UN Sets Priorities for Remaining 17 Territories as Decolonization Panel Opens 2026 Session

The Secretary-General urged case-by-case talks led by local voices with climate resilience at the core.

Overview

Menissa Rambally of Saint Lucia was re-elected Chair of the Special Committee and said the decolonization agenda remains unfinished.
The Committee noted Ecuador’s intention to withdraw from membership during the 2026 session.
Nicaragua will host the Caribbean Regional Seminar in Managua from 25 to 27 May 2026.
The Group of Friends of the UN Charter said it will present a draft resolution to spur tangible progress for Non-Self-Governing Territories.
Seventeen territories remain on the UN list, home to nearly two million people and administered by France, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States, with many facing escalating climate threats.