United States Virgin Islands 58.Mr.Carlyle Corbin, Representative forExternal Affairs oftheGovernment of theUnited States Virgin Islands, notedthatunderinternational lawthe relationship between aNon-Self-Governing Territory anditsadministering Powerwas defined intheCharter. However, theconstitutional mechanisms governing the relationship between theUnited States Virgin Islands anditsadministering Power didnotemanate frominternational law,butrather fromUnited States domestic law.Thekeymechanism, the"territorial clause" oftheConstitution ofthe administering Power, alsoapplied toGuam,American Samoa, theNorthern Mariana Islands andPuerto Rico. 59.Thecurrent political relationship andanychangeinstatusrestedwiththe United States Congress. Congressional powerhadledtounilateral application of certain lawsbytheadministering Powerwithout consulting theterritorial Government. Thatprocess wassupported bythecourtsoftheadministering Power, whichtended tointerpret therelationship asiftheTerritory hadchosen the political status optionof"integration". Without areferendum onthatstatus, suchaposition wasinconsistent withinternational law,andthepeople ofthe Territory wereunaware oftheapplication ofinternational lawtothe deco10nization process. Healsocalled upontheUnited Nations tofacilitate political education programmes intheNon-Self-Governing Territories andrequested theSpecial Committee tosendvisiting missions totheremaining Territories to ascertain thelevels ofawareness ofthelegitimate political options available to thepeople. 60.Inordertocreate conditions forlegitimate political education anda subsequent referendum basedoninternational law,heconsidered thattheUnited States Virgin Islands should havethepowertosetreasonable voting requirements forastatus referendum. Underthecurrent law,citizens oftheUnitedStates resident intheTerritory for90dayscouldparticipate inelections. Withovera million tourists ayearandunrestricted migration fromtheUnitedStates tothe Territory, andwithapopulation ofjustover100,000, theelectoral process could beunduly influenced. . 61.Mr.Corbin recalled thatGeneral Assembly resolutions hadlinkedparticipation oftheNon-Self-Governing Territories toprogrammes andactivities oftheUnited Nations system andrequested theSpecial Committee, inconsultation withother United Nations bodies, toinitiate anoutreach programme urgingspecialized agencies toimplement membership mandates forNon-Self-Governing Territories. I ...A/AC.109/l043 English Page12 62.Ms.Judith L.Bourne, Senior FellowoftheInternational Institute forthe StudyofPolitical Status, saidthatsincetheUnitedStates hadpurchased the United States Virgin Islands, theTerritory's population hadhadnoopportunity to decide onthenature ofitsrelationship withtheUnitedStates. Inrecentyears, therights ofresidents notUnited Statescitizens, aswellastheapplication of international law,hadraised thequestion oftheTerritory's statusinvarious contexts. SomeUnitedStatesspecialists believed thatonlyconstructs, already adopted orotherwise approved bytheUnited States Government, wereavailable to theTerritory. Investigation intoarrangements between otherCaribbean entities andtheirformer coIonizers hadbeendiscouraged. 63.Although thepresent Status Commission hadrequested theUnitedStates to invite theUnited Nations tosendanobserver mission totheTerritory forthe1991 status referendum, thatinvitation hadneverbeenextended. Without effective education ofthepopulation ontheprinciples ofinternational lawapplicable to thatreferendum, Ms.Bourne considered thattherewasarealpossibility thata votepurporting tobeanactofself-determination onself-determination wouldtake
**Analysis**
The text appears to be discussing the political status of the United States Virgin Islands, its relationship with the United States, and the process of self-determination. It mentions international law, the United Nations, and the rights of residents, which suggests that the category should be related to international relations, politics, or governance.

**Category**
International relations, Politics