The United Nations opened the 2026 session of its Special Committee on Decolonization with an appeal to address the final remaining cases of colonial administration, as climate pressures increasingly shape the future of several territories.
Speaking through his Chef de Cabinet Courtenay Rattray, Secretary-General António Guterres said on Monday that despite more than 80 former colonies gaining independence since 1945, 17 non-self-governing territories remain on the U.N. list, home to nearly two million people.
