Donations

UN: Trust and Non-Self-Governing Territories (1945-1999)

World Decolonization

 The United Nations and Decolonization - Source: www.un.org/en/decolonization

The following Territories have been subject to United Nations Trusteeship Agreements or were listed by the General Assembly as Non-Self-Governing.

Dates show the year of independence or other change in a Territory's status, after which information was no longer submitted to the United Nations.

Administering States

AUSTRALIA | BELGIUM | DENMARK | FRANCE | ITALY | NETHERLANDS
NEW ZEALAND | PORTUGAL | SOUTH AFRICA | SPAIN | UNITED KINGDOM | UNITED STATES

Administering Power/Authority Territory Status Year
Australia Cocos (Keeling) Islands Change in Status 1984
Papua Independence as Papua New Guinea 1975
Nauru
Trust Territory		 Independence 1968
New Guinea
Trust Territory		 Independence as Papua New Guinea 1975
Belgium Belgian Congo Independence as Congo Leopoldville, then Zaire
Now Democratic Republic of the Congo		 1960
Ruanda-Urundi
Trust Territory		 Independence as Burundi 1962
Independence as Rwanda 1962
Denmark Greenland Change in Status 1954
France French Equatorial Africa Independence as Chad 1960
Independence as Gabon 1960
(Middle Congo) Independence as Congo (Brazzaville)
Now Republic of the Congo		 1960
(Ubangi Shari) Independence as Central African Republic 1960
French Establishments in India Change in Status 1947
French Establishments in Oceania Change in Status 1947
French Guiana Change in Status 1947
French Somaliland Independence as Djibouti 1977
French West Africa Independence as Dahomey
Now Benin		 1960
(French Guinea) Independence as Guinea 1958
(French Sudan) Independence as Mali 1960
Independence as Ivory Coast 1960
Independence as Mauritania 1960
(Niger Colony) Independence as Niger 1960
Independence as Senegal 1960
Independence as Upper Volta
Now Burkina-Faso		 1960
Guadeloupe and Dependencies Change in Status 1947
Indo-China Independence as Cambodia 1953
Independence as Laos 1949
Independence as Viet Nam 1945
Madagascar and Dependencies Independence as Madagascar 1960
Independence as Comoros 1975
Martinique Change in Status 1947
Morocco Independence 1956
New Caledonia 1 and Dependencies Change in Status 1947
New Hebrides
(Under Anglo-French Condominium)		 Independence as Vanuatu 1980
Reunion Change in Status 1947
St. Pierre and Miquelon Change in Status 1947
Tunisia Independence 1956
Cameroons
Trust Territory		 Independence as Cameroon 1960
French Togoland
Trust Territory		 Independence as Togo 1960
Italy Somaliland
Trust Territory		 Independence as Somalia (joined with British Somaliland) 1960
Netherlands Netherlands Indies Independence as Indonesia 1949
Netherlands New Guinea Joined with Indonesia as Irian Jaya 1963
Netherlands Antilles Change in Status 1951
Surinam Change in Status 1951
Independence as Suriname 1975
New Zealand Cook Islands Change in Status 1965
Niue Island Change in Status 1974
Western Samoa
Trust Territory		 Independence as Samoa 1962
Portugal Angola, including the enclave of Cabinda Independence 1975
Cape Verde Archipelago Independence as Cape Verde 1975
Goa and Dependencies Change in Status 1961
Portuguese Guinea Independence as
Guinea Bissau		 1974
Macau and Dependencies Change in Status 1972
Mozambique Independence 1975
Sao Jo?o Batista de Ajuda Change in Status 1961
Sao Tome and Principe Independence 1975
East Timor 2 Independence as Timor Leste 2002
South Africa South West Africa General Assembly terminated South Africa’s mandate 1966
Independence as Namibia 1990
Spain Fernando Póo and Rí Muni Independence as Equatorial Guinea 1968
Ifni Change in Status 1969
United Kingdom Aden Colony and Protectorate Independence as South Yemen 1967
Bahamas Independence 1973
Barbados Independence 1966
Basutoland Independence as Lesotho 1966
Bechuanaland Protectorate Independence as Botswana 1966
British Guiana Independence as Guyana 1966
British Honduras Independence as Belize 1981
British Somaliland Independence as Somalia (joined with Italian Somaliland) 1960
Brunei Independence
Now Brunei Darussalam		 1984
Cyprus Independence 1960
Fiji Independence 1970
Gambia Independence as The Gambia 1965
Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony Independence as Kiribati 1979
Independence as Tuvalu 1978
Gold Coast Colony and Protectorate Independence as Ghana 1957
Hong Kong Change in Status 1972
Jamaica Independence 1962
Kenya Independence 1963
Leeward Islands
(Antigua) Independence as Antigua
and Barbuda		 1981
(St. Kitts- Nevis-Anguilla) Independence as St. Kitts and Nevis (separated from Anguilla) 1983
Malayan Union Independence as Federation of Malaya
Now Malaysia [3]		 1957
Malta Independence 1964
Mauritius Independence 1968
Nigeria Independence 1960
North Borneo 3 Change in status 1963
Northern Rhodesia Independence as Zambia 1964
Nyasaland Independence as Malawi 1964
Sarawak 3 Change in status 1963
Seychelles Independence 1976
Sierra Leone Independence 1961
Singapore 3 Independence 1965
Solomon Islands Independence 1978
Southern Rhodesia Independence as Zimbabwe 1980
Swaziland Independence 1968
Trinidad and Tobago Independence 1962
Uganda Independence 1962
Windward Islands
(Dominica) Independence as Dominica 1978
(Grenada) Independence as Grenada 1974
(St. Lucia) Independence as St. Lucia 1979
(St. Vincent) Independence as St. Vincent and the Grenadines 1979
Zanzibar Independence 4 as United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar
Now Republic of Tanzania		 1963
Cameroons
Trust Territory		 Northern Cameroons joined with Nigeria 1961
Southern Cameroons joined with Cameroon 1961
Togoland
Trust Territory		 Joined Gold Coast to form Ghana 1957
Tanganyka
Trust Territory		 Independence 3 as United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar after joining
with Zanzibar
Now Republic of Tanzania		 1963
United States Alaska Change in Status 1959
Hawaii Change in Status 1959
Panama Canal Zone Change in Status 1947
Puerto Rico Change in Status 1952
Pacific Islands
Trust Territory		 Change in Status as Federated Sates of Micronesia 1990
Change in Status as Republic of the Marshall Island 1990
Change in Status as Northern Mariana Islands 1990
Change in Status as Palau 1994

 
Notes:
1. In 1986 the General Assembly determined that New Caledonia was a Non-Self-Governing Territory.

2. Initially administered by Portugal. Under Indonesian control between 1975 and 1999. East Timor attained independence in May 2002 and joined the United Nations in September 2002 as Timor Leste.

3. In 1963, the Federation of Malaya became Malaysia, following the admission to the new federation of Singapore, Sabah (North Borneo) and Sarawak. Singapore became independent 1965.

4. Following the ratification in 1964 of Articles of Union between Tanganyika and Zanzibar, the United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar was formed and later changed its name to the United Republic of Tanzania.