‘National Day reflects stronger sense of nationhood’

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

2026 marks eighty years since Gibraltar was placed on the United Nations list of Non-Self-Governing Territories. The consequences of that decision lie at the heart of National Day on Thursday, not least because we must now exercise our right to self-determination in order to be removed from it. 

That UN list was created in 1946 when the UK and other administering powers identified those territories which were considered to be pending decolonisation. At that time there were 72 territories listed. Today there are only 17. Gibraltar remains one of them. 

DECOLONISATION 

Our presence there means that, in the eyes of the United Nations, Gibraltar remains a territory awaiting decolonisation. No matter how modern our Constitution. The lack of engagement on the UN side has meant that the people of Gibraltar have been waiting patiently for decades. In the circumstances, it is perfectly understandable that this patience is now wearing thin.  

Next week an exhibition will open at the Fine Arts Gallery in Casemates to mark precisely eighty years of Gibraltar at the United Nations 1946-2026.  It has been curated by the National Archives. The exhibition provides a useful snapshot, recording for posterity many important highlights of that relationship as it evolved through time. It is well worth seeing and I would thoroughly recommend it. 

REFERENDUM 

So our approach to National Day is always two-pronged. We dwell on the challenges of the past and we assert our expectations for the future. Both are rooted in the choice made by the people of Gibraltar in the referendum of 10 September 1967. That was the first time that the Gibraltarians were given a direct say on the future of their country. The result was a choice to remain within the British family of nations. A position which remains the same today. 

What has changed since 1967 is that the people of Gibraltar have grown up. This coming of age mirrors what happened across the old British Empire. So it is perfectly legitimate to look forward to a future built on the foundations of our right to self-determination, democratic decolonisation, and the emergence of a new international legal status which removes Gibraltar from the United Nations list of Non-Self-Governing Territories. 

CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM 

Gibraltar is not the same place it was eighty years ago. We have developed politically, economically, socially and culturally. We have a much greater sense of identity and a stronger sense of nationhood. We have a mature democratic Parliament through which we run our own affairs. The constitutional arrangements of 1946 cannot be expected to define the Gibraltar of 2026. 

This means that the time has come to reform the 2006 Constitution in a way which is compatible with our removal from the United Nations list. It is very welcome that the UK is already committed on record to engage closely and proactively with those Overseas Territories whose democratic will is to revise their constitutional arrangements. Equally welcome is their continued public support for requests for the removal from the United Nations list of Non-Self-Governing Territories for those who wish it. 

A consequence of all this is that the time has come for the United Nations to recognise that reality and to engage with Gibraltar on the basis of the people, the Parliament and Government which we are today. It simply cannot continue to look the other way. 

TREATY 

This National Day is also different because the UK-EU Treaty has now been signed and is being provisionally applied. 

The Treaty preserves our British sovereignty and way of life. At the same time, it gives effect to the overwhelming desire expressed by our people in the 2016 referendum to remain closely connected with Europe. Indeed, the Treaty is proof that the two are not mutually exclusive.  

The frontier arrangements have changed. The movement of people and goods has become more fluid. A new relationship with our neighbours and with the European Union has begun. And through all of this, our British sovereignty remains intact and the flag flying at the top of the Rock remains unchanged. Always. 

SELF-DETERMINATION 

The Treaty does not decide Gibraltar's future. The people of Gibraltar do.  

The Treaty provides a legal structure for a new relationship with the institutions of the European Union and with its Member States. 

Self-determination means that the future of Gibraltar can only be freely and democratically decided by the people of Gibraltar themselves. That principle is not weakened by the Treaty. It is not diluted by closer cooperation with our European neighbours. And it is not diminished by our continuing work with the European Union to improve the lives of our citizens. 

If anything, the new arrangements demonstrate what can be achieved when Gibraltar is directly involved in decisions about Gibraltar. That is how it must always be. The days when the future of Gibraltar could be discussed behind our backs are long gone. The next step must therefore be to address the unfinished business of decolonisation.  

Gibraltar cannot remain on the United Nations list forever. 

UNITED 

Despite our lively internal political debate, National Day is a time when we should put our local political differences to one side and focus on the bigger picture. In a small country like ours, it is not unusual to passionately disagree on many things, but there are certain fundamentals which will always unite every Gibraltarian. 

Our identity. 

Our Britishness. 

Our right to self-determination.  

We should also remember our friends in the United Kingdom Parliament, those present here today and those elsewhere who have stood with Gibraltar over the years. Their support continues to matter enormously. 

But ultimately our future must be in our own hands. 

FAMILY 

National Day is also about family. 

It is a day when friends and relatives come together, whether here in Gibraltar or overseas. It is a day when our streets, beaches, restaurants and homes are filled with red and white. 

And wherever we may be, wearing those colours is a profound statement. We are proud of who we are. We remember where we have come from. And we assert our right to decide where we are going. 

Happy National Day!