Gibraltar has outgrown its position on UN list says Garcia

On National Day we commemorate the choice made by the people of Gibraltar on 10 September 1967. This was the first time that the Gibraltarians were given a direct say on the future of our country. At the same time, we also assert our right to determine our own future going forward.

IDENTITY
It is true that Gibraltar and its people have moved on since 1967. We are more developed politically, more defined socially and culturally, stronger economically and we carry within us a greater sense of identity and nationhood than ever before. This is the same well-worn path that every territory in our position has walked through over many decades. It is a path towards decolonisation. This route cannot be any different for us from that travelled by other countries, some smaller than Gibraltar, who have already reached their destination.

OUTGROWN
The truth is that Gibraltar has outgrown its position on the United Nations list of Non Self Governing Territories. That structure was born in 1946 when the UK and other administering powers listed the territories which were pending decolonisation, and it was further developed in 1960 and later in several UN Resolutions.

LEGAL STATUS
Gibraltar cannot remain on the UN list forever. Our international legal status must evolve in line with the advances in self-government which we have made as a people over the last eighty years. The world itself has moved on. The UN cannot expect Gibraltar to stand still. A Select Committee of the Gibraltar Parliament has already been established in order to examine the detail of our constitutional structures and in so doing the bigger picture of decolonisation and delisting as well. The United Kingdom has repeatedly declared it will support those territories on the UN list who wish to come off it. It has also encapsulated the new relationship in the phrase “nothing about you without you”.

SELF-DETERMINATION
All this lies at the heart of National Day. The principle that the future of Gibraltar can only be freely and democratically decided by the people of Gibraltar in exercise of their right to self-determination must always be paramount. This is in itself both a rejection of Spain’s claim to the sovereignty of our country and an assertion of our rights as a people.

SOVEREIGNTY
And the sovereignty of Gibraltar, our identity and our right to self-determination will not be impacted upon by any UK-EU Treaty. This has been made abundantly clear already and was a fundamental guiding principle throughout the negotiations. The treaty will give effect to the overwhelming desire of the people of Gibraltar to maintain a relationship with the European Union as expressed in the 2016 referendum. It will not touch our British sovereignty.

PICTURE
On National Day we need to look beyond local political differences and focus on this bigger picture. This is a day of unity when we also welcome our friends from the United Kingdom Parliament, themselves from across the political spectrum but united when it comes to supporting Gibraltar. We should also direct our thoughts to Sir Bob Neill, and congratulate him on being made a recipient of the Freedom of the City. He has backed Gibraltar through thick and thin during his time in the UK Parliament.

FAMILY
National Day is also a time for family. It has evolved into a special date when friends and relatives gather to mark the occasion. Many choose to do so at the beach, others in restaurants and Gibraltarians abroad also celebrate this day in the same way. Nonetheless, when we dress in our national colours of red and white, whatever we are doing and wherever we may be, Gibraltarians are making a profound political statement: Gibraltar is ours, and the people of Gibraltar must be the ones to determine their own future. The right of self-determination must always lie at the very heart of the decolonisation process.

Happy National Day!