48 U.S.C. § 1801 - Approval of Covenant to Establish a Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands

• Cite as: 48 U.S.C. § 1801

The Covenant to Establish a Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands in Political Union with the United States of America, the text of which is as follows, is hereby approved.

Cite as 48 U.S.C. § 1801

Source: Pub. L. 94-241, §1, Mar. 24, 1976, 90 Stat. 263.

Notes from the Office of Law Revision Counsel

current through 5/13/2021

REFERENCES IN TEXT

The Covenant to Establish a Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands in Political Union with the United States of America, referred to in text, which was contained in this section ( section 1 of Pub. L. 94-241), is set out as a note below.

CODIFICATION

Section was formerly set out as a note under section 1681 of this title.

SHORT TITLE OF 2019 AMENDMENT

Pub. L. 116-94, div. P, title IX, §901, Dec. 20, 2019, 133 Stat. 3197, provided that: "This title [amending section 1806 of this title] may be cited as the 'Disaster Recovery Workforce Act'."

Pub. L. 116-24, §1, June 25, 2019, 133 Stat. 977, provided that: "This Act [amending section 1806 of this title] may be cited as the 'Northern Mariana Islands Long-Term Legal Residents Relief Act'."

SHORT TITLE OF 2018 AMENDMENT

Pub. L. 115-218, §1, July 24, 2018, 132 Stat. 1547, provided that: "This Act [amending section 1806 of this title and enacting provisions set out as notes under sections 1806 and 1807 of this title] may be cited as the 'Northern Mariana Islands U.S. Workforce Act of 2018'."

SHORT TITLE OF 2017 AMENDMENT

Pub. L. 115-53, §1, Aug. 22, 2017, 131 Stat. 1091, provided that: "This Act [amending section 1806 of this title] may be cited as the 'Northern Mariana Islands Economic Expansion Act'."

TERMINATION OF TRUST TERRITORY OF THE PACIFIC ISLANDS

For termination of Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, see note set out preceding section 1681 of this title.

APPLICABILITY OF REQUIREMENT OF UNITED STATES CITIZENSHIP OR NATIONALITY AS PREREQUISITE OF ANY BENEFIT, RIGHT, ETC., TO CITIZENS OF NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS

Pub. L. 98-213, §§17-25, Dec. 8, 1983, 97 Stat. 1463-1466, exempted citizens of Northern Mariana Islands from laws prohibiting United States Government from compensating or employing noncitizens and from requirement of United States citizenship in certain Federal laws providing Federal services or financial assistance to Northern Mariana Islands, authorized President to issue proclamations exempting citizens of Northern Mariana Islands from United States citizenship or nationality requirements of certain statutes, provided that if President failed to timely issue a proclamation, the requirement of United States citizenship or nationality as a prerequisite of any benefit, right, privilege, or immunity in any statute made applicable to the Northern Mariana Islands would not apply to citizens of the Northern Mariana Islands, provided that Pub. L. 98-213 did not extend to Northern Mariana Islands any statutory provision or regulation, particularly statutes relating to immigration and nationality, not otherwise applicable to or within Northern Mariana Islands, provided for termination of President's authority to issue proclamations upon establishment of Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, defined terms, and provided for merger of benefits acquired under Pub. L. 98-213 into those acquired by virtue of United States citizenship unless recipient exercised his privilege to become a national but not a citizen of United States.

AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR TRANSITION OF MARIANA ISLANDS DISTRICT TO COMMONWEALTH STATUS

Pub. L. 94-27, §2, May 28, 1975, 89 Stat. 95, authorized appropriation of $1,500,000 to aid in transition of Mariana Islands District to a new Commonwealth status as a territory of United States and provided that no part could be obligated or expended until Congress approved final agreement between Marianas Political Status Commission and United States.

RECITAL CLAUSES

Pub. L. 94-241 which enacted this subchapter contained several "Whereas" clauses reading as follows:

"Whereas the United States is the administering authority of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands under the terms of the trusteeship agreement for the former Japanese-mandated islands entered into by the United States with the Security Council of the United Nations on April 2, 1947, and approved by the United States on July 18, 1947; and

"Whereas the United States, in accordance with the trusteeship agreement and the Charter of the United Nations, has assumed the obligation to promote the development of the peoples of the trust territory toward self-government or independence as may be appropriate to the particular circumstances of the trust territory and its peoples and the freely expressed wishes of the peoples concerned; and

"Whereas the United States, in response to the desires of the people of the Northern Mariana Islands clearly expressed over the past twenty years through public petition and referendum, and in response to its own obligations under the trusteeship agreement to promote self-determination, entered into political status negotiations with representatives of the people of the Northern Mariana Islands; and

"Whereas, on February 15, 1975, a 'Covenant to Establish A Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands in Political Union with the United States of America' [set out below] was signed by the Marianas Political Status Commission for the people of the Northern Mariana Islands and by the President's Personal Representative, Ambassador F. Haydn Williams for the United States of America, following which the covenant was approved by the unanimous vote of the Mariana Islands District Legislature on February 20, 1975 and by 78.8 per centum of the people of the Northern Mariana Islands voting in a plebiscite held on June 17, 1975".

TEXT OF COVENANT

Pub. L. 94-241, §1, Mar. 24, 1976, 90 Stat. 263, as amended by Pub. L. 98-213, §9, Dec. 8, 1983, 97 Stat. 1461; Pub. L. 104-208, div. A, title I, §101(d) [title I], Sept. 30, 1996, 110 Stat. 3009-181, 3009-196; Pub. L. 110-229, title VII, §702(g)(1), May 8, 2008, 122 Stat. 864, contained the Covenant to Establish a Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands in Political Union with the United States of America as follows:

"COVENANT TO ESTABLISH A COMMONWEALTH OF THE NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS IN POLITICAL UNION WITH THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

"Whereas, the Charter of the United Nations and the Trusteeship Agreement between the Security Council of the United Nations and the United States of America guarantee to the people of the Northern Mariana Islands the right freely to express their wishes for self-government or independence; and

"Whereas, the United States supports the desire of the people of the Northern Mariana Islands to exercise their inalienable right of self-determination; and

"Whereas, the people of the Northern Mariana Islands and the people of the United States share the goals and values found in the American system of government based upon the principles of government by the consent of the governed, individual freedom and democracy; and

"Whereas, for over twenty years, the people of the Northern Mariana Islands, through public petition and referendum, have clearly expressed their desire for political union with the United States;

"Now, therefore, the Marianas Political Status Commission, being the duly appointed representative of the people of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the Personal Representative of the President of the United States have entered into this Covenant in order to establish a self-governing commonwealth for the Northern Mariana Islands within the American political system and to define the future relationship between the Northern Mariana Islands and the United States. This Covenant will be mutually binding when it is approved by the United States, by the Mariana Islands District Legislature and by the people of the Northern Mariana Islands in a plebiscite, constituting on their part a sovereign act of self-determination.

"ARTICLE I

"POLITICAL RELATIONSHIP

"SECTION 101. The Northern Mariana Islands upon termination of the Trusteeship Agreement will become a self-governing commonwealth to be known as the 'Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands', in political union with and under the sovereignty of the United States of America.

"SECTION 102. The relations between the Northern Mariana Islands and the United States will be governed by this Covenant which, together with those provisions of the Constitution, treaties and laws of the United States applicable to the Northern Mariana Islands, will be the supreme law of the Northern Mariana Islands.

"SECTION 103. The people of the Northern Mariana Islands will have the right of local self-government and will govern themselves with respect to internal affairs in accordance with a Constitution of their own adoption.

"SECTION 104. The United States will have complete responsibility for and authority with respect to matters relating to foreign affairs and defense affecting the Northern Mariana Islands.

"SECTION 105. The United States may enact legislation in accordance with its constitutional processes which will be applicable to the Northern Mariana Islands, but if such legislation cannot also be made applicable to the several States the Northern Mariana Islands must be specifically named therein for it to become effective in the Northern Mariana Islands. In order to respect the right of self-government guaranteed by this Covenant the United States agrees to limit the exercise of that authority so that the fundamental provisions of this Covenant, namely Articles I, II and III and Sections 501 and 805, may be modified only with the consent of the Government of the United States and the Government of the Northern Mariana Islands.

"ARTICLE II

"CONSTITUTION OF THE NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS

"SECTION 201. The people of the Northern Mariana Islands will formulate and approve a Constitution and may amend their Constitution pursuant to the procedures provided therein.