The TRUSTEESHIP-COUNCIL
The TRUSTEESHIP-COUNCIL was established in 1945 under the UN-CHARTER as one of the six principal organs of the UNITED-NATIONS. Its primary mandate was to provide international supervision for eleven TRUST-TERRITORIES that had been placed under the administration of seven MEMBER-STATES. The council was designed to ensure that these territories were prepared for self-government and independence, a core component of the global DECOLONIZATION movement.
By 1994, all territories within the TRUSTEESHIP-SYSTEM had achieved independence or self-government. The last territory to transition was PALAU, which had been part of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands administered by the UNITED-STATES. Following the independence of PALAU, the TRUSTEESHIP-COUNCIL formally suspended its operations on November 1, 1994. While it no longer meets annually, it remains a legal entity that can be convened by its President or at the request of the GENERAL-ASSEMBLY or SECURITY-COUNCIL.
The membership of the TRUSTEESHIP-COUNCIL currently consists of the five permanent members of the SECURITY-COUNCIL: CHINA, FRANCE, the RUSSIAN-FEDERATION, the UNITED-KINGDOM, and the UNITED-STATES. Historical records and current status reports are maintained by the UNITED-NATIONS-SECRETARIAT. For further information, visit the Official UN Trusteeship Council site or the Encyclopedia Britannica overview.