Symposium on ‘small states and the right to self-determination’

A two-day symposium on small states and the right to self-determination will open at the Garrison Library this Thursday. Currently in its fourth edition these symposiums focus on issues that impact on Gibraltar and other like territories within a European and global framework.

The symposium called ‘Understanding Self Determination in Small States and Micro Territories’ will be officially opened by Minister for Economic Development Joe Bossano.

The event has been organised by Dr Jennifer Ballantine Perera together with the Office of the Deputy Chief Minister will include an address from Ian Hansen, a Member of the Legislative Assembly of the Falkland Islands. The list of speakers also include Professor Steven Constantine (University of Lancaster), Professor Roger O'Keefe (University College London), Doctor James Irving (Dublin and London School of Economics), Professor John Connell (University of Sydney), Sir Graham Watson (Brussels), and Doctor Michael Flynn (Trinity College Dublin).

On Thursday and Friday the themes under discussion will be broad although pertinent, and include areas such as self-determination, cultural and national identity, borders; colonialism and post-colonialism as indeed, the constitutional and geopolitical contexts for small states such as Gibraltar.

These will be discussed through a series of sessions over the two day symposium.

The first will be concerned with theoretical questions on self-determination and on constitutional and international law, with the second on small states in Europe. “Brexit” will certainly come into focus in this session and in the third, in which borders and migrations will be discussed both within a European and wider context.

The fourth will look at Overseas Territories and the history of the Empire A panel of thirteen high-profile international and local speakers will put their views forward during the two-day symposium, which will include academics from Cambridge, University College London, Dublin, the London School of Economics, Sydney, Brussels, Magdeburg, the Netherlands, University of London, the University of San Marino and the University of Gibraltar.

This event is open to the public and the entrance is free of charge.

The conclusion on Friday will be by Deputy Chief Minister Dr Joseph Garcia.