A/RES/56/72 VII. Montserrat Taking note with interest of the statements made and the information on the political and economic situation in Montserrat provided by the elected representative of the Territory to the Caribbean regional seminar, held at Havana from 23 to 25 May 2001, 10 Taking note of the statement made by the Chief Minister of Montserrat on 22 May 1998 on the occasion of the observance of the Week of Solidarity with the Peoples of All Colonial Territories Fighting for Freedom, Independence and Human Rights, 11 Noting that the last visiting mission to the Territory took place in 1982, Noting also the functioning of a democratic process in Montserrat and that general elections were held in the Territory in November 1996, Taking note of the reported statement of the Chief Minister that his preference was for independence within a political union with the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States and that self-reliance was more of a priority than independence, Noting with concern the dire consequences of a volcanic eruption, which led to the evacuation of three quarters of the Territory’s population to safe areas of the island and to areas outside the Territory, in particular Antigua and Barbuda and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and which continues to have a negative impact upon the economy of the island, Noting the efforts of the administering Power and the Government of the Territory to meet the emergency situation caused by the volcanic eruption, including the implementation of a wide range of contingency measures for both the private and the public sectors in Montserrat, Noting also the coordinated response measures taken by the United Nations Development Programme and the assistance of the United Nations Disaster Management Team, Noting with concern that a number of the inhabitants of the Territory continue to live in shelters because of volcanic activity, 1. Requests the administering Power, bearing in mind the views of the people of the Territory ascertained through a democratic process, to keep the Secretary-General informed of the wishes and aspirations of the people regarding their future political status; 2. Calls upon the administering Power, the specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system as well as regional and other organizations to continue to provide urgent emergency assistance to the Territory in alleviating the consequences of the volcanic eruption; 3. Welcomes the support of the Caribbean Community in the construction of housing in the safe zone to alleviate a shortage caused by the environmental and human crisis of the eruption of the Montsoufriere volcano, as well as the material and financial support from the international community to help alleviate the suffering caused by the crisis; _______________ 10 A/56/23 (Part I), chap.II, annex, para. 34. For the final text, see Official Records of the General Assembly, Fifty-sixth Session, Supplement No. 23. 11 See A/AC.109/SR.1486. 11