Spain has called on the UK to return to the negotiating table over the future status of Gibraltar. The country's permanent representative to the United Nations (UN), Augustin Santos, repeated Spain's position that only negotiations between Madrid and London can find a solution to the island's "colonial" status.
But Gibraltar's chief minister Fabian Picardo said Gibraltarians would not stand for being mere bystanders in their own decolonisation. The statements were made at the UN Committee of 24, which reviews the political, economic and social situation in each of the remaining non-self governing territories on the organisation's list.
Gibraltar - which has become a symbol of British naval power and is affectionately nicknamed "the Rock" - differs from other British Overseas Territories in that it was part of the EU before Brexit. Some 95 per cent of the island's voters chose to remain in the EU in the 2016 referendum.
Following the vote, Spain has renewed calls for joint Spanish-British control of the peninsula. Mr Santos, urging the UK to rejoin negotiations over Gibraltar's fate, insisted that Spain would always take "the interests of the population of the territory" into consideration.
The UK and Spain agreed on December 31, 2020 that Gibraltar would serve as the basis of a later agreement between the countries. Mr Santos said: "Nothing in that understanding implies a modification of Spain's legal position with regard to sovereignty and jurisdiction in relation to Gibraltar."
He added that, with the exception of the sovereignty issue, Spain is open to "agreements with the United Kingdom that allow for regional cooperation schemes for the direct benefit of the inhabitants on both sides of the fence under the idea of shared prosperity". Former prime minister Theresa May said in April 2017 that "the UK would seek the best possible deal for Gibraltar as the UK exits the EU, and there would be no negotiation on the sovereignty of Gibraltar without the consent of its people".
Gibraltar has long been frustrated over the potential for its future being decided by the UK and Spain without having any meaningful input itself. Mr Picardo called on the UN committee to remove Gibraltar from its list of non-self governing territories, which also includes the Falkland Islands.
He demanded the Rock's right to self-determination while also being careful to point out that this would not include “avoiding cooperation with our neighbours despite our differences on fundamental issues". Mr Picardo also highlighted that one of his predecessors, Sir Joshua Hassan, had asked the committee for the same right 59 years ago.
Mr Picardo said: "And, while we remain on the list of Non-Self-Governing Territories, we will always ensure that the voice of Gibraltarians is heard in this Committee, despite the distance we must travel for a brief hearing. We make the long journey to make this short speech because the people of Gibraltar only want the exercise of their right to self-determination to be respected.
“We just want to be decolonised, as many of the countries in this room were decolonised. We just want to exercise the same right that they exercised. To that end, for 30 years, Madam President, we have repeatedly asked the Committee to visit Gibraltar. But it has not done so.”
In a final plea to the committee's chair, Mr Picardo added: "Your Committee has to engage with Gibraltar. You have to do more to get us off the list, and as soon as possible, because Gibraltar is our land, it is our home, and only our decisions will decide its future."
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