Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 90 Part 1.djvu/313

 PUBLIC LAW 9 4 - 2 4 1 — M A R. 24, 1976

90 STAT. 2 6 3

Public Law 94-241 94th Congress Joint Resolution To approve the "Covenant To Establish a Commonwealth of the Northern JIariana Islands in Polilical Union with the United States of America", and for other purposes.

Mar. 24, 1976 [HJ. Res 549]

Whereas the United States is the administering authority of the 48 USC 1681 Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands under the terms of the note. trusteeship agreemojit for the former Japanese-mandated islands entered into by the United States with the Security Council of the United Nations on April 2, 1947, and approved by the United States on July 18, 1947; and Whereas the United States, in accordance with the trusteeship agreement and the Charter of the United Nations, has assumed the obligation to promote the development of the peoples of the trust territory toward self-government or independence as may be appropriate to the particular circumstances of the trust territory and its peoples and the freely expressed wishes of the peoples concerned; and Whereas the United States, in response to the desires of the people of the Northern M a r i a n a Islands clearly expressed over the past twenty years through public petition and referendum, and in response to its own obligations under the trusteeship agreement to promote self-determination, entered into political status negotiations with representatives of the people of the Northern Mariana Islands; and Whereas, on February 15, 1975, a "Covenant to Establish A Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands in Political Union with the United States of America" was signed by the Marianas Political Status Commission for the people of the Northern Mariana Islands and by the President's Personal Representative, Ambassador F. H a y d n Williams for the United States of America, following which the covenant was approved by the unanimous vote of the Mariana Islands District Legislature on February 20, 1975 and by 78.8 per centum of the people of the Northern M a r i a n a Islands voting in a plebiscite held on June 17, 1975: Now be it Resolved by the Seriate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress ay.sembled^ That the Covenant to Establish a Commonwealth of the Northern M a r i a n a Islands in Political Union with the United States of America, the text of which is as follows, is hereby approved. "COVENANT To ESTABLISH A COMMONWEALTH OF THE NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS I N POLITICAL U N I O N W I T H THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

"Whereas, the Charter of the United Nations and the Trusteeship Agreement between the Security Council of the United Nations and the United States of America guarantee to the people of the Northern M a r i a n a Islands the right freely to express their wishes for selfgovernment or independence; and

Covenant to Establish a Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands in Political Union with the United States of America. Congressional approval. 48 USC 1681 note.

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