Trust territory refers to an area administered by a country under the supervision of the United Nations (UN) Trusteeship Council. The administering country has complete authority over the government of a trust territory. It administers the territory under an agreement with the UN according to principles set down in the UN Charter.
Eleven trust territories were established after World War II ended in 1945. They included the former Italian colony of Somaliland and 10 of the 11 former mandates of the League of Nations (see Mandated territory ).
Of the 11 trust territories, all of them except for the U.S.-administered Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands became independent or voted to become a part of an independent nation between the mid-1950’s and the mid-1970’s. In 1986, all of the units of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands except the Palau Islands gained self-government. The Palau Islands became self-governing in 1994. See Pacific Islands, Trust Territory of the .
