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Govt mistake not to attend UN decolonisation meeting, says party
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It is a massive contradiction and a mistake for the Government not to attend the annual June sessions of the United Nations Special Committee on Decolonisation [the C24] and only attend the UN Fourth Committee in October, says the PDP.
They add that the Government argues that it does so because sovereignty is the remit of the Fourth Committee. It also maintains that it is because in its view Gibraltar is decolonised. The stark reality is that the UN does not share that view at present.
Additionally the Government ignores the context in which both C24 and Fourth Committee receive representations from non-self-governing territories and the link between those processes. It also disregards that, whether Gibraltar likes it or not, Spain makes representations on both decolonisation and sovereignty before the C24.
PDP Leader, Keith Azopardi said: “The Government is giving Spain a free and unchallenged opportunity to present its side of the argument. This is something that cannot be addressed by only attending in October. The only legitimate position is to attend both sessions or neither. The PDP are clear that if elected it would attend both C24 and the Fourth Committee. To do less is to give Spain a free opportunity to attack Gibraltar and assert its claims without the fear of contradiction. It does not help Gibraltar’s cause to do that.
“The result of the Government’s decision to attend the Fourth Committee but not the C24 is that an equivocal and half-hearted impression is made at the UN. Worse still the position may come across as dismissive of the role and work of the C24 which the General Assembly and Fourth Committee will pay heed to. The Government is doing a disservice to Gibraltar to persist in this ill-thought through position. While there is a sovereignty claim and while Spain feel free to attend an international forum to assert claims over Gibraltar our Government should be there to put our own claims and defend Gibraltar. In Government the PDP would have no doubt in strenuously defending Gibraltar’s interests in the United Nations before both the C24 and Fourth Committee.”
A statgement from the party adds that the inconsistency in the Government’s position is obvious if the role of both the C24 and Fourth Committee is considered in any detail. The C24 are entrusted with making recommendations on the implementation of the decolonization declaration of 1960.
In doing so it hears representations from non-self-governing territories and submits an annual report with recommendations. The full name of the Fourth Committee is the Special Political and Decolonisation Committee. While the remit of the Fourth Committee is wider than just decolonisation it also hears representations by non-selfgoverning territories. These representations are received when it considers agenda items relating to decolonisation. It does so having regard to the recommendations made in the report of the C24.
The Fourth Committee then considers a specific draft decision on Gibraltar. This is also listed under the agenda item of the decolonisation declaration. The Gibraltar decision is annually adopted by the General Assembly. At the same time the Fourth Committee also considers a draft general resolution on decolonisation that it puts forward to the General Assembly for adoption. In that resolution the C24 is urged to continue its work and submit further recommendations on decolonisation. It is obvious therefore that the Fourth Committee takes into account the work of the C24 and that both influence the General Assembly.
As such the processes are inextricably linked and it is a fundamental contradiction to attend the Fourth Committee but not the C24, their statement ends.
17-06-11
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