MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

G77 + China reaffirms support for Argentina over Falklands sovereignty and natural resources

Beyond the Falklands issue, the G77 + China declaration also addressed global economic challenges

The Group of 77 + China has reiterated its “strong support” for Argentina’s sovereignty claims over the Falkland Islands and surrounding maritime areas, urging Buenos Aires and London to resume negotiations to find a peaceful resolution to the long-standing dispute.

In a Ministerial Declaration adopted during its 44th Annual Meeting, held virtually on November 12, the bloc of 134 developing nations reaffirmed “the need for Argentina and the United Kingdom to resume negotiations to reach, as soon as possible, a peaceful solution to the sovereignty dispute,” in accordance with the principles of the UN Charter and General Assembly resolutions.

The ministers also emphasized the principle of territorial integrity established by Resolution 1514 (XV) and recognized “the right of Argentina to undertake legal action against unauthorized hydrocarbon exploration and exploitation activities” in the disputed area. They further urged both parties to refrain from unilateral actions that could alter the situation while the islands remain under the process recommended by the UN.

Argentina’s Foreign Secretary, Pablo Tettamanti, thanked the G77 + China for its “continued support” and reaffirmed that “the recovery of full sovereignty over the Falkland Islands, South Georgia, South Sandwich Islands and surrounding maritime areas remains a permanent and unrenounceable mandate for Argentina.”

Daniel Filmus, Argentina’s Secretary for Malvinas, Antarctica, and the South Atlantic, highlighted that “it is of great importance that the G77 + China not only reaffirmed its support for Argentina’s claim over the Malvinas but also referred specifically to unilateral resource exploration activities and the ongoing British military presence in the South Atlantic, which violate United Nations resolutions.”

This year marks both the 55th anniversary of the UN General Assembly’s Resolution 2065 —the first to recognize the sovereignty dispute— and the 200th anniversary of Argentina’s first flag-raising ceremony on the Falklands.

Beyond the Falklands issue, the G77 + China declaration also addressed global economic challenges, including the effects of the pandemic, debt sustainability, and capital outflows. Tettamanti called for “a systemic change in global economic priorities” and the creation of “a fairer and more equitable international system,” stressing that “a sovereign debt restructuring mechanism is a global public good — one the world currently lacks.”