Fernandez attempts to renew claims over disputed Falklands Island at UN

This article was last updated on April 16, 2022

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Argentine President, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner is set to address the annual meeting of the UN decolonisation committee to restate her country’s claim of sovereignty over the British-governed Falkland Islands, called by Argentina as the Malvinas.

President Fernandez has asked, citing UN resolutions which urge negotiations between London and Buenos Aires: “We are not asking for anything more than a dialogue.” However, the United Kingdom refuses to participate in any such talks.

The 30th anniversary of the end of the Falklands War has been marked today, on the British Overseas Territory. The war ended in a 74-day occupation of the rocky archipelago on June 14 1982 as the Argentinean commander, General Mari Menendez surrendered to the British at Stanley. 

The U.K. ambassador to the UN, Mark Lyall Grant has said that it was ‘very sad’ Ms. Fernandez de Kirchner was using the anniversary of the end of the war in which 255 British servicemen, three islanders and 655 Argentineans died for political reasons.

The islands’ sovereignty has been on the UN agenda since 1965, when Resolution 2065 acknowledged that they were a leftover from colonial days. This and subsequent resolutions called on the U.K. and Argentina to negotiate a solution through mutual consent. However, the resolutions have proved useless without the approval of the UN Security Council, where the U.K. has a veto. During the 1982 war, the Security Council passed two resolutions urging a diplomatic solution.

The history of negotiation talks between the U.K. and Argentina started in 1965. According to Argentina’s recently de-classified Rattenbach Report, the countries reached a key point in 1968, when they drafted a “secret” memorandum of understanding, stating that “the government of the United Kingdom will recognise the sovereignty of the Republic of Argentina over the islands”. However, such talks have ended as the two sides unable to overcome their mutual differences.

During the last summer, British PM David Cameron told that the Falklands’ sovereignty was non-negotiable. Ms. Fernandez called his comments “mediocre” and “almost stupid”. Afterwards, she has repeatedly asked Mr. Cameron for providing a little room for dialogue. After conducting military exercises in the South Atlantic, London has also limited the potential for discussion.

Britain has refused Argentina’s repeated calls for negotiation by saying it is up to the islanders to decide. The Falkland Islands government has announced on Tuesday that it has planned to hold a referendum next year on its political future.

The chairman of the Falklands’ legislature, Gavin Short has said he hoped a referendum would help the Falklanders “convey a strong message to the outside world” about their will to retain its ties with London.

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