1960 UN General Assembly Debates on the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples – JOURNAL OF THE INSTITUTE FOR AFRICAN STUDIES

Author:

Barabanov O.N.¹ ²

Affiliation:

1. MGIMO University, MFA of Russia, Moscow, Russian Federation
2. Valdai Discussion Club, Moscow, Russian Federation

Abstract:

The article examines the official records of the UN General Assembly debates from September to December 1960 on the draft Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples. The discussion of this issue was initiated by the Soviet Union. Countries of the political West, primarily the United Kingdom and New Zealand, attempted to block this proposal. However, following extremely heated debate, the issue was finally placed on the agenda of the General Assembly plenary meeting. An unusually large number of meetings were held directly on the text of the Declaration—19 in total. During the debates, representatives of Western countries, as well as pro-Western regimes from other regions, offered a virtually undisguised justification of colonialism. The following aspects can be highlighted in their rhetoric. First, they emphasized the positive, beneficial impact of colonialism on the economic and social development of dependent countries. Second, they postulated that colonialism is a necessary transitional phase in the development of dependent countries. Third, they argued for the unpreparedness of many dependent territories for independence. Fourth, they emphasized that the Western countries “have borne the heaviest responsibilities” in caring for their colonies. The speeches from Latin American countries were particularly revealing here. They persistently reiterated the thesis that “colonialism wasn’t all that bad.” Finally, the British representative declared that “It [colonialism] is dying in the sense that the Phoenix died, dying at the moment of its greatest glory.” This justification of colonialism was harshly criticized by representatives of African and Asian countries. As a result, the Declaration was adopted, which became a crucial political and moral document. To this day, it remains relevant in the fight against neocolonialism and new colonialism.

Keywords:

Colonialism, Decolonization, Neocolonialism, UN General Assembly, 1960 UN Declaration on Decolonization, Solidarity of the USSR with African States, Diplomacy of the USSR in the UN

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Received: 23.12.2025
Revised: 15.03.2026
Accepted: 17.03.2026

For citation:

Barabanov O.N. (2026). 1960 UN General Assembly Debates on the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples. Journal of the Institute for African Studies. Vol. 12. № 1. Pp. 128–143. https://doi.org/10.31132/2412-5717-2026-74-1-128-143

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