claim that his country was violating General Assembly resolution 31/49 by developing “illegitimate” hydrocarbon activities in the Falkland Islands (Malvinas), South Georgia Islands, South Sandwich Islands and the surrounding maritime areas, and reinforcing its military assets in the South Atlantic.
- In exercise of the right of reply, the delegate of Argentina recalled that the country’s President had stated at the United Nations on two occasions last year that the Malvinas Islands were Argentina’s national territories “illegally occupied” by the United Kingdom. Many resolutions recognized the existence of a sovereignty dispute, she said, calling on the United Kingdom to agree to resume negotiations towards a peaceful and lasting solution.
- Also adopted was a draft resolution on the International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala, by which the Assembly noted the request of the Guatemalan Government to extend the Commission’s mandate for a final two years, until 3 September 2015. At the same time, the Assembly called on the Government to continue providing all the support necessary to consolidate the achievements and overcome the challenges facing the Commission as well as to redouble its efforts to strengthen rule of law and respect for human rights in the country.
- Prior to action on that text, several delegations expressed their support for the Commission’s extension, including a representative of the European Union Delegation, who added, however, that despite the Union’s support of that body, this should be the final extension. The representative of Costa Rica acknowledged the work of the Commission, whose contribution transcended borders and impacted all of Central America, having been instrumental in investigating and prosecuting several criminal cases. His counterpart from Germany agreed, noting that the overwhelming majority of denunciations had previously gone unimplemented, but the Commission and Government had dramatically changed that.
- Noting that stable, efficient and reliable energy transportation was a key factor of sustainable development and in the interest of the entire international community, the Assembly, in another resolution, recognized the need for extensive international cooperation for promoting the reliable transportation of energy to international markets through pipelines and other transportation systems. In a related provision, it welcomed the proposal of the Government of Turkmenistan to host an international meeting of experts early in 2014 to follow up on the high-level conference held on the topic on 23 April 2009.
- A wide-ranging draft resolution on the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), submitted by Djibouti on behalf of the organization’s States members, welcomed the cooperation between it and the United Nations in the fields of peacemaking, preventive diplomacy, peacekeeping and peacebuilding, and noted also the close cooperation between the two organizations in reconstruction and development in Afghanistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sierra Leone and Somalia.
- A draft decision adopted today determined that the Third International Conference on Small Island Developing States would be held in Samoa’s capital, Apia, from 1 to 4 September 2014.
- Also today, the Assembly held a debate on the central role of the United Nations system in global governance, in which representatives of Chile and the European Union delegation participated.
- Representatives of the United Kingdom, Germany, United States, Mexico and Indonesia also spoke in explanation of position on the resolution concerning French Polynesia. Solomon Islands spoke in exercise of the right of reply.
- Also speaking on the text concerning the International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala were the representatives of Argentina and the United States.
