Falkland Islands: UK statement to the Organization of American States, 23 June 2023
Minister Rutley gave a statement to the Organization of American States in response to the Argentine Government's draft declaration on the Falkland Islands.
Secretary General, Assistant Secretary General, ministers, delegates – friends and colleagues.
Ten years ago, the Falkland Islands Government asked its people whether they wished to remain a self-governing British Overseas Territory. In the referendum that followed, over 99% of Islanders voted to retain the Islands’ links to the UK.
An observer mission from 6 countries, including 5 OAS states, oversaw that referendum. They gave their firm endorsement of the process, as free and fair.
The people of the Falkland Islands have made their wishes clear. They do not want to be incorporated into Argentina. Likewise, they make it very clear to me that the UK has no mandate to negotiate with Argentina on the future of their home.
Argentina officially argues that the right of self-determination does not apply to the people of the Falkland Islands. Putting it bluntly, that Islanders are not entitled to democracy. This motion calls for 2 larger countries to negotiate, without the consent of those who live there.
The United Kingdom will not negotiate to transfer the sovereignty of the Islands against the democratic will of their people.
The Falkland Islands are internally self-governing. They have their own constitution, laws, currency and traditions. It is absurd to argue that this community, which stretches back 10 generations, does not deserve the democratic rights we expect for ourselves. Their elected representatives make decisions that affect the lives of the Falkland Islanders – they want to focus on issues that matter to their community.
The UK wants and continues to seek a constructive relationship with Argentina in the best interests of both our countries and the wider region. I visited Argentina myself in March to discuss mutually advantageous opportunities involving energy transition and trade. But shortly afterwards, Argentina disappointingly chose to unilaterally withdraw from the 2016 Joint Communique.
This communique was a landmark undertaking which offered great benefits to the people of the Falkland Islands, the United Kingdom and Argentina. These included a commercial flight from Brazil that stopped in Argentina, fisheries cooperation, and the establishment of a framework for humanitarian work.
The Falkland Islanders and the United Kingdom scrupulously followed its undertakings. No one could fail to be moved by the work in 2017 and 2021 by the International Committee of the Red Cross to identify remains of the Argentine fallen from 1982. Through this period, Falkland Islanders supported visits by their relatives to allow them to pay their respects.
Falkland Islanders and the UK remain committed to the communiqué’s humanitarian work. However, Argentina’s withdrawal – on the eve of the final negotiations for the third phase – has made it much harder to agree. Furthermore, when Argentina talks about negotiations what it actually means is agreeing a date for sovereignty to be transferred. This is in keeping with the Argentine Constitution, as amended in 1994, which requires the outcome of negotiations to be nothing but full Argentine sovereignty.
The draft declaration the Argentine government presented today refers to its ‘constructive approach towards the inhabitants’ of the Falkland Islands. But Argentina has imposed sanctions against companies doing business with the Islands, halted the sharing of scientific data for fisheries management, and first blocked and then cancelled the resumption of the Falklands-Sao Paulo flight. It has even protested against a children’s ice hockey team competing in a regional competition.
The UK has no doubt about its sovereignty over the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands, and the surrounding maritime areas.
We also have no doubt about the principle and the right of self-determination enshrined in the UN Charter and in article one of the 2 UN Covenants on human rights. A right by virtue of which Falkland Islanders can freely determine their political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development.
There cannot be any dialogue on sovereignty unless the Falkland Islanders wish it. On behalf of the people of the Falkland Islands, the UK asks the General Assembly to take note of their right of self-determination, and that this statement is read into the record of this meeting.
Thank you.