Editing Guam (section)

===Political status===
[[File:James Moylan official photo.jpg|thumb|upright|[[James Moylan]] is the [[Delegate (United States Congress)|Delegate]] for [[Guam's at-large congressional district]].]]
In the 1980s and early 1990s, there was a significant movement in favor of this U.S. territory becoming a [[commonwealth (United States insular area)|commonwealth]], which would give it a level of self-government similar to [[Puerto Rico]] and the [[Northern Mariana Islands]].<ref name="Americans, Almost and Forgotten"/> In a 1982 [[Referendum|plebiscite]], voters indicated interest in seeking commonwealth status.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.un.org/en/decolonization/pdf/crp_2012_guam.pdf|title=Statement of the Non-Self Governing Territory of Guam to the Pacific Regional Seminar on the implementation of the third decade for the eradication of colonialism: current realities and prospects in Quito, Ecuador|last=Natividad|first=Lisalinda|date=May 30, 2012|work=United Nations|access-date=February 21, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190412031009/https://www.un.org/en/decolonization/pdf/crp_2012_guam.pdf|archive-date=April 12, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> However, the federal government rejected the version of a commonwealth that the government of Guam proposed, because its clauses were incompatible with the [[Territorial Clause]] (Art. IV, Sec. 3, cl. 2) of the [[U.S. Constitution]].{{citation needed|date=August 2023}}{{when|date=August 2023}} Other movements advocate U.S. statehood for Guam, union with the state of Hawaii, or union with the Northern Mariana Islands as a single territory, or independence.<ref name="Guampedia-2016">{{cite web|url=http://www.guampedia.com/commission-on-decolonization|title=Commission on Decolonization 2014|author=<!--Not stated-->|date=December 3, 2016|website=Guampedia|access-date=February 27, 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170228163623/http://www.guampedia.com/commission-on-decolonization/|archive-date=February 28, 2017}}</ref>

The first Guam Constitutional Convention was funded by the 10th Guam Legislature and met from June 1, 1969, through June 29, 1970, with 43 elected delegates. The second Guam Constitutional Convention was convened on July 1, 1977, to create a constitution for Guam that would redefine the island's relationship with the US rather than merely modifying the existing relationship. The convention met periodically through October 31, 1977. Although approved at the federal level, the people of Guam overwhelmingly rejected the Constitution in a referendum held in August 1979, with 82% opposed. No new convention has been held pursuant to US congressional authority since 1979.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.guampedia.com/guam-constitutional-conventions-concon/|title=Guam Constitutional Conventions (ConCon) - Guampedia|date=August 27, 2013|website=www.guampedia.com}}</ref>

A Commission on [[Decolonization]] was established in 1997 to educate the people of Guam about the various political status options in its relationship with the U.S.: statehood, free association, and independence. The island has been considering another non-binding plebiscite on decolonization since 1998. The group was dormant for some years. In 2013, the commission began seeking funding to start a public education campaign. There were few subsequent developments until late 2016. In early December 2016, the Commission scheduled a series of education sessions in various villages about the current status of Guam's relationship with the U.S. and the self-determination options that might be considered.<ref name="Raymundo">{{cite news |url=http://www.guampdn.com/story/news/2016/12/07/commission-launch-series-decolonization-meetings/95076830/ |title=Commission to launch series of decolonization meetings |last=Raymundo |first=Shawn |date=December 8, 2016 |newspaper=Pacific Daily News |access-date=February 27, 2017}}</ref> The commission's current executive director is Edward Alvarez and there are ten members. The group is expected to release position papers on independence and statehood but the contents have not yet been completed.<ref name="Guampedia-2016"/>

The [[United Nations]] is in favor of greater self-determination for Guam and other such territories. The UN's [[Special Committee on Decolonization]] has agreed to endorse the Governor's education plan. The commission's May 2016 report states: "With academics from the University of Guam, [the Commission] was working to create and approve educational materials. The Office of the Governor was collaborating closely with the Commission" in developing educational materials for the public.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.un.org/press/en/2016/gacol3290.doc.htm|title=Secretary-General Urges Concrete Action to Advance Decolonization Agenda as Pacific Regional Seminar Convenes|author=<!--Not stated-->|date=May 31, 2016|website=United Nations|access-date=February 27, 2017|quote="Let us seize this opportunity to identify concrete actions to advance the decolonization agenda," Mr. Ban said ... according to the United Nations Charter and relevant General Assembly resolutions, a full measure of self-government could be achieved through independence, integration or free association with another State. The choice should be the result of the freely expressed will and desire of the peoples of the Non-Self-Governing Territories.|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170228082817/http://www.un.org/press/en/2016/gacol3290.doc.htm|archive-date=February 28, 2017}}</ref>

The [[United States Department of the Interior]] approved a $300,000 grant for decolonization education, Edward Alvarez told the United Nations Pacific Regional Seminar in May 2016. "We are hopeful that this might indicate a shift in [United States] policy to its Non-Self-Governing Territories such as Guam, where they will be more willing to engage in discussions about our future and offer true support to help push us towards true self-governances and self-determination."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.un.org/press/en/2016/gacol3290.doc.htm|title=Secretary-General Urges Concrete Action to Advance Decolonization Agenda as Pacific Regional Seminar Convenes|author=<!--Not stated-->|date=May 31, 2016|website=United Nations|access-date=February 27, 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170228082817/http://www.un.org/press/en/2016/gacol3290.doc.htm|archive-date=February 28, 2017}}</ref>

On July 31, 2020, the [[Government of Guam]] joined the [[Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization]] (UNPO).<ref name=unpowelcomes5newmembers>{{Cite web |title=UNPO Welcomes 5 New Members! |work=unpo.org |date=August 3, 2020 |access-date=August 7, 2020 |url=https://unpo.org/article/22010 |archive-date=August 6, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200806201317/https://unpo.org/article/22010 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=guam>{{Cite web |title=Guam: Territory to be Inducted into UNPO |work=unpo.org |date=July 31, 2020 |access-date=August 7, 2020 |url=https://unpo.org/article/22015 |archive-date=August 9, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200809004427/https://unpo.org/article/22015 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Its [[51st state#Guam|future political status]] has been a matter of significant discussion, with public opinion polls indicating a strong preference of becoming a [[U.S. state|U.S state]].<ref name="KUAM-2016" /><ref name="Freymann-2020" />