Argentina and United Kingdom asked to resolve future of Falklands (Malvinas.) (includes related article on South Atlantic)

Argentina and United Kingdom asked to resolve future of Falklands (Malvinas)

Argentina and the United Kingdom have been asked by the General Assembly to initiate negotiations to resolve problems pending between them regarding the future of the Falkland Islands (Malvinas). The request was contained in resolution 42/19, adopted by a vote of 114 in favour to 5 against (Belize, Gambia, Oman, Sri Lanka, United Kingdom), with 36 abstentions.

The Secretary-General was requested to continue his renewed mission of good offices to assist parties to begin negotiations.

The question of the Falkland Islands (Malvinas) was first considered by the Assembly in 1982 at the request of 20 Latin American countries.

The Secretary-General reported (A/42/732) that the United Kingdom remained committed to achieving normal relations with Argentina and wanted both countries to concentrate on solving problems of mutual concern, such as fisheries, while setting aside the sovereignty claim, on which the United Kingdom considered views to be "diametrically opposed".

Argentina, he said, was ready to initiate negotiations to settle all issues outstanding, including those relating to the future of the islands.

While both parties had shown "commendable restraint" and "clear willingness" to reduce areas of tension, the Secretary-General regretted that it had not yet proved possible to engage both Governments in the kind of dialogue called for by the Assembly.

On 14 August, the Special Committee on decolonization regretted that comprehensive negotiations between Argentina and the United Kingdom had not yet started. It noted with satisfaction Argentina's intention to comply with relevant Assembly resolutions, urged resumption of negotiations and reiterated support for the Secretary-General's mission.

Speaking in the debate, Dante Caputo, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Worship of Argentina, said his country had never accepted the occupation of the Malvinas Islands by the United Kingdom and would "determinedly and relentlessly" continue to try to persuade the United Kingdom of the need to give up the territories which belonged to Argentina. Two major humanitarian aspects, the prevention of incidents that might increase tension in the south-western Atlantic and avoidance of the possible plundering of the area's living resources, required special consideration. Argentina lately had tried to make progress with regard to those questons. The solution of those two humanitarian aspects would in no way prejudge the position of each side with regard to sovereignty.

Sir Crispin Tickell (United Kingdom) said his Government had no doubt about British sovereignty over the Falkland Islands. "The Falklands have been British for longer than Argentina has been Argentine". The Assembly must recognize, as must Argentina, what the islanders had repeatedly made known through their elected representatives: that they had no desire to become part of Argentina, that they wished instead to remain British with their own arrangements for local self-government. It was pointless to confront, year after year, that "same intractable question". Instead, the two countries should set aside questions of sovereignty of the islands and work to improve their bilateral relations.