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Decolonization seminar postponed due to coronavirus

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The committee considers American Samoa as one of the 12 non-self governing territories in the world
reporters@samoanews.com

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — “Due to the situation related to COVID-19” the United Nations Special Committee on Decolonization decided in March this year to postpone to a later date — to be announced in due course — its regional seminar that was scheduled to be held from 5-7 May 2020 in Bali, Indonesia, the committee — also referred to as the Decolonization committee — said in a brief statement.

The committee considers American Samoa as one of the 12 non-self governing territories in the world.

The last time American Samoa dispatched a representative to these annual seminars — rotating between the Pacific and Caribbean — was in May of 2018, when then-Attorney General Talauega Eleasalo Ale, spoke on behalf of Gov. Lolo Matalasi Moliga.

Talauega informed the meeting that — among other things — the political status of American Samoa as an unincorporated and unorganized territory limited its ability to self-government and exposed it to decisions made by the U.S. In the past.

Last the December, the US General Assembly, passed a resolution, which “strongly urges” American Samoa’s administering power — the United States of America — “to refrain from undertaking any kind of illicit, harmful, and unproductive activities, including the use of the Territory as an international financial center, that are not aligned with the interests of the people of the Territory.” (See Samoa News edition Jan. 16, 2020 for details)