MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Falklands claims C24 is unresponsive to some non self governing territories, and has a colonialist attitude

MLA Summers recalled that despite inviting the Special Committee for a mission to tour the Falkland Islands, “it had not even responded”.

The Falkland Islands said that the reason why some Non Self Governing Territories were unresponsive to the Special Committee on Decolonization, or C24, was that the issues proposed were not attractive, and to be effective it must engage with these territories in a more effective manner, and with a much less colonialist attitude.

 Mike Summers, elected Member of the Falklands' Legislative Assembly recently attended a C24 sponsored regional seminar under the heading of “Implementation of the Third International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism: the future for decolonization in the Non-Self-Governing Territories: what are the prospects?”, which took place at Saint Vincent and the Grenadines in the Caribbean.

The Caribbean regional seminar on decolonization was chaired by Rafael Dario Ramirez Carreño from Venezuela, who since December 2014 is the Chavista regime ambassador at the UN, after holding important government jobs in Caracas. St Vincent and the Grenadines is one of four countries that the regime of President Nicolas Maduro proposed as mediators for the current political situation in Venezuela. The others are Nicaragua, Dominican Republic and Uruguay.

MLA Summers supported his statement on C24 'non attractive or relevant issues' recalling that despite inviting the Special Committee for a mission to tour the Falkland Islands, as it had accepted and visited Argentina, ”it had not even responded“.

”The Government of the United Kingdom had not objected, (to the visit), but the Government of Argentina had“, underlined MLA Summers, adding that ”the Special Committee had more of a colonial attitude than it cared to admit“.

The Falklands lawmaker suggested that the C24 to be successful, ”it must engage with the Non Self Governing Territories in a more effective manner“.

However despite the Falklands position, the Caribbean Regional Seminar on Decolonization at the conclusion of the event, said that it had produced innovative ideas on a broad range of issues with a view to advancing progress towards self-determination for the remaining Non-Self-Governing Territories.

”Fruitful discussions held during this year’s Seminar included a number of concrete proposals for implementation,” Special Committee Chair Rafael Dario Ramirez Carreño, said in a statement delivered by Douglas Arcia Vivas.

“Those proposals touched upon various aspects of the work of the Committee, such as visiting missions, dissemination of information, political education programs, implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and the role of United Nations specialized agencies and funds and programs.”

Nedra Miguel speaking for the host country, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, described decolonization and colonialism as uncompleted journeys. “You have made significant steps forward,” she added. Emphasizing the Seminar’s importance, she said that its discussions had, among other things, identified elements that had delayed the decolonization process, and that a negotiated path to decolonization, was the preferred way.

The regional seminar is in anticipation of the C24 substantive session to be held in New York next June.

Discussions centered on the 17 Non-Self-Governing Territories on the Special Committee’s list: American Samoa, Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands (Malvinas)*, French Polynesia, Gibraltar, Guam, Montserrat, New Caledonia, Pitcairn, Saint Helena, Tokelau, Turks and Caicos Islands, United States Virgin Islands and Western Sahara.