The world’s largest international organization, the United Nations (UN), has 193 members. These members all recognize each other as independent countries with a seat at the international table. Yet, if one were to look at the number of members in 1950, there were only 60. In a span of seventy years, 133 new members (places recognized as independent countries) were added to the UN. What accounts for this significant increase?

Part of the answer lies in the process of political decolonization, where places once held as colonies largely became independent countries of their own. Some colonies achieved decolonization through violence, while others experienced peaceful transitions of power. For example, in 1962, Samoa, a former colony of New Zealand, became the first in the Pacific to gain independence, ultimately joining the United Nations in 1976.

In this module, we will learn what political decolonization, self-determination, and sovereignty are and how they are important to Pacific Islanders. We will also learn about some obstacles to self-determination, and ultimately get a better understanding of how Pacific Islanders are using political processes to achieve political decolonization.