A solution for the Third International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism : a 'fourth' option to obviate the need for a fourth decade?

Despite concerted efforts by the international community over almost six decades to bring an end to the era of colonialism, 17 territories remain on the United Nations (UN) list of non-self-governing territories. In 2011 the UN declared 2011-2020 the Third International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism, but few of the non-self-governing territories appear to be getting much closer to completing the decolonisation process. For some of the territories this is in large part due to territorial disputes. However, for other territories the stalemate may be due to the fact that the UN currently accepts only the three methods of decolonisation prescribed in UN General Assembly (UNGA) Resolution 15415 as proof that a territory has become self-governing for the purposes of removing it from the list.