14 Jun 2012

UN / FALKLANDS ISLANDS [MALVINAS]

Argentina’s president Cristina Fernandez attended the UN Special Committee on Decolonization today at headquarters in New York to raise her concern with the Falkland Islands [Malvinas]. UNTV

Posted at: June 14, 2012 7:14 pm

Duration: 02:42

Available in: SD

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STORY: UN / FALKLANDS ISLANDS [MALVINAS] 
TRT: 2.42
SOURCE: UNTV
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / SPANISH / NATS

DATELINE: 14 JUNE 2012, NEW YORK CITY

SHOTLIST:

FILE 2011, UNITED NATIONS NORTH LAWN BUILDING, NEW YORK CITY

1. Wide shot, United Nations North Lawn Building

14 JUNE 2012, NEW YORK CITY

2. Wide shot, conference room and Argentinean President Cristina Fernandez arrival
3. Wide shot, audience
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Roger Edwards Legislative Assembly, Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas):
"The Falkland Islands [Malvinas] has grown out of its colonial status and has become a democratic overseas territory of the United Kingdom. It now has devolved powers and a new post colonial constitutions as well as new found wealth and since the eviction of the Argentine forces on this day in 1982 we have moved forward with anew found energy and confidence to face the future. Our postcolonial constitution is in itself a reflection of our aspirations to press on with internal self determination."
5. Cutaway, President Cristina Fernandez
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Mike Summers, Representative of the Falkland Islands 
[Malvinas]:
Falkland Islanders are comfortable with our postcolonial relationship with the UK. We have the right to move away from that relationship if we so wish, there is no current mood in the community towards independence or association with any other country. The UK has very clearly stated that it will not discuss sovereignty of the Islands unless and until the islanders so wish it in accordance with the provisions of the UN Charter. A Charter which you as members of this committee are responsible to uphold."
9. Cutaway, audience
10. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Cristina Fernandez, President, Argentina:
"Since the creation of this committee 80 cases of ex-colonies have been resolved. Eleven cases Trusteeships and there are only 16 colonial cases to be resolved of which ten were originated by the dominium usurped by the United Kingdom."
11. Cutaway, podium
12. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Cristina Fernandez, President, Argentina:
"How can you claim that at a distance of 14 thousand kilometres a territory is integral part or part of the territory of the United Kingdom."
13. Wide shot, Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and President Cristina Fernandez photo-op
14. Various shots, Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and President Cristina Fernandez at a round table

STORYLINE:

Argentina's president Cristina Fernandez attended the UN Special Committee on Decolonization today at headquarters in New York to raise her concern with the Falkland Islands [Malvinas].

The Governments of Argentina and the United Kingdom have been engaged in a dispute concerning the sovereignty of the islands, located in the south Atlantic Ocean.

Roger Edwards, a member of the Falkland Islands Legislative Assembly, said the Falkland Islands had grown out of its colonial status while becoming a "democratic overseas territory of the United Kingdom."  He added that the Island's "postcolonial constitution is in itself a reflection of our aspirations to press on with internal self determination."

And Mike Summers, Representative of the Falkland Islands noted that the Falkland Islanders were "comfortable with our postcolonial relationship with the UK."

Summers added that the United Kingdom had "very clearly stated that it will not discuss sovereignty of the Islands unless and until the islanders so wish it."

President Fernandez opened her address saying of the 16 cases on colonialism in the history of the committee, ten involved the United Kingdom.

She fervently asked, "how can you claim that at a distance of 14 thousand kilometres a territory is integral part or part of the territory of the United Kingdom?"

Earlier, the president met with Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon where they discussed a range of issues on the global agenda, including the Falkland Islands (Malvinas).

According to information provided by Mr. Ban's spokesperson, the Secretary-General "acknowledged the strong regional support for this issue and reiterated that his good offices to resolve this dispute remain available if the parties are willing to engage."

The UN chief and President Fernández also discussed the situation in Haiti, where Argentina has military and police personnel serving as peacekeepers with the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH).

The pair also discussed expectations for the upcoming meeting of the Group of 20 (G20) taking place on 18-19 June in Los Cabos, Mexico and the Secretary-General welcomed Argentina's commitment to a successful outcome at the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20), taking place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, next week.