On the 200th anniversary of the raising of the Argentine flag in the Malvinas, President Alberto Fernández headed the first meeting of the National Council of Affairs Relative to the Malvinas, South Georgias, and South Sandwich Islands and the corresponding Maritime and Insular spaces, composed of the Head of State himself, together with Foreign Minister Felipe Solá, Secretary Daniel Filmus and a wide range of representatives from the main political forces, from the academic and scientific fields, from the area of international law, and from former Malvinas combatants, and has the Nobel Peace Prize, Adolfo Pérez Esquivel, as an Honorary Member.
In its first Declaration, the Council condemned “the colonial situation that persists in the Malvinas, South Georgias and South Sandwich Islands and the illegal occupation that the United Kingdom has carried out for more than 187 years”, and expressed the need to “resolve the dispute peacefully and in accordance with United Nations resolutions, reaffirming our country's vocation for dialogue and peace”.
Furthermore, it rejected the presence of a United Kingdom military base in the Malvinas Islands, and condemned the exploration and exploitation of renewable and non-renewable natural resources, actions incompatible with numerous resolutions of the United Nations General Assembly.
The Council also regretted that, “despite the time that has elapsed and the efforts made by the Argentine democratic governments, the United Kingdom continues to ignore the call of the international community and to evade its obligations under international law”.
Moreover, it expressed that it “remembers and values the courage and patriotism of those who fought in defense of sovereignty in the southern archipelagos illegally occupied by the United Kingdom and shares the pain and pride of the families of those who gave their lives in the military conflict and highlights the permanent recognition of our people to the former combatants”.
Among other points, the Declaration acknowledges the support of the Argentine claim from MERCOSUR, CELAC, the OAS and the G77 plus China, among other international fora.
Lastly, the Council recalled that the Malvinas Question is “a national cause, which requires the contribution of all sectors of society to make the desire to raise the Argentine flag again in the Malvinas Islands a reality”.
The Council is composed of Senators Jorge Taiana, Juan Carlos Romero, Pablo Blanco, Gladys González, María Eugenia Duré and Carmen Lucila Crexell; and the deputies Aldo Leiva, Facundo Suarez Lastra, Federico Frigerio, Rosana Bertone, Soher El Sukaria and Roxana Reyes.
Among the academics and jurists, Susana Ruiz Cerutti, Marcelo Kohen, Martín Balza, Armando Abruza, Frida Armas Pfirter, Mónica Pinto, Juan Gabriel Tokatlian, Alcira Argumedo and Oscar Padín participate.
It is also composed of the governor of Tierra del Fuego, Antarctica and the South Atlantic Islands, Gustavo Melella and former combatants Adolfo Schweighofer and Ernesto Alonso.
The Council seeks to contribute to the design and implementation of State policies that guarantee the full exercise of sovereignty in those territories, while collaborating in the elaboration of geographical, environmental, historical, legal and politica elements ine support of the Argentine position in the sovereignty dispute.
