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3rd Meeting of Special Political and Decolonization Committee
A debate over the best interests of Non-Self-Governing Territories stimulated confrontational exchanges and elicited strong opinions from a broad range of representatives and petitioners today, as the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) entered its second day of debate on decolonization issues.
As high-level representatives from the Territories of French Polynesia, Gibraltar and New Caledonia addressed the Committee, they faced opposition from petitioners on such topics as nuclear testing, financial and economic control, extension of municipal authority, and the increasing numbers of non-native settlers.
Édouard Fritch, President of French Polynesia said that since being re-inscribed on the list of Non-Self-Governing Territories list in 2013, the Territory had never officially addressed the General Assembly. Yet its ongoing dialogue with France had gradually yielded results, he said, while denying that the administering Power had confiscated French Polynesia’s natural resources for its own benefit. Indeed, the Territory’s autonomous status was clear since it exercised its right to explore and use its own natural resources. Furthermore, French Polynesia was a member of the Pacific Islands Forum, which demonstrated that the 16 States comprising that bloc welcomed the Territory as an equal.
In response, former President Oscar Manutahi Temaru said the administering Power remained in a state of denial at the heart of the very institution it had helped to create. The Ma’ohi people had full sovereignty over their natural resources, he emphasized, expressing support for the recent draft resolution presented by the Special Committee on Decolonization. He also recalled a petition relating to the exploitation of natural resources, pointing out that 27 per cent of all registered voters, and 40 per cent of all actual voters in the 2013 territorial elections had signed it.
As the Committee took up the question of Gibraltar, Fabian Picardo, Chief Minister of that Territory, said it was no closer to being removed from the list of Non-Self-Governing Territories, painting that as a cause for huge disappointment. Recalling Brexit — the United Kingdom’s decision to leave the European Union — he decried Spain’s “opportunism” in seeking to advance its territorial claim by raising the issue in relation to Gibraltar. Yet Gibraltarians had voted by 96 per cent to remain in the bloc and were not prepared to give up their sovereignty. Therefore, the answer to whether the Territory would ever become Spanish would always remain “no”, he stressed, expressing regret that after a century of needless confrontation, nothing had changed in the Spanish Government’s attitude.
Richard Buttigieg of the Self-Determination for Gibraltar Group responded by saying that the Committee had done “very little” on the issue. “Your approach to delisting our nation is simply outdated,” he added, emphasizing that its silence and inaction had emboldened Spain to continue its “aggressive and oppressive attitude towards Gibraltar”.
Jean-Louis d’Anglebermes, Vice-president of the New Caledonia territorial government, recalled the Pacific Regional Seminar on Decolonization held in June 2015, where partners had supported an amendment on the Territory with the aim of simplifying mechanisms for its special electoral list. During the Seminar, it had been agreed that United Nations observers would take part in special administrative committees to determine the list, he noted.
In similar vein, Papua New Guinea’s representative said the referendum to be held in 2018 was crucial to New Caledonia’s quest for self-determination, describing the special electoral list of qualified people as imperative.
Also speaking today were petitioners from the Falkland Islands (Malvinas) [1], French Polynesia, Gibraltar, New Caledonia and the United States Virgin Islands.
Speaking in exercise of the right of reply were representatives of the United Kingdom and Spain.
