Ricardo Alfonsín
Ambassador of the Argentine Republic to the Kingdom of Spain
January 3, 2022 marked the 189th anniversary of the illegal occupation of the Malvinas Islands. British forces, in times of peace with the nascent Argentine Nation, expelled the legitimate Argentine authorities constituted there, took British subjects to populate the territory and established restrictive measures to prevent the settlement of the Argentine people in the Malvinas.
This act of force, contrary not only to the bilateral relations of the time but also to the international law in force at the time, since it implied an invasion of a Sovereign State with which friendly relations were maintained (a Treaty of Peace and Friendship had been signed in 1825 between Argentina and Her Britannic Majesty), was immediately protested by Argentina and gave rise to a claim for the effective exercise of sovereignty that has been vigorously maintained by all Argentine governments up to the present day. Likewise, the new American nations expressed their solidarity with Argentina, victim of an act of force by the main colonial (and military) power of the time.
The International Community as a whole recognizes the “Malvinas Question”, i.e. the existence of a sovereignty dispute between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the Malvinas Islands, South Georgia, South Sandwich Islands and the surrounding maritime areas, and has called on countless occasions on both parties to reach a peaceful solution to the dispute, within the framework of respect for international law. The United Nations, through its General Assembly, adopted Resolution 2065 (XX) on 16 December 1965 urging both countries to continue negotiations without delay to reach a peaceful solution to the sovereignty dispute, taking due account of the provisions and objectives of the Charter of the United Nations, as well as the interests of the population of the Malvinas Islands. Furthermore, it has requested in resolution 37/9, adopted on November 4, 1982, the good offices of the Secretary-General of the United Nations to assist the parties in a negotiated solution. The call of the international community has been reiterated in 10 General Assembly resolutions, 39 resolutions of the UN Special Committee on Decolonization and numerous declarations in regional and multilateral fora, including the Ibero-American Summits.
As of January 3, 2022, the United Kingdom refuses to comply with international law and insists on carrying out unilateral acts in violation of General Assembly Resolution 31/49, such as the exploration and exploitation of natural resources and a disproportionate military presence in Argentine waters.
Argentina once again invites the United Kingdom to seek a negotiated solution to the sovereignty conflict which, as a result of the British colonial invasions, continues to this day.
Our country does not renounce and will never renounce its sovereign rights over the Malvinas Islands. The decolonization of the Islands, in accordance with international law and respecting the way of life of those who inhabit them, is a pillar of foreign policy, encompasses the entire political arc and summons all Argentine men and women.
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