John Culatto
GIBRALTAR’S top two political leaders will set about defending the Rock’s desire to decide its own future at the UN Committee of 24 in New York on Monday.
Chief Minister Fabian Picardo and his deputy, Joseph Garcia, will fly to the US city on the weekend for the Committee of 24 session and other meetings.
It follows on from the GSLP/Liberal commitment to fight for Gibraltar at the international body, unlike the GSD currently in Opposition.
The UN session on decolonisation will start at 4pm Gibraltar time, which is 10am in New York.
Gibraltar has been on the United Nations’ list of Non-Self-Governing Territories since 1946.
Dictator General Franco pushed the issue during his time at the helm of Fascist Spain.
Sir Joe Bossano presented Gibraltar’s case during his time as Chief Minister but did not manage to convince neither the Fourth Committee or the Committee of 24.
The Fourth Committee urged the UK and Spain ‘to reach, in the spirit of the Brussels Declaration of 27 November 1984, a definitive solution to the question of Gibraltar’ in a 2021 statement.
But it admitted this must be done ‘while listening to the interests and aspirations of Gibraltar that were legitimate under international law’.
As the trilateral agreement under the Brussels Agreement does not exist anymore, it said the Fourth Committee called for ‘a new mechanism for local cooperation in which the people of the Campo de Gibraltar and Gibraltar were represented’.
It added that it ‘welcomed the efforts made by all to resolve problems and advance in a spirit of trust and solidarity, in order to find common solutions and move forward in areas of mutual interest towards a relationship based on dialogue and cooperation’.
Picardo’s New York visits have so far proven fruitless in convincing the United Nations of even visiting the British Territory.
The UK refuses to talk to Spain about Gibraltar’s sovereignty because it has assured the Rock’s right to self-determination under the 2006 Constitution.
READ MORE:
- Gibraltar ex-chief minister slams Spain for using ‘anachronistic’ Utrecht Treaty to deny self-determination
- Gibraltar pushes for negotiation over conflict at UN decolonisation committee in New York
- UK officials meet with Gibraltar’s top ministers to discuss updating the constitution
