United Nations General Assembly A/RES/56/74 Distr.: General 24 January 2002 Fifty-sixth session Agenda item 18 Resolution adopted by the General Assembly [without reference to a Main Committee (A/56/L.40)] 56/74. Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples The General Assembly, Having examined the report of the Special Committee on the Situation with regard to the Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, 1 Recalling its resolution 1514 (XV) of 14 December 1960, containing the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, and all its subsequent resolutions concerning the implementation of the Declaration, most recently resolution 55/147 of 8 December 2000, as well as the relevant resolutions of the Security Council, Bearing in mind the declaration of the period 2001–2010 as the Second International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism, and the need to examine ways to ascertain the wishes of the peoples of the Non-Self-Governing Territories on the basis of resolution 1514 (XV) and other relevant resolutions on decolonization, Recognizing that the eradication of colonialism has been one of the priorities of the Organization and continues to be one of its priorities for the decade that began in 2001, Reconfirming the need to take measures to eliminate colonialism before 2010, as called for in its resolution 55/146 of 8 December 2000, Reiterating its conviction of the need for the eradication of colonialism, as well as of racial discrimination and violations of basic human rights, Noting with satisfaction the achievements of the Special Committee in contributing to the effective and complete implementation of the Declaration and other relevant resolutions of the United Nations on decolonization, Stressing the importance of the participation of the administering Powers in the work of the Special Committee, _______________ 1 A/56/23 (Parts I–III). For the final text, see Official Records of the General Assembly, Fifty-sixth Session, Supplement No. 23. 01 48990