Fabian Picardo final address at UN as Chief Minister on 80th anniversary of Gibraltar's listing

The international legal principles governing Gibraltar’s decolonisation have not changed.

Addressing the UN’s Fourth Committee for the last time as Chief Minister, Fabian Picardo said the right to self determination was extended to all peoples and not just some.

Territorial integrity, properly understood, he said, is a shield for colonised peoples.

He reminded the Committee that this December, Gibraltar would have been on the UN list of Non-Self-Governing Territories for eighty years.

The Chief Minister’s message was clear- there were those who came before him and there would be those who would follow, but Gibraltar would never tire of fighting for its right to self-determination.

"Eight decades on your list.

Six decades of speeches.

Four successive leaders.

One consistent message.

Because the international legal principles governing our decolonization have not changed.

And neither have we.

So let me state the law, plainly, one last time.

Article 73 of the Charter makes the interests of the inhabitants of a Non-Self-Governing Territory paramount.

Not the interests of any neighbour.

Or of any claimant.

Only the people of a territory."

And Mr Picardo made clear the law was on Gibraltar’s side and there could be no excuse for continuing to deny the Rock its right of self-determination, which he said, is the governing principle of decolonisation.

He added it requires the free and genuine expression of the will of the people concerned and the international community as a whole, has an obligation to ensure that right is fulfilled.

He added, nothing but resolutions of the 1960s, procured by a murderous dictator whose legacy democratic Spain has rightly left behind, stand against all of our unbeatable legal arguments.

"In 1967, ninety-nine per cent of us chose not to pass under Spanish sovereignty.

In 2002, ninety-nine per cent of us rejected shared sovereignty with Spain.

We have been asked.

We have clearly and unequivocally answered.

All we await is for you to hear our answers.

And to start acting in keeping with the clearly expressed wishes of the people of Gibraltar."

The Chief Minister asked the Committee to stop recycling a stale decision written for another age and to direct the C24 to send a visiting mission.

"Let them come and see a self-governing, democratic, prosperous people.

Confident in who we are.

And confident in our rights.

And then do what the Charter requires:

Recommend our removal from this list."

On the Treaty, Fabian Picardo said we had removed the barbed wire and the chain link fence but had not waivered on sacrosanct sovereignty.  He added, we have shown that our people can build friendships with their neighbour without surrendering a single right.

He concluded his speech with a bye for now..... It may be his final address as Chief Minister but the Committee may well not have seen the last of him yet.

Full report here: