The United Kingdom told the UN Special Political and Decolonization Committee that it maintains sovereignty over the Falkland Islands and supports residents’ control of resource development, making self-determination central to its position.
Kate Foster, the UK’s deputy permanent representative to the UN, cited the 2013 referendum on the islands’ status. She said 99.8% of those who voted favored keeping British Overseas Territory status, and that independent international observers monitored a process conducted to international standards.
Foster said the islanders’ right to decide their political status is supported by the UN Charter and Article 1 of both UN human rights covenants. She said those provisions also support their ability to pursue social, economic and cultural development.
She said the UK’s sovereignty claim extends beyond the Falkland Islands to South Georgia, the South Sandwich Islands and nearby maritime areas. Foster presented the claim as the UK’s position on the territory and its surrounding waters.
On offshore energy, Foster said Falkland Islands law governs hydrocarbon activity on the islands’ continental shelf and that the work follows international law, including the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
Foster criticized Argentina’s decision to pursue arbitration under UNCLOS, describing it as a challenge to residents’ ability to direct the islands’ future and sustain their economy. She said the UK would remain engaged with the local government and residents as they seek to protect their political preferences and economic interests.
