The United States, The United Nations, and Micronesia: Questions of Procedure, Substance, and Faith

This study first considers the procedural requirements for proper termination and concludes that Security Council approval is required. Second, this writing identifies the major issues that should be considered if the proposed termination of the Trusteeship Agreement for Micronesia is subjected to Security Council review. Two basic concerns should be the propriety of the division of the Trust Territory into four separate entities and the legitimacy of the agreements between the new governments and the United States for continuing relations as either commonwealth or freely associated states. The history of and practice under the trusteeship system indicate that the particular arrangements for commonwealth and free association statuses do not fit neatly into recognized categories of self-governance. Nonetheless, as a general matter, the arrangements are within the broader realm of acceptable relations because they reflect the free choices of the Micronesian peoples.