The US State Department says a United Nations committtee has no authority to alter the relationship between the United States and American Samoa.
The State Department was responding to Congressman Faleomavaega Eni's request for official clarification of US policy regarding American Samoa's status before the United Nations Special Committee of Twenty-four (C-24), also known as the Decolonization Committee.
The Assistant Secretary of State for Legislative Affairs, Jeffrey T. Bergner, has informed Faleomavaega that the US position is that questions relating to the status of American Samoa and the other U.S. Insular Territories are internal issues.
Mr Bergner said the committee has no authority to alter in any way the relationship between the US and American Samoa and no mandate to engage the U.S. in negotiations on the status of the territory.
