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A trust territory is a non-self-governing territory placed under the administration of a designated authority by the United Nations' Trusteeship Council. This system, established after World War II, aimed to supervise these territories and guide them toward self-government or independence.12

The Trusteeship Council, one of the principal organs of the UN, was responsible for this supervision. The system was inspired by the mandate system of the League of Nations, with the goal of preventing annexation of territories from defeated nations and ensuring their administration under international oversight until their future status was determined.2

The Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, administered by the United States from 1947 to 1986, is an example of such a territory. With the independence of Palau in 1994, the Trusteeship Council suspended its operations, as all trust territories had either achieved self-government or independence.32

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