Chapter XII of the
United Nations Charter
The Charter of the United Nations (UN) is the foundational treaty of the UN, an intergovernmental organization. It establishes the purposes, governing structure, and overall framework of the United Nations System, UN system, including its Organ ...
deals with the international trusteeship system. It reaffirms the twin goals mentioned in
Chapter XI to "promote the political, economic, social, and educational advancement of the inhabitants of the trust territories, and their progressive development towards self-government or independence".
It also provides that the trusteeship system applies to:
*territories now held under
mandate
Mandate most often refers to:
* League of Nations mandates, quasi-colonial territories established under Article 22 of the Covenant of the League of Nations, 28 June 1919
* Mandate (politics), the power granted by an electorate
Mandate may also r ...
;
*territories which may be detached from enemy states as a result of the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...
; and
*territories voluntarily placed under the system by states responsible for their administration.
Application is not automatic, but the trusteeship system is not imposed by the Charter on any territories. Its application is left to subsequent agreements between the states directly concerned. Although there are no territories administered under this system today, a country could theoretically place one of its territories under the trusteeship system. Articles 82-85 make reference to "strategic areas" of territories.
The trusteeship system shall not apply to territories which have become Members of the United Nations, only among those of sovereign equality.
References
Divisions and sections of the Charter of the United Nations
United Nations Trusteeship Council
{{Autonomous types of first-tier administration