Deputy Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom to the UN, Ambassador Kate Foster, delivered a statement at a meeting of the Special Political Committee on decolonization (Fourth Committee) of the UN General Assembly. In her remarks, she emphasized the United Kingdom's commitment to respecting and protecting the right of the population of British overseas territories to independently determine their political status and future. The representative of the British delegation noted that the government continues to maintain dialogue with residents of the overseas territories and takes their will into account when making decisions concerning the constitutional arrangement and status of these territories. The United Kingdom has a number of overseas territories around the world, including Gibraltar, the Falkland Islands, Bermuda and others, whose status is regularly raised in the context of UN decolonization efforts. The Fourth Committee of the General Assembly traditionally deals with issues related to decolonization, peacekeeping operations and UN information policy. Statements by member states in this committee often reflect their position on territorial disputes and the status of territories under their control, which the UN classifies as non-self-governing. Britain's position, as voiced by Ambassador Foster, generally corresponds to the country's traditional line, according to which any change in the status of overseas territories is possible only through the free expression of will by their population. This position is regularly confirmed at international forums in response to claims by other states regarding certain British territories.