asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs how the Republic of Ireland delegation voted in the United Nations Organisation on the motion in December, 1973, to affirm the right of the Puerto Rican people to self determination and independence in accordance with Resolution 1514 XV of the General Assembly passed on 14th December, 1960; and if he will state the final vote on this motion.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - United Nations Vote.
67.
No "motion" confirming the right of the Puerto Rican people to self determination and independence was voted on in the United Nations General Assembly last year. However the Deputy may be referring to Resolution 3163 (XXVIII) on the implementation of the Declaration on the granting of independence to colonial countries and peoples. Ireland abstained on the vote on this resolution because, inter alia, it contained paragraphs which approved of the use of violence and of forceful means in violation of the principles and purposes of the UN Charter.
This resolution approved the Report of the Special Committee on Decolonisation which itself contains specific recommendations in regard to Puerto Rico—operative paragraph 2 of this resolution adopted by the Special Committee on 30th August, 1973, reaffirmed "the right of the people of Puerto Rico to self determination and independence" in accordance with the General Assembly Resolution 1514 (XV) of 14th December, 1960—a resolution in favour of which Ireland voted. However I should perhaps add that in Resolution 748 (VIII) of 27th November, 1953, the United Nations recognised "that when choosing their constitutional and international status, the people of the commonwealth of Puerto Rico have effectively exercised their right to self determination", thus fulfilling the provisions of the Resolution 1514 (XV). It was for this reason that the United Nations has refused on two separate occasions to place on the agenda of the United Nations an item on Puerto Rico.
The decision of the people of Puerto Rico referred to in Resolution 748 (VIII) was taken on 3rd March, 1952, when by plebiscite they adopted a constitution which established the commonwealth of Puerto Rico as a political entity freely associated with the United States. The constitutional provisions enable the people of Puerto Rico freely to amend their constitution if they wish to see changes in their status vis-à-vis the United States; if they so wish they may integrate as a full state of the United States or become a sovereign state independent of the United States.
In a later referendum on July 23rd, 1967, 99.4 per cent of the voters stated their desire to maintain their association with the United States in one form or another.