The process of decolonization not only freed peoples of Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Oceania from oppression but also strengthened the UN itself, Pyotr Ilyichev, Russia's First Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, said at the meeting of the Fourth Committee of the 79th session of the UN General Assembly.
He also emphasized that the 1960 UN Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, adopted on the USSR's initiative, remains relevant despite its almost 65-year history, as 17 territories still lack self-determination.
Ilyichev argued that complete victory over colonialism entails not only formal independence but also overcoming the lasting consequences of centuries of oppression, noting that colonial crimes remain largely unaddressed, with calls for reparations and apologies often ignored.
"Today, colonialism lives and flourishes in new, modern forms and manifestations, such as unilateral coercive measures, interference in the internal affairs of sovereign states, politicization, or simply restriction of humanitarian aid and technical assistance," the Russian diplomat said.
The diplomat stressed the unacceptability of colonialism in all its forms and expressed readiness to seek its complete eradication, speaking of a draft resolution titled "Eradicating colonialism in all its forms and manifestations."