UN General Assembly 864th Plenary Meeting. The United Nations and Decolonization. Member of Wa-Meru Tribe of Tanganyika (now Tanzania) with Ralph Bunche (left) in 1963. (UN Photo) In a vast political reshaping of the world, more than 80 former colonies comprising some 750 million people have gained independence since the creation of the United Nations. At present, 17 Non-Self-Governing Territories (NSGTs) across the globe remain to be decolonized, home to nearly 2 million people. Thus, the process of decolonization is not complete. Finishing the job will require a continuing dialogue among the administering Powers, the Special Committee on Decolonization, and the peoples of the territories, in accordance with the relevant UN resolutions on decolonization.
In 1990, the General Assembly proclaimed the first International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism, including a specific plan of action.
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