that it is better to remain colonies under affluent colonial countries than to be free to determine their future and that of their children.

· Be conscious that theirs is a just cause and that the future belongs to all those who fight for it.

STATES

Countries of the world should:

· Provide moral, diplomatic, political and material support to the independence movements.

· Discourage and sanction companies operating and exploiting the colonies.

· Provide educational assistance including complete scholarships for people under colonial rule.

· Mobilize their citizens to provide moral, material and financial support to the independence movements.

INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY.

The international community and regional organizations should take a principled stance against continuous colonialism in the world and assist in the eradication of colonialism by:

· Including clauses in their constitutive acts against members engaging in colonialism or abetting it.

· Partnership Agreements such as those of the EU-ACP containing clauses barring members from engaging directly or indirectly in colonialism or partnering with colonizing countries.

· Encouraging and funding anti-colonial causes.

· Human rights associations at national and international levels including the eradication of colonialism as a core priority.

· Establishing associations and organisations for the eradication of colonialism worldwide.

· Encouraging the popularization of anti-colonialism in educational, cultural, youth, religious, sports and entertainment bodies.

· Marking National Days, Festivals and Programmes of the colonies as well as related International Days.

· Mobilizing all conscientious human beings to express and build solidarity with colonized peoples and assist them to freely determine their future.

CITIZENS

Citizens wherever they are, should play individual and collective roles by:

· Supporting the eradication of colonialism in any form.

· Establishing or joining organizations dedicated to end colonialism.

· Campaigning for the abolition of colonialism as was done against slavery and Apartheid, amongst others.

· Providing moral, material and financial support to independence movements in the colonies.

PROTECTION

The colonies need to be defended by the United Nations and the international community from continued naked exploitation and abuse. Also, some of the colonies should be protected from being misused as havens for promoting money laundering, tax evasion, depositories of looted funds, prostitution and casino centres.

SANCTIONS

No country should impose sanctions on colonized or non-colonized peoples, except with the express permission of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA)

POLITICAL PRISONERS

Many activists fighting for the independence of the colonies are incarcerated. They are political prisoners and should be internationally recognized, supported, set free and granted reparations.

DUAL CITIZENSHIP

African countries should consider granting colonized peoples who trace their roots to the continent and, African-Americans who feel colonized, dual citizenship.

CASES

Four case studies were made as follows:

PUERTO RICO.

Puerto Rico (Borikén) has a population of 3.3 million and, over 5 million living outside their homeland largely due to colonialism.

It was invaded by Spain in 1493. During the Cuban-Spanish-American War of 1898 the United States of America (USA) invaded Puerto Rico, and occupied it.

The Treaty of Paris, negotiated on December 10, 1898 between the USA and Spain without the representation of the Puerto Rican people, is in violation of international law as it ignored the recognition of Puerto Rico as a nation.

The USA has not carried out a decolonization process in Puerto Rico in accordance with UN Resolution 1514 (XV) to which it is a signatory. Conversely, it has through the Treaty of Paris, the Foraker and Jones Acts and imposition of a non-representative constitution, strived to create the false impression that Puerto Rico is not a traditional colony.

The United Nations Special Committee on Decolonization in its June 20 2023 Resolution, reaffirmed: “the inalienable right of the people of Puerto Rico to self-determination and independence and calling again upon the United States to assume its responsibility to promote a process to those ends.”

The 29-country UN Committee also stated that it supports: “a process enabling the Puerto Rican people to make decisions in a sovereign manner, to address their urgent economic and social needs, including unemployment, marginalization, insolvency and poverty and … urged the United States’ Government to complete the return of all lands occupied by its military forces in the territory to the people of Puerto Rico.”

It is therefore vital that:

· The case of Puerto Rico should be elevated as a topic for the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA)

· The Puerto Rico Observer seat in the United Nations, should be restored.

· In accordance with the United Nations General Assembly Resolution 1514 (XV) of 1960 and, the position of the UN Special Committee on Decolonization, Puerto Rico should be granted independence.

WESTERN SAHARA.

THE Sahara Arab Democratic Republic, SADR, better known as Western Sahara, was colonized by Spain in 1884 and decolonized in 1975. However, rather than a straight forward decolonization, Spain divided the new nation between two of its neighbours; Morocco and Mauritania and, left.

While Mauritania subsequently relinquished any territorial claims on Western Sahara, Morocco, itself a colony of France from 1912 to 1956, insists on militarily occupying most of Western Sahara claiming it was part of its kingdom.

The United Nations had referred this case to the International Court of Justice, ICJ. On October 16, 1975 the Court ruled that there was no tie of territorial sovereignty between the territory of Western Sahara and the Kingdom of Morocco or the Mauritanian entity.

The continental body, the Organization of African Unity, now the African Union, in 1982 admitted Western Sahara as a sovereign Member. However, Morocco with the support of the United States and France continues to occupy most parts of Western Sahara.

We demand and call for:

1) Morocco to vacate Western Sahara and allow its people to exercise their sovereignty.

2) The United Nations Security Council to speed up the decolonisation of Western Sahara in conformity with the UN Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, and, on the basis of the UN Settlement Plan 1991.

3) The European Union, EU to abide by the EU Court of Justice rulings of 2016, 2018 and 2021 by withdrawing all companies plundering the resources of the Western Sahara territory.

4) All states should reject the importation of fish, phosphate and other products from Western Sahara without the consent and authority of its people.

5) African countries with consulates in Morocco-occupied territories of Western Sahara, should close them down.

6) The United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) to be mandated to monitor and report all violations of the fundamental human rights of the Saharawi people carried out by Morocco.

7) All countries to enforce the judgement of the African Court of Human and Peoples’ Rights dated September 22, 2022 stating that Morocco’s occupation of Western Sahara is a violation of the right to self-determination and independence. It had also ruled that all States have the obligation to assist the Saharawi people in their struggle for self-determination.

PALESTINE

The decolonisation process in the Palestine should be speedily completed on the basis of the United Nations General Assembly Resolution 1514 of 1960 on the right to self-determination and, Resolution 3236 of November 22, 1974 on the right of the Palestinian People to self-determination, national independence and sovereignty in the Palestine.

In line with these UNGA resolutions, the Palestine people should be allowed without preconditions, their right to self-determination and the right of return for Palestinians in the diaspora.

CARIBBEAN AND PACIFIC

The Caribbean and Pacific are home to most of the existing colonies. Some of them like Martinique and Guadalope are not even listed as colonies by the United Nations.

Accordingly, we urge the United Nations:

· To fully list the colonies in the regions, give their true status wide publicity and encourage their historic linkages and actions of solidarity.

· To grant these colonies and the independent Caribbean and Pacific countries the needed international support and solidarity, including the CARICOM Ten Point Plan for Reparatory Justice adopted by the fifteen member countries of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).

The CARICOM Programme includes:

i) Building “bridges of belonging” to reconnect African-Caribbean with their African heritage.

ii) Supporting repatriation for those who desire to resettle in Africa.

iii) The creation of an Indigenous Peoples’ Development Programme.

iv) Wiping out illiteracy and,

v) Cancellation of international debt to enable the region claw out of poverty.

We also urge former colonizers to provide reparations to the former colonies for the illegal colonial debts imposed on countries such as Haiti, crippling their economies as well as their socio-economic advancement.

ORGANISATION AND ADMINISTRATION:

NAME

End Colonialism Movement, ECM.

MEMBERSHIP

Open to all persons, groups and entities dedicated to the eradication of colonialism in whatever form or guise.

STRUCTURE

The Movement shall be run by Co-coordinating Committees at all levels as recognised by the International Board. It shall be serviced by the International Secretariat.

COMMUNICATION

The Movement shall produce publications such as newsletters, books, posters, documentaries, utilize the press and social media in furtherance of its objectives.

ENGAGEMENTS

The Movement shall actively participate in world and regional organizations to promote its objectives of decolonization. Such organizations shall include the United Nations, the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, CELAC, the Bolivarian Alliance for the People of Our America, ALBA Movimientos, the Assembly of Caribbean People and the African Union.

MEETINGS

The Movement shall meet annually amongst other things, to receive reports, evaluate programmes and campaigns, update plans and take decisions in furtherance of its objectives.

FUNDING

An international fund shall be created for the Movement and, funding shall be through voluntary donations, contributions and grants.

FOR CO-ORDINATINING ORGANISATIONS:

Owei Lakemfa, President, Society for International Relations Awareness, SIRA. +2348023139151. sira_africa@yahoo.com