On 3 January 1833, the Malvinas Islands were illegally occupied by British forces, who expelled the Argentine population and authorities legitimately established there, replacing them with British subjects Since its early days as an independent nation, Argentina had exercised its sovereignty rights over the archipelago and maritime areas, in its capacity as heir to Spain’s possessions in South America. This action by the British Government constituted an act of force in times of peace that was contrary to international law and was never consented to by the Argentine Government, which immediately protested against it.
Since then, all Argentine Governments have reaffirmed their legitimate and imprescriptible sovereignty rights over the Malvinas, South Georgias and South Sandwich Islands and the surrounding maritime areas. Pursuant to the Argentine Constitution, recovering the full exercise of our sovereignty over such territories, in accordance with International Law, while respecting the way of life of their inhabitants, is a permanent and inalienable objective of the Argentine people.
As noted by the Special Committee on Decolonization, the Question of the Malvinas Islands is a “special and particular” colonial situation that differs substantially from other colonial questions. This year marks the sixtieth anniversary of the adoption by the United Nations General Assembly of Resolution 2065, which established that the way to decolonize the Malvinas Islands is through bilateral negotiations between Argentina and the United Kingdom to resolve the sovereignty dispute peacefully, in accordance with the principles and objectives of the United Nations Charter and Resolution 1514, and bearing in mind the interests of the inhabitants of the Islands. Numerous international and regional fora have voiced their support for Argentina’s sovereignty rights and for the resumption of bilateral negotiations, including the Special Committee on Decolonization of the UN General Assembly, the Organization of American States (OAS), the G77 plus China, MERCOSUR, the Ibero-American Summit, the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), the Brasilia Consensus, and the South Atlantic Peace and Cooperation Zone (ZPCAS), among others.
In addition, the Argentine Republic condemns the unilateral exploration and exploitation of renewable and non-renewable natural resources in unlawfully occupied Argentine maritime areas, which, coupled with the United Kingdom’s ongoing military presence in the South Atlantic, violates UN resolutions and has drawn expressions of concern and condemnation across the international community.
The Argentine Government once again expresses its willingness to resume bilateral negotiations in order to find a solution to this sovereignty dispute and bring an end to the colonial situation in the Question of the Malvinas Islands, in accordance with the relevant resolutions of the General Assembly.
Within this framework, the Argentine Government wishes to maintain a constructive relationship with the United Kingdom that involves substantive dialogue which includes sovereignty negotiations and all other matters of mutual interest, in line with the mandate of the Argentine Constitution and General Assembly Resolution 2065 (XX), and other resolutions of the United Nations.
With the conviction that the only possible path to recover the exercise of its legitimate sovereignty rights is through diplomatic channels, Argentina also reiterates its interest in the Good Offices mission that the General Assembly entrusted to the United Nations Secretary-General with a view to assisting the parties resume negotiations in order to find, as soon as possible, a peaceful solution to the sovereignty dispute over the Question of the Malvinas Islands.
The Argentine Government and people reaffirm once again, 192 years after the illegal occupation of the Malvinas Islands, their legitimate and imprescriptible sovereignty rights over the Malvinas, South Georgias and South Sandwich Islands and the surrounding maritime areas.