National Day message: ‘We will continue to defend our sovereignty come what may’

By Dr Joseph Garcia, Deputy Chief Minister and Leader of the Liberal Party

Sixty years ago this year, in 1964, the United Nations Committee of 24 arrived at its first formal conclusion about Gibraltar. That decision triggered a chain of events which led to the 1967 Referendum, the anniversary of which we will mark on Tuesday.

That Referendum was the first time in the history of Gibraltar that the Gibraltarian people were given a democratic say as to what their future should be. The choice on the table was limited to remaining with the United Kingdom or becoming a part of Spain. The outcome was an overwhelming endorsement of the former position.

This came about because in 1946 the U.K. had added Gibraltar to a list of non-self-governing territories which were pending decolonisation. That very same United Nations list remains in existence today, although the number of countries on it has significantly reduced from 74 to only 17. Gibraltar is one of those still awaiting its decolonisation.

We cannot wait forever.

The United Nations has heard our message loud and clear since 1963. Yet they have not acted. Last week they went to see the British Virgin Islands, also on the list, to obtain a better understanding of their situation.

They should come here as well.

Decolonisation cannot mean the transfer of our country from the United Kingdom to Spain against the wishes of the people. That would represent a travesty of democracy. It would run against the internationally accepted principle of self-determination In short, it would constitute a recolonisation.

The wishes of the people of Gibraltar must always come first.

National Day is when the people of Gibraltar assert their right to decolonisation. We also assert that this decolonisation should come about through the principle of self-determination, which means that the people of our country should freely and democratically decide the form that this decolonisation should take.

No people, however small, can be denied this basic right to choose. That is the very essence of what democracy is all about.

This National Day it will also be good to see friends past and present from the UK Parliament. A special mention must go to Sir Bob Neill, the outgoing Chair of the APPG, who has been a stalwart defender of the Rock over very many years. And we should give a rousing Gibraltar welcome to the new Chair, Labour MP Amanda Martin.

National Day is also a time for family gatherings and for the celebration of our unique identity as Gibraltarians. We should enjoy this time with our loved ones as we spend the day together at different locations enjoying the many events which have been organised.

And although the question-mark of treaty or no treaty continues to hang over us, we will continue to defend our sovereignty and our self-determination come what may.

For we must always remember that when we dress in red and white on National Day we are making precisely that very profound political statement - Gibraltar belongs to us and we are the only ones who will decide our own future.

Have a great National Day!