Proclamation 5564 -- United States Relations With the Northern Mariana Islands, Micronesia, and the Marshall Islands
November 3, 1986
Placing
Into Full Force and Effect the Covenant With the
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and the Compacts of
Free Association With the Federated States of
Micronesia and the Republic of the Marshall Islands
By
the President of the United States of
America
A
Proclamation
Since
July 18, 1947, the United States has administered the United Nations Trust
Territory of the Pacific Islands (``Trust Territory''), which includes the
Northern Mariana Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Marshall
Islands, and Palau.
On
February 15, 1975, after extensive status negotiations, the United States and
the Marianas Political Status Commission concluded a Covenant to establish a
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands in Political Union with the United
States (``Covenant''). Sections 101, 1002, and 1003(c) of the Covenant provide
that the Northern
Mariana Islands will become a self-governing Commonwealth in political
union with and under the sovereignty of the United States. This Covenant was
approved by the Congress by Public Law 94 - 241 of March
24, 1976,
90 Stat. 263. Although many sections of the Covenant became effective in 1976
and 1978, certain sections have not previously entered into force.
On
October 1, 1982, the Government of the United States and the Government of
the Federated States of Micronesia concluded a Compact of
Free Association, establishing a relationship of Free Association between the
two Governments. On June 25, 1983, the Government of the United States and the Government of
the Marshall Islands concluded a Compact of
Free Association, establishing a relationship of Free Association between the
two Governments. Pursuant to sections 111 and 121 of the Compacts, the Federated States of
Micronesia and the Republic of the Marshall Islands become self-governing
and have the right to conduct foreign affairs in their own name and right upon
the effective date of their respective Compacts. Each Compact comes into effect
upon (1) mutual agreement between the Government of the United States, acting
in fulfillment of its responsibilities as Administering Authority of the Trust
Territory of the Pacific Islands, and the other Government; (2) the approval of
the Compact by the two Governments, in accordance with their constitutional
processes; and (3) the conduct of a plebiscite in that jurisdiction. In the Federated States of
Micronesia, the Compact has been approved by the
Government in accordance with its constitutional processes, and in a United
Nations-observed plebiscite on June 21, 1983, a sovereign act of
self-determination. In the Marshall Islands, the Compact has been
approved by the Government in accordance with its constitutional processes, and
in a United Nations-observed plebiscite on September
7, 1983,
a sovereign act of self-determination. In the United States the Compacts have been
approved by Public Law 99 - 239 of January
14, 1986,
99 Stat. 1770.
On
January 10, 1986, the Government of the United States and the Government of
the Republic of Palau concluded a Compact of
Free Association, establishing a similar relationship of Free Association
between the two Governments. On October 16, 1986, the Congress of the United States approved the Compact of
Free Association with the Republic of Palau. In the Republic of Palau, the Compact approval
process has not yet been completed. Until the future political status of Palau is resolved, the United States will continue to
discharge its responsibilities in Palau as Administering
Authority under the Trusteeship Agreement.
On
May 28, 1986, the Trusteeship Council of the United Nations concluded that the
Government of the United States had satisfactorily discharged its obligations
as the Administering Authority under the terms of the Trusteeship Agreement and
that the people of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Federated States of
Micronesia, and the Republic of the Marshall Islands had freely exercised their
right to self-determination, and considered that it was appropriate for that
Agreement to be terminated. The Council asked the United States to consult with the
governments concerned to agree on a date for entry into force of their
respective new status agreements.
On
October 15, 1986, the Government of the United States and the Government of
the Republic of the Marshall Islands agreed, pursuant to
Section 411 of the Compact of Free Association, that as between the United States and the Republic of the
Marshall Islands, the effective date of
the Compact shall be October 21, 1986.
On
October 24, 1986, the Government of the United States and the Government of
the Federated States of Micronesia agreed, pursuant to
Section 411 of the Compact of Free Association, that as between the United States and the Federated States of
Micronesia, the effective date of the Compact shall
be November 3, 1986.
On
October 24, 1986, the United States advised the Secretary
General of the United Nations that, as a consequence of consultations held
between the United States Government and the Government of the Marshall Islands, agreement had been
reached that the Compact of Free Association with the Marshall Islands entered fully into
force on October 21, 1986. The United States further advised the
Secretary General that, as a result of consultations with their governments,
agreement had been reached that the Compact of Free Association with the Federated States of
Micronesia and the Covenant with the Commonwealth
of the Northern
Mariana Islands would enter into force on November
3, 1986.
As
of this day, November 3, 1986, the United States has fulfilled its obligations
under the Trusteeship Agreement with respect to the Commonwealth of the
Northern Mariana Islands, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the
Federated States of Micronesia, and they are self-governing and no longer
subject to the Trusteeship. In taking these actions, the United States is implementing the
freely expressed wishes of the peoples of the Northern Mariana
Islands,
the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Marshall Islands.
Now,
Therefore, I, Ronald Reagan, by the authority vested in me as President by the
Constitution and laws of the United States of America, including Section 1002
of the Covenant to Establish a Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands in
Political Union with the United States of America, and Sections 101 and 102 of
the Joint Resolution to approve the ``Compact of Free Association'', and for
other purposes, approved on January 14, 1986 (Public Law 99 - 239), do hereby
find, declare, and proclaim as follows:
Section 1. I determine that the Trusteeship
Agreement for the Pacific Islands is no longer in effect
as of October 21, 1986, with respect to the
Republic of the Marshall Islands, as of November
3, 1986,
with respect to the Federated States of
Micronesia, and as of November
3, 1986,
with respect to the Northern Mariana Islands. This constitutes the
determination referred to in section 1002 of the Covenant.
Sec. 2. (a) Sections 101, 104, 301, 302, 303,
506, 806, and 904 of the Covenant are effective as of 12:01
a.m.,
November 4, 1986, Northern Mariana
Islands
local time.
(b)
The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands in political union with
and under the sovereignty of the United States of
America is fully established on the date and at the
time specified in Section 2(a) of this Proclamation.
(c)
The domiciliaries of the Northern Mariana
Islands
are citizens of the United States to the extent provided
for in Sections 301 through 303 of the Covenant on the date and at the time
specified in this Proclamation.
(d)
I welcome the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands into the American
family and congratulate our new fellow citizens.
Sec. 3. (a) The Compact of Free Association with
the Republic of the Marshall Islands is in full force and
effect as of October 21, 1986, and the Compact of
Free Association with the Federated States of
Micronesia is in full force and effect as of November
3, 1986.
(b)
I am gratified that the people of the Federated States of
Micronesia and the Republic of the Marshall Islands, after nearly forty
years of Trusteeship, have freely chosen to establish a relationship of Free
Association with the United States.
In
Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this third day of November, in the
year of our Lord nineteen hundred and eighty-six, and of the Independence of the United States of
America the two hundred and
eleventh.
Ronald
Reagan
[Filed
with the Office of the Federal Register, 11:17 a.m., November
6, 1986]