UN General Assembly Resolution 1514 — Declaration on Decolonization (1960)

United Nations General Assembly Resolution 1514 (XV), adopted on December 14, 1960, is the "Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples." It is one of the foundational documents of the global decolonization movement.

The resolution declares:

"1. The subjection of peoples to alien subjugation, domination and exploitation constitutes a denial of fundamental human rights, is contrary to the Charter of the United Nations and is an impediment to the promotion of world peace and co-operation.

1. All peoples have the right to self-determination; by virtue of that right they freely determine their political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development.

2. Inadequacy of political, economic, social or educational preparedness should never serve as a pretext for delaying independence."

Relevance to Puerto Rico: In 1953, the United States convinced the UN General Assembly to remove Puerto Rico from the list of Non-Self-Governing Territories, arguing that the establishment of the Commonwealth in 1952 constituted an act of self-determination. However, the UN Special Committee on Decolonization (Committee of 24) has repeatedly called on the United States to allow Puerto Rico to exercise genuine self-determination. Since 1972, the Committee has passed dozens of resolutions reaffirming Puerto Rico's right to self-determination and independence.

The United States' position — that Puerto Rico already exercised self-determination in 1952 — was effectively contradicted by the Supreme Court in Puerto Rico v. Sánchez Valle (2016), which confirmed that Puerto Rico's sovereignty derives from Congress, not from the people of Puerto Rico.