Questions of American Samoa, Anguilla, Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Guam, Montserrat, Pitcairn, Saint Helena, the Turks and Caicos Islands and the United States Virgin Islands A/RES/68/95 A-B Caribbean regional seminar, inviting the Special Committee on the Situation with regard to the Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples to send a visiting mission to the Territory, Aware of the work of the Future Political Status Study Commission, completed in 2006, the release of its report, with recommendations, in January 2007 and the creation of the American Samoa Constitutional Review Committee in the Territory, as well as the holding in June 2010 of American Samoa’s fourth Constitutional Convention, Noting, in that regard, the statement made by the representative of the Governor of American Samoa at the 2012 Pacific regional seminar and previous policy papers presented to the Special Committee stating that, against a backdrop of a decades-long popular preference for integration with the United States of America, the Territory wished to move forward on political status, local autonomy and selfgovernance issues, as well as remarks made by the Governor and the United States Congressman representing American Samoa, in 2012, on the issue of reviewing the relationship of the Territory with the United States and looking at options to become more independent, including a compact of free association agreement, Noting also the holding of elections in the Territory in November 2012, Acknowledging the indication by the territorial Government, including at the 2012 Pacific regional seminar, that the effects of certain federal laws on the economy of the Territory give serious cause for concern, Aware that in July 2012, the United States passed Public Law 112-149, which includes a provision to delay the minimum wage increases in American Samoa, as provided by United States Public Law 110-28, until September 2015, Aware also that American Samoa continues to be the only United States Territory to receive financial assistance from the administering Power for the operations of the territorial Government, Welcomes the work of the territorial Government with respect to moving 1. forward on political status, local autonomy and self-governance issues with a view to making political and economic progress; 2. Expresses once again its appreciation for the invitation extended in 2011 by the Governor of American Samoa to the Special Committee on the Situation with regard to the Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples to send a visiting mission to the Territory, calls upon the administering Power to facilitate such a mission if the territorial Government so desires, and requests the Chair of the Special Committee to take all the steps necessary to that end; 3. Requests the administering Power to assist the Territory by facilitating its work concerning a public awareness programme, consistent with Article 73 b of the Charter of the United Nations, and in that regard calls upon the relevant United Nations organizations to provide assistance to the Territory, if requested; 4. Calls upon the administering Power to assist the territorial Government in the diversification and sustainability of the economy of the Territory and to address employment and cost-of-living issues; 7/17