§ Mr. Dalyellasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he has any plans to seek to amend article 73 of the United Nations charter to provide for a right for self-determination for non-self-governing territories.
§ Mr. EggarNo. Article 73 of the United Nations charter already provides that the interests of the inhabitants of non-self-governing territories are paramount, and for the development of their free political institutions. In addition, the United Kingdom and numerous other states are party to either the international covenant on civil and political rights or the international covenant on economic, social and cultural rights drawn up by the United Nations, each of which states in its article 1 that
All peoples have the right of self-determination".Article 1 further requires states administering non-selfgoverning territories to promote the realisation of the right of self-determination.