MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
UN C24 calls for negotiations over Falkland Islands sovereignty between Argentina, UK yet again
Falklands MLA Mike Summers OBE and Ian Hansen MLA shake hands with Argentine Foreign Minister Jorge Faurie (Pic Adriana Groisman Clarin) President Mauricio Macri's administration Friday renewed Argentina's case before the United Nations' Decolonization Committee in New York to bring the United Kingdom to discuss sovereignty over the Falkland, South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands and their surrounding maritime spaces.
It was Foreign Minister Jorge Faurie's first time as head of the Argentine delegation since taking office from Susana Malcorra on June 12.
Although a ritualistic yearly event where Faurie pleaded, as usual, to settle the dispute in a negotiation with the United Kingdom, Friday's presentation came within a context of rapprochement between Buenos Aires and London, which led to the signing of the joint statement late in 2016, whereby the current International Committee of the Red Cross' mission to identify the bodies of Argentine soldiers buried 123 graves at the Darwin cemetery was made possible.
It was a first for Faurie and a last appearance for Falkland Islands MLA Mike Summers, who is to retire by the end of the year. He insisted that the islands were not a colony of the United Kingdom but a successful and self-sufficient economy and that the islanders had a right to “self-determination.”
Summers said there had been “very welcome progress” and that, among other issues, the return of commercial flights between the islands and the mainland had begun, but after that first progress, everything was now frozen. He also accused Argentina of exercising “economic colonialism” with sanctions to undermine the islanders' economy and pressure them.
“Argentina has failed to honour the agreements in force,” Summers said before the UN C24.
Faurie explained that his Government is convinced that the relationship with the United Kingdom “must be recovered” and that a “broad agenda” with London is needed. He also underlined that “we firmly believe in the value of sitting at the table to discuss any topic.”
He added that “the Argentine Republic is determined to respect and defend the way of life of those living in the Malvinas - it is a commitment by all democratic governments.” He then pointed out that the resolution of the dispute should take into account as an indispensable requirement the “interests of the population of the islands”.
As is the case each year, the Committee unanimously adopted a resolution reiterating the call for a “peaceful and negotiated solution to the dispute over sovereignty” between Argentina and the United Kingdom. The resolution was presented by Bolivia, Chile, Cuba, Ecuador, Nicaragua and Venezuela. (Source La Nacion)
- Address to the UN 24 by Hon. Ian Hansen MLA of the Falkland Islands
- Address to the Special Committee on Descolonisation by Hon Mike Summers OBE, Member of the Legislative Assembly of hte Falkland Islands - 23rd June 2017
Top Comments
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Read all commentsThe C24 once again shows its irrelevance by issuing a proclamation which is outside it's remit.
Jun 24th, 2017 - 06:54 am +11The mission of the C24 is to assist NSGT's to INDEPENDENCE or to another situation that the PEOPLE of those territories want. It is NOT the mission of the C24 to interfere or to hand any territory over to a power that the PEOPLE of those territories don't want.
C24 = irrelevant.
Argentina's insistence at once again crawling to this no nothing, no power committee shows that:
a. Argentina is desperate
b. Argentina has NO sovereignty case...otherwise Argentina would be going to the International Courts of Justice...the ONLY ones who could order a change of sovereignty.
And all those Argentine trolls will now be getting a 'hard on' because some powerless nobodies have once again gone outside their remit to support Argentina's illegal and spurious claims against the Falkland Islanders.
And no ONE of the recommendations (because that's all the C24 can make...they can't make resolutions) have EVER passed the 4th Committee, let alone come anywhere near the UN General Assembly.
And the Argentine trolls actually think that something has been achieved!
Well it has...the Argentine government has placated these idiots for yet another year...and they're still no closer to sovereignty of the islands than they were in 1965.
All that effort and Argentine taxpayers money spent to produce NOTHING yet again. You all must be really proud.
Just Mary appears to know as little as the other Mary. Britain's titles to the Falkland pre-date Argentina's very existence. There was a dispute between Spain and Britain but that was resolved in Britain's favour in 1833. Spain did not pursue the matter after that.
Jun 25th, 2017 - 05:25 am +11Argentina had no involvement in that, inherited no rights, and Uti Possidetis Juris is quite irrelevant - merely being an agreement between South American states as to their borders.
What the region accepts or rejects is also totally meaningless.
At the UN the C24 has listened for 2017; but undoubtedly not heard. If this year goes as previous years, the C24 will eventually put together a report in which they DO NOT recommend their Falklands resolution for adoption and the matter will be dropped at the Fourth Committee hearing in Oct/Nov.
Same old pantomime.
Voice, the problem with your correct summation is that 'self determination' is not limited to the narrowly defined choices of the decolonisation committee.
Jun 27th, 2017 - 10:46 am +11I guess those that initially produced the 'decolonisation' framework, never for one moment considered that a former colony would chose to keep the 'status quo' and not go it alone or integrate.
It also shows a lack of willing on behalf of the C24 to move forward and accept the rights of the NSGT's to have complete freedom to choose their own path for the future. By ignoring the Islanders, the C24 become less and less effective and ultimately an impotent committee who serve no purpose. They are assuring their own self destruction.
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