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Second Class Treatment of Falkland Islanders by the UN Committee of 24

Address to the United Nations Committee on Decolonisation 
By Legislative Councillor Mike Summers of the Falkland Islands Government
2004

Introduction

It is a pleasure for me to address you once again today, to directly represent the people of the Falkland Islands in this debate. And I would like Mr Chairman to congratulate you on your appointment as chair of this important body, and to express the hope and trust that you and your colleagues will be looking for some real progress in this Committee during its Second Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism.  Real progress on behalf of and for the benefit of the Non-Self-Governing Territories.  In respect of the Falkland Islands progress is eminently possible, within the terms of reference of your Committee.

We were disappointed that once again we were not able to join the Seminar hosted by this Committee last month, because it coincided with the budget session of our Legislative Council. We would like to have joined in some of the discussion on self-determination and the development of internal self government for the peoples of all non-independent island states.

Colonialism

A few words about colonialism, on which subject the Secretary General of the UN, in his message to the Anguilla seminar last year, reminded us that "According to the United Nations Charter and the Declaration on Decolonization, a full measure of self-government can be achieved by a Non-Self-Governing territory, through free association, or integration with another state, or independence". He also observed that "Many of the territories have made considerable progress in their political, constitutional, economic and social development, and have gone a long way towards self-government." 

In his message to the seminar this year he hoped that the seminar would "…..help all concerned to prepare for the future, by devising strategies to support the political, economic and social advancement of the Non-Self-Governing Territories in their quest for self-determination."

Mr Chairman, may I also repeat some of the words I used here last year. My country is not a colony. We do not feel as though we are a colony, nor does the UK Government act towards us as though we were.

Because it recognises that the days of authoritarian colonial dominance and ownership are long past. In this modern age people are no longer chattels to be owned or passed on  between countries against their will; they are not just part of the assets that go with ownership or exchange of territory. It is fortunate for all of us that the notion of territory has become, at least in all civilised thinking, subsidiary to the welfare of people.

The world, led by the United Nations, should not tolerate those who still pursue territorial disputes, whilst manifestly, and all too often aggressively, ignoring the wishes of the people who inhabit, develop and care for the environment and communities in those territories.

Further echoing the words of the Secretary General, we in the Falklands have for many years been devising and implementing strategies for the political, economic and social development of our country, and strengthening internal self-government in our quest for self-determination.

Self Determination and Internal Self Government

For several decades the Falkland Islands Government has largely run its own affairs through democratically elected Government. We have a modern constitution, with full protection for the rights and freedoms of individuals, though there will be further amendments in due course, to ensure that we continue to have first rate and effective political institutions, a clearly independent judiciary, an efficient public service, and that the concept of internal self-government is defined and protected.

And we have an excellent working relationship with the United Kingdom through which our political advancement has been steady and progressive; this was further solidified by the publication of the Partnership for Progress and Prosperity between Britain and its Overseas Territories in 1999, which sets out the basis for our continuing advancement.

Only Foreign Affairs and Defence are taken care of on our behalf by the UK Government. These exceptions are to a large extent brought about and perpetuated, by the activities and actions of Argentina.

As my colleague has observed the war in the Falklands in 1982 heralded great change. Re-investment in infrastructure and the advent of new economic opportunities in deep sea fishing and tourism has brought new reserves of self belief and entrepreneurial spirit to the people. The trauma of violent invasion remains with some, and will do so for ever, but the benefits of economic self-sufficiency and prudent fiscal management are clear to see.

We live in a peaceful and well regulated community,  that is free of corruption and prejudice, and in which wealth is evenly distributed amongst the population. Contrary to some media reports we have no fabulous wealth, but more importantly we do not have any poverty, deprivation, or exploitation. Migrant workers, principally from St Helena and Chile , enjoy economic opportunity and benefit that is equal to that of the permanent population, and all our children live in a safe and caring society.

Mr Chairman, though we guard closely our right to run our own affairs through our elected representatives, within the spirit of the partnership between the United Kingdom and the Falkland Islands , there is no movement in the Falkland Islands for independence, nor for a change in political allegiance.

This is not because the Falklands people are in some way mentally deficient, or so brainwashed that they cannot see the benefit of association with some other territory or grouping. It is because the relationship with the UK is what is best and most appropriate for us.

Every member of the Legislative Council in this Government, and every Government before it, is elected on a mandate of continuing allegiance to and close co-operation with the UK and, consequently, the European Union. And every member is elected on a mandate of no concessions to Argentina on sovereignty, although members are committed to taking forward co-operation in agreed areas of mutual interest, in particular the protection of the region's environment and fish stocks.

This view is made manifest at every election through the freely expressed democratic rights of Falkland Islanders to choose their own political destiny. The right to self-determination.

Argentine Dimension

Compare and contrast this to the clearly expressed intentions of the Argentine Government. It declares that any "solution" to the Falklands "dispute" would respect the interests of the people of the Falkland Islands . Not the wishes, which concept enshrines the democratic principle, but the interests - interests determined no doubt by them from outside, and imposed from above. Indeed the Foreign Minister himself has publicly stated on more than one occasion that the views of the people of the Falkland Islands are "irrelevant". Not a very auspicious position in respect of this Committee; indeed such views directly challenge your very purpose, which is to uphold the rights and aspirations of the people of the Non-Self-Governing Territories such as us.

And Argentina actually actively seeks to frustrate self-government in the Falkland Islands . Fortunately it has had little success, but it still seeks to prevent Falkland Islanders representing themselves in international bodies and at trade fairs, protesting regularly to the UK Government, and to other host Governments and organisations, about our presence.

This is absolutely contrary to the notion of fostering internal self-government for the peoples of the world, which this Committee  quite rightly has as one of its key goals and responsibilities. To this extent the Argentine stance over the Falklands directly challenges the very purpose of this Committee.

So is it any wonder that Falkland Islanders are determined to maintain the right to self-determination provided for by the Charter of the UN and supported by you. Because the doctrine of interests determined from afar and imposed on the natives, is the doctrine of colonialism, a mantle that we threw off many years ago; and indeed, Honourable Members, so did many of your countries, supported by the right to self-determination. It is colonialism that you are appointed to eradicate, and I call upon all Honourable Members of this Committee to make sure that external authoritarian rule should never be re-imposed on any of us.

Because your stated purpose is the eradication of colonialism. Any person who would lend his support to a motion in this Committee that does not even mention, let alone uphold, the principle of self-determination, should surely question the quality and relevance of that motion, and whether it deserves any support. Surely anybody who could contemplate for a territory, the substitution of internal self-government and free democratic choice, for external control by another foreign power, must question the legitimacy of their being on this Committee.

Each and every one of you will know in his heart that permitting new  colonialism in furtherance of a territorial dispute just cannot be right. And whilst regional and national politics might dictate that you support the resolution before you, I call upon you to consider the implications for this Committee of adopting a resolution that does not even address the core concepts you are entrusted to defend for us - internal self-government and self determination.

Honourable Members you will hear the other side claim that the principle of self-determination does not apply to the Falkland Islands, because it is over-ridden by the principle of territorial integrity. But I would remind you that, in UN doctrine and therefore in this Committee, there is no such thing as decolonisation through the application of the principle of territorial integrity.  Such a notion cannot belong in this Committee, and I would respectfully suggest that you should reject it.

Even if it had any place, the notion of territorial integrity could only apply in circumstances very different to ours. We in the Falklands are geographically, geologically, culturally, linguistically and historically wholly different from the Argentines. We are 400 miles from the coast of Argentina. The notion of territorial integrity simply cannot apply in these circumstances.

Mr Chairman I do accept that a large number of Argentines do believe the myth that the Falklands once belonged to Argentina, but it is a sad reflection on that country's approach to education and free thinking that disputed events that occurred over 170 years ago, are still dredged up and taught as fact, when they are not, and used to hype up domestic populist political support for the "return of the Malvinas".

Mr Chairman self determination for the people of the Falkland Islands must be the guiding principle for the UK, for Argentina and for this Committee. It is no good the Argentines claiming, as they have and they will, that self-determination does not apply to the Falkland Islands because the Falkland Islanders are not a people. We are as much a people as those in Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil and Chile and many other South American countries whose inhabitants are of principally European or African descent.

There are many families living in the Falklands, including mine, that can count back six, seven or eight generations of life there - very significantly longer than many of those who now live in the southern cone, yet who seek to claim or support some kind of mythical historical right from a time when their ancestors were still happily at home in Europe. That cannot be right.

The solution to the Argentine problem about the Falklands lies not in arguing about history and attempting to take and to control our Islands against our wishes, it lies in accepting the reality of where we are now, and having proper respect for the Charter of the UN, the remit of this Committee, and the wishes of the people of the Falkland Islands.

The Future

So where do we go from here ?

Last year I said that with a new, and hopefully stable Government in Argentina, there was an opportunity to move forward - for Argentina to demonstrate a new political maturity on the world stage, by setting aside its claim to our country and working with us to create a safe and prosperous area in the South West Atlantic.  We would then each of us be able to reduce the application of resources from all sides in pursuing and defending our respective positions, and use those resources to greater effect in co-operating to protect and conserve our environment and develop our natural resources to mutual benefit.

We were encouraged therefore when the Foreign Minister recognised in a statement shortly thereafter that Argentina needed to demonstrate to the Falkland Islanders that it had become a reliable, credible and attractive partner.

Unfortunately since then the Argentine Government has:

-         encouraged its fishing fleet to fish in large numbers on the edge of our EEZ with the stated intention of destroying our fish stocks.

-         denied permission to Chilean commercial aircraft to over-fly its territory to service cruise vessels visiting the Islands , in an attempt to damage our tourism industry.

-         despatched a naval vessel to harass foreign vessels that were properly  licensed to fish in our waters.

Hardly the actions of a reliable, credible and attractive partner. The purpose for such unfriendly and in first case particularly irresponsible actions have been clearly stated - to bring us and the UK Government to the table to discuss sovereignty. Fortunately we are made of sterner stuff, and will resist.

Mr Chairman, the UK Government has no doubt about its sovereignty of the Falkland Islands, and the Islanders themselves have no wish to change.

There can be and will be no negotiations on sovereignty, because negotiation implies a willingness change or to concede which amongst Falkland Islanders does not exist. A resolution therefore which calls for a "negotiated solution to the Falklands/Malvinas question" has no place in this Committee, since the inhabitants of the Falkland Islands have no wish of it.

We should be supported in this by this Committee, guided by the wise words of the Secretary General, who advises that the Committee should put self-determination and the development of internal self-government at the forefront of its considerations. You have no obligations to Argentina, nor indeed to the UK in this respect, only to the Falkland Islanders.

Just before I finish, may I quote to you some of the contents of the draft resolution before you on Wednesday covering several other British and US overseas territories:

1.      Convinced that the wishes and aspirations of the peoples of the Territories should continue to guide the development of their future political status and that referendums, free and fair elections and other forms of popular consultation play an important role in ascertaining the wishes and aspirations of the people.

2.      Convinced also…….that the views of the peoples of the Non-Self-Governing Territories in respect of their right to self-determination should be ascertained.

3.      Reaffirms the inalienable right of the peoples of the Territories to self-determination, in conformity with the Charter of the United Nations and with General Assembly resolution 1514(XV), containing the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples.

Honourable Members, we are bound to ask why these fundamental requirements of this Committee are not contained in the resolution on the Falkland Islands .  Why are we treated as second class citizens in this manner?  Are we not equally entitled to the support and protection of this Committee?  If it is the wish of the people of the Falkland Islands to continue to develop our economy and our society in partnership with the United Kingdom, how can it not also be the wish of this Committee, whose responsibility it is to foster such development?

Mr Chairman and Honourable Members of the Committee of 24, I hope you will, each and every one of you, either in addressing the motion itself, or in an explanation of vote, will speak in support of the right of our people to self-determination and internal self government, and recommend that in future years no resolution on the Falkland Islands should be brought which does not include, as its principle reference, the right to self determination of all peoples.

Mike Summers, 18th June 2004

Our thanks to Councillor Summers for allowing us to reproduce this address

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