MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

PM May to meet Rajoy in Madrid; self determination debate at UN decolonization committee

Spanish media speculated that Gibraltar will figure on the agenda for discussion, although this has not been confirmed by either the UK or Spanish governments.

Prime Minister Theresa May will meet Spain’s caretaker Prime Minister, Mariano Rajoy, in Madrid on Thursday for talks on a range of issues including Brexit. The visit to Spain is part of a string of meetings in European capitals as Mrs May appeals for a fair “divorce deal” from Brussels for the UK.

 Spanish media speculated that Gibraltar will figure on the agenda for discussion, although this has not been confirmed by either the UK or Spanish governments.

If Gibraltar does come up, Mrs May will almost certainly reflect the British position set out at the United National last week.

Britain told the UN Fourth Committee there would be no change or discussion on sovereignty against the wishes of the Gibraltarians, and that Gibraltar will be fully involved in the UK’s withdrawal from the EU.

However Gibraltar was raised during a debate on the Falkland Islands at the UN Fourth Committee, with at least two countries voicing support for Spain’s co-sovereignty proposal even as the UK once again underlined its double-lock commitment to the Rock.

Several South American countries voiced support for Argentina’s sovereignty claim over the Falkland Islands, something that happens every year. But in a break from the norm, two countries also raised Gibraltar during their submissions to the committee.

Horacio Sevilla Borja, Ecuador’s permanent representative at the UN, reflected on the joint sovereignty proposal presented by Spain at the UN last week and said it had his government’s support.

Addressing the committee, he added that Spanish formula could “…put an end to the last colonial situation in Europe.”

The issue arose again on Monday during a submission by Zoran Vujic, Serbia’s permanent representative at the UN.

Vujc said Gibraltar was registered as a Non-Self-Governing Territory and was therefore subject to decolonization. General Assembly resolution 2070 (XX) indicated that the question of Gibraltar should be resolved through bilateral negotiations, and only the United Nations could decide when a particular decolonization process was complete, he emphasized.

“The process could only conclude through dialogue between States, because that was the only way to reach a sustainable and lasting agreement, he said, adding that Serbia supported Spain’s proposal, believing it would benefit all parties”

UK's Stephen Hickey said his Government’s relationship with its Overseas Territories was a modern one based on partnership, shared values and the right of their peoples to choose whether to remain British.

“Where the people of a Territory chose to remain British, the United Kingdom would maintain and deepen its special relationship with that Territory”, he said, adding that in such cases, both parties recognized that the relationship brought mutual benefits and responsibilities. Noting that the 2012 White Paper on Overseas Territories published by the Government of the United Kingdom Government made clear the country’s fundamental objective to ensure the security and good governance of the Territories and their peoples, he said that responsibility flowed from international law, including the Charter of the United Nations.

At the same time, the United Kingdom expected territorial governments to meet the same high standards as the Government of the United Kingdom in maintaining the rule of law and respect for human rights, while delivering efficient public services and building strong communities.

The representative of Argentina, speaking in exercise of the right of reply, recalled that the Falklands/Malvinas, South Georgia Islands and South Sandwich Islands as well as the surrounding maritime areas were an integral part of his country’s territory.

“The United Kingdom’s illegal occupation had led the General Assembly to adopt a number of related resolutions and was the subject of discussions calling upon the two parties to find a solution to the dispute”.

Emphasizing the Government of Argentina’s rejection of any reference to the White Paper and any unilateral action by the United Kingdom, he also reiterated that the principle of self-determination was entirely inapplicable to the question of the Falklands/Malvinas, which was a special and particular case of sovereignty.