New York City, New York - On October 6, 2021, Lieutenant Governor Josh Tenorio and Commission on Decolonization Executive Director Melvin Won Pat-Borja delivered in-person testimony on behalf of Governor Lourdes Leon Guerrero and the people of Guam during the regular session of the United Nations (UN) Special Political and Decolonization (Fourth) Committee, which fulfills the UN’s commitment to peacekeeping and decolonization.
During his testimony, Lt. Governor Tenorio highlighted policy inequities relative to the military buildup and housing located on and off military bases in Guam stating, “The local skilled labor force on Guam cannot meet the demands of the economic expansion resulting from domestic, commercial, and military activities. Yet the administering Power will only authorize foreign labor to support military projects, resulting in a nearly two-fold increase in the cost of construction and the people of Guam being priced out of home ownership and shutout from a residential rental market dominated by military housing rentals and rental subsidies for only a certain segment of the population.”
Lt. Governor Tenorio and Executive Director Won Pat-Borja urged the Committee to continue seeking authorization from the United States for a UN visiting mission.
Lt. Governor Tenorio urged the UN “to assess the progress of our sustainable development efforts consistent with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the impact that our decolonization has on our ability to fully implement these policies.”
Executive Director Won Pat-Borja stated, “The United States has not fulfilled its international and moral obligation, and for that reason we have consistently advocated for a UN visiting mission to Guam. I request that the Fourth Committee continue to engage our administering Power until a visiting mission is granted.”
The Leon Guerrero-Tenorio administration remains committed to Self-determination and decolonization efforts in line with increasing equity for the people of Guam.
To view the testimony, visit https://media.un.org/en/asset/k14/k14ypsj5gq.