C24 supports Argentina Falklands claim; Taiana blasts UK unilateral actions
Recovering full sovereignty over the Malvinas Islands is state policy and the strong desire of the Argentine people, said Foreign Affairs minister Jorge Taiana on Thursday addressing the United Nations Decolonization Special Committee, C24, in New York.
Later in the afternoon Taiana met with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and reiterated Argentina’s predisposition to resume sovereignty talks over the disputed territories with the United Kingdom.
As usual the presentations by Argentine officials and petitioners and Falkland Islands elected representatives ended with a consensus statement from C24 in support of Argentina’s claims and calls for a resumption of negotiations with the UK to find a peaceful solution to the dispute.
The initiative was sponsored by five Latinamerican countries, Bolivia, Cuba, Chile, Ecuador and Venezuela and presented by Chile.
Taiana enumerated both before C24 and Ban Ki-moon what he described as “unilateral” UK actions referred to hydrocarbons and fisheries.
According to a release from the Argentine ministry, Ban Ki-moon said the would continue with his good offices mission so that UN General Assembly resolutions and Thursday’s ratification by C24 are complied and both sides sit at a negotiation table to address the issue of sovereignty over the Malvinas, South Georgia, South Sandwich islands and adjoining maritime spaces.
Taiana pointed out to the UN Secretary General that Thursday’s C24 consensus resolution on the Malvinas question “clearly strengthens the Argentine position and the United Nations call for the United Kingdom to begin negotiations with our country”.
The Argentine official thanked Ban Ki-moon for his efforts and renewed the request for him to continue with the diplomatic mission (convincing the UK), which remains standing, as was recommended by the UN General Assembly.
“The United Kingdom has been involved in numerous unilateral actions in the disputed zone, which Argentina does not admit, has protested and will continue to protest. Those unilateral actions referred to hydrocarbons, flights, fisheries blur bilateral cooperation agreed under the sovereignty formula, and are contrary not only to bilateral understandings but also to the pertinent UN resolutions”, added Taiana.
He said the Malvinas question is a clear example of “anachronic colonialism” which must be solved as indicated by the multiple UN, OAS and other multilateral and regional forum resolutions.
Furthermore the “presence of a powerful military base implanted by the United Kingdom in the Islands, in no way contributes to the necessary bilateral military confidence building and constitutes a disturbing element for the maintenance of peace and security in the South Atlantic, an effort to which are committed all countries from the Southern Cone”.
Taiana addressed the Decolonization Committee following the speeches of the two Falkland Islands elected representatives, Richard Stevens and Janet Robertson.
Two petitioners from the Argentine side also addressed the committee. Dolores Reynolds a descendent from Anglican reverend Thomas Birdges claimed the British strategy back in 1833 was to displace the Argentine population and bring in immigrants from the UK to ensure the colonial empire.
“The Argentine population was expulsed, eradicated so that they could not establish in the Islands, a policy that subsists to our days”.
She said that the objectives of the Anglican mission to which her grandfather belonged did not coincide with the English plans to occupy the Malvinas, “they wanted to cut all links with mainland Argentina and prepare a parody of self determination for the transplanted population”.
The other petitioner was Marcelo Luis Vernet a direct descendent from the first Argentine nominated military and political commander in Malvinas.
“We can’t think of our motherland without Malvinas. We can’t think as a people without being the People of Malvinas”, he underlined.
11 comments
Note: Comments do not reflect MercoPress’ opinions. They are the personal view of our users. We wish to keep this as open and unregulated as possible. However, rude or foul language, discriminative comments (based on ethnicity, religion, gender, nationality, sexual orientation or the sort), spamming or any other offensive or inappropriate behaviour will not be tolerated. Please report any inadequate posts to the editor. Comments must be in English. Thank you.
The call is as before to negotiate a peaceful solution to the sovereignty dispute not to negotiate a sovereignty handover to Argentina.
The C24 has no powers whatsoever to change the original wording of Resolution 2065 (XX) which says:-
"Invites the Governments of Argentina and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to proceed without delay with the negotiations recommended by the Special Committee on the Situation with regard to the Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples with a view to finding a peaceful solution to the problem, bearing in mind the provisions and objectives of the Charter of the United Nations and of General Assembly resolution 1514 (XV) and the interests of the population of the Falkland Islands (Malvinas); "
Whilst Argentina's tame friends at the UN may support a handover, the C24 is only in a position to reiterate the original demand of 2065 (XX).
And Argentina has no interest in negotiation, it demands the outcome of talks before they even start.
When I say take possesion of them I mean recover them in a pacific way, and malvinas won't be a colony, it will be part of a province. You are having bad propaganda from the UK, you don't know what is like to be here. I'm sure you will have more chances to access to a better future being part of us, than the one that you are dreaming right now. In my case let me tell you that I work for the National Weather Service of Argentina and I'm studying to be a meteorologist, and I'm proud to be Argentine despite all the problems we have, me and everyone here are offering the people from Malvinas to be part of that, instead of struggling against the impossible. Hope you understand that you are absolutely isolated from South America, every single country supports our claim (still I don't see why is weak), we just want you to be part of South America, you are the ones that wants to be part of a continent that is far away, you are the ones that are getting isolated more and more.
Argentina has caused a bad impresion around the world but let me tell you one more thing, the ones that want to evolve and have a better life with a dream as an aim, allways triumph. Think about it, it is not my intention to change your situation (because it seems impossible), but it is to change the bad impression you have about us.
Let's not be hipocrits Malvinas needs to be governed by Argentina, because you are not self-dependent, and the way I see it it is not very convenient to be administered by the UK, you'll see it in a long term period.
Also several S American countires certainly do acccept the legality of our own Government and deal openly with the Islands. Yes in the UN they all back Argentina - and we understand that they need to for bigger economic reasons than our small place.
Sorry, to be incorporated into an Argentine province against our wishes - that is just the same as if UK had refused independence to say Guyana against the peoples wishes - it would be good old Colonialism!
Commenting for this story is now closed.
If you have a Facebook account, become a fan and comment on our Facebook Page!