The unification (or re-unification) of Samoa (or Western Samoa), an independent state, and American Samoa, a US territory, both parts of the Samoan Islands which share ethnicity and culture, has been raised since the first half of the 20th century, following division of the territories by the Great powers (see Tripartite Convention). In 1919, Western Samoa desired to unite with American Samoa, as already stated in Paris.[1] However it was instead incorporated as the Western Samoa Trust Territory under British administration from 1920–1946 and New Zealand administration from then until 1962. The Inter-Samoan Consultative Committee was established in 1955, to promote cooperation between the two.[2] Richard Barrett Lowe, governor of American Samoa (1953–56), stated that it was decided that reunification with Western Samoa was not to be discussed at the Committee.[3] In 1969, a political commission in American Samoa rejected the unification with independent Samoa.[4]