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Dear Chair, as this is the first formal statement that the United Kingdom has made to the Committee in this session, before I begin, I wanted to place on record my delegation’s congratulations to you and members of the Bureau on your election. We look forward to working productively with you throughout this session. As the Committee has heard before, the United Kingdom has a modern relationship with all of its Overse...
Dear Chair, as this is the first formal statement that the United Kingdom has made to the Committee in this session, before I begin, I wanted to place on record my delegation’s congratulations to you and members of the Bureau on your election. We look forward to working productively with you throughout this session. As the Committee has heard before, the United Kingdom has a modern relationship with all of its Overseas Territories based on partnership; on shared values; and on the right of the people of each Territory to choose to remain British or not. The United Kingdom Overseas Territories are self-governing, subject only to the UK retaining powers to carry out its obligations under international law. We have a close bilateral relationship with each Territory, and the United Kingdom’s and Overseas Territory Governments hold a Joint Ministerial Council each year to monitor and drive forward collective priorities for action in the spirit of partnership, considering the uniqueness and diversity of each Territory. We are committed to supporting the Territories on their priorities, including environmental protection, and carrying out our constitutional responsibilities, including guaranteeing security. Indeed, we consider the Territories to be a core part of the UK “homeland” when it comes to our defence and security responsibilities. Across the Territories, we provide financial and practical support to build local capacity and resilience, where it is needed. Our near £100m programme for reconstruction after Hurricane Irma hit Anguilla is now complete. And in other Territories, a new port now operational on Saint Helena, a new hospital nearing construction on Montserrat, new coastal radars operational on Turks & Caicos. I will address specific points relating to three of the United Kingdom’s Overseas Territories. Firstly, Gibraltar. The United Kingdom is clear that the people of Gibraltar enjoy the right to self-determination, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations. The 2006 Gibraltar Constitution, which was endorsed in a referendum by the people of Gibraltar, provides for a modern and mature partnership between Gibraltar and the United Kingdom. It is only right, therefore, that the Committee has heard directly from the Chief Minister of Gibraltar, as the elected representative of its people. We welcome the Government of Gibraltar’s participation. The United Kingdom restates its longstanding commitment to the people of Gibraltar. The United Kingdom will not enter into arrangements under which the people of Gibraltar would pass under the sovereignty of another state against their freely and democratically expressed wishes. Nor will we ever enter into a process of sovereignty negotiations with which Gibraltar is not content. The United Kingdom welcomes the Agreement in respect of Gibraltar between the European Union and the United Kingdom, signed in Brussels on 14 July 2026. The Agreement, in which the United Kingdom worked side by side with the Government of Gibraltar, is without prejudice to the respective legal positions of the United Kingdom and Spain with regard to sovereignty and jurisdiction, and reaffirms that those positions remain unchanged. But it also reflects a new era of cooperation, trust, and respect between the United Kingdom, the European Union, Spain, and Gibraltar. The United Kingdom encourages all parties to build on this positive momentum in order to further strengthen cooperation and foster a mutually beneficial relationship based on solidarity, dialogue, and shared prosperity. Secondly, the Falkland Islands. The United Kingdom has no doubt about its sovereignty over both the Falkland Islands, and South Georgia, and the South Sandwich Islands, and their surrounding maritime areas. Nor do we have any doubt about the Falkland Islanders’ right of self-determination. This is enshrined in the UN Charter and in Article One of both UN covenants on human rights, by virtue of which they are free to determine their political status and pursue their economic, social, and cultural development. In the 2013 referendum, which was conducted in line with international standards and was observed by independent, international observers, 99.8 per cent of those who voted wanted to remain their current status as a British Overseas Territory. Argentina’s decision to initiate arbitration against the United Kingdom under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) is the latest attempt to undermine the rights and livelihoods of the people of the Falkland Islands. The people of the Falkland Islands have freely and democratically chosen their future, and they have every right to develop and manage their natural resources without intimidation, coercion, or interference from others. Hydrocarbon activities on the Falkland Islands continental shelf are regulated under Falkland Islands law and conducted in full accordance with international law, including UNCLOS. The United Kingdom will continue to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the Falkland Islands Government and the Falkland Islanders. We will robustly defend their wishes, their economy, and their right to determine their own future. Thirdly, the British Virgin Islands. The Committee has heard from the Premier. There is no change to the United Kingdom’s long-standing position. Where it is the clear and constitutionally expressed will of the British Virgin Islanders to pursue independence, the United Kingdom Government will meet its obligations to help the Territory achieve it. For as long as the British Virgin Islands remains an Overseas Territory, the United Kingdom is committed to working in partnership with the BVI Government to deliver in the interests of all its people. We have been holding constructive talks on constitutional reform in that spirit, and will keep the Committee informed of the outcome of those talks. Chair, in conclusion, the United Kingdom remains committed to respecting and defending the right of the people of each Territory to determine their own future, in line with the UN Charter. And let me also reassure you that the United Kingdom will continue to carry out our responsibilities as part of our modern partnership with each of the territories.
Speech Brief