ANNEX 10
The US Experience
The American version of integration was used in 1959, when both Alaska and Hawaii attained Statehood and now have the identical constitutional status of the other 48 States of the Union. A referendum in each State had voted by an overwhelming majority in favour of Statehood.
Puerto Rico now enjoys the formal title of "Commonwealth" a sort of halfway house between "Colony" and "State"), although its status is perhaps better described by the literal translation from the Spanish of Free Associated State. Executive power is in the hands of an elected Governor, and legislative functions are controlled by the local Senate and House of Representatives. However the US Government and Congress retain powers for Puerto Rico similar to those for the States of the Union and US legislation normally applies to Puerto Rico as do the provisions of the constitution. Puerto Ricans are US citizens with right of entry to the US and are represented in Congress by a Commissioner who has the right to speak but not to vote. Transmission of information on Puerto Rico under Article 73e was terminated in 1973 when it ceased to be a non-self-governing territory. As with the French OTs, it does not go unchallenged the Cubans regularly use Puerto Rico as a stick with which to beat the US at the UN.
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American Samoa, Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands have elected Governors and legislatures, but the inhabitants of the last two do not yet have full US citizenship.
The Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands (which included the Northern Marianas until 1978) is a UN Trusteeship administered by the US. The executive and administrative authority is the High Commissioner, appointed by the President with the approval of Congress. There is a locally elected legislature for the entire territory in addition to the six District Administrators and legislatures. The US Government are taking steps to terminate the Trusteeship Agreement by 1981. This will probably result in "free association" status for different parts of Micronesia, whereby they would enjoy full self-government, leaving the US with responsibility for foreign affairs and defence. This is likely to be a less close association than that with Puerto Rico.
The US Virgin Islands have an elected Governor and legislature and, like Puerto Rico and Guam, an elected, non-voting delegate to Congress. They were also granted the right in 1976 to draft their own constitution, subject to the approval of President and Congress.
All the US territories come under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of the Interior.