Recent News

25th June 2008 - Trilateral Forum

The next round of the Trilateral Forum of Dialogue on Gibraltar will be held in Londong on the 2nd July.

Attending the meeting will be The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs of the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland, David Miliband, the Chief Minister of Gibraltar, Peter Caruana and the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of the Kingdom of Spain, Miguel Angel Moratinos.

The main purpose of the meeting is to review the ongoing implementation of the 2006 Cordoba agreements and agree the objectives for the future agenda of the Forum.

25th June 2008 - Letter to the Deputy Governor

Dear Sir,

A very interesting chat held by GBC with the outgoing Deputy Governor.

Various subjects were discussed, some of the highest importance but once again the stereotype jargon statements creep in, like Gibraltar now has a modern constitution, where have we heard it before and the UN criteria on de-colonisation is antiquated.

Well Sir, Gibraltar is in this pickle because way back in 1946 your colleagues in the then ‘Colonial Office' so decided, in other words Britain as a founder member of this august organisation had to be whiter than white. What a difference from the French and Dutch Governments, they never had colonies, in fact—Overseas Territories, wait for it the recent debate in the House of Lords was on the Subject of ‘ The British Overseas Territories', so Gibraltar must once again be the odd one out.

Sir, the British Government placed us in this predicament, the British Government now says the system at the UN is antiquated therefore it must per force be the British Governments top Foreign Affairs spokesman i.e. The Foreign Secretary who must defend this statement and quoting from the late Robin Cook's words, admittedly in another context, Spain will go ballistic, so be it. What is not acceptable is wording to placate the Gibraltarians and our friends in Parliament but no action not to offend the aggressor.

The statement as to the Constitution is as hollow as the previous in the Preamble and we were almost sold out.

Less statements and more action because Gibraltar does not deserve the treatment being dished out.

Yours faithfully,
W.L.Chamberland.

19th June 2008 - Tripartite Talks

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has announced today that the next round of the Tripartite Talks will take place in London on 23rd June.

Peter Caruana, Gibraltar Chief Minister, Jose Pons, Director General for Europe and North American Political Affairs, and Anthony Smith, Director for European Political Affairs, will attend.

19th June 2008 - United Nations Committee of 24

Both the Chief Minister and the Leader of the Opposition yesterday attended the meeting of the United Nations Committee of 24 held New York.

The Chief Minister's address:

Mr. Chairman, thank you for allowing me to address the Special Committee again this year.

This is my thirteenth successive annual address to you as Chief Minister, that is as the elected political leader of Gibraltar, its people and Government. On each of those occasions, that is twelve times, I have set out the position, wishes and inalienable rights of the people of my country. I am not going to do so again, lest continued repetition should sound like a plaint in the face of the Special Committee's apparent disinclination to adopt a clear position in support of the rights and aspirations of the people of Gibraltar.

As this Committee knows, Gibraltar has been one of the most consistent supporters of its work, which we have supported by annual visits to New York to address the Committee here at the UN and attendance at your regional seminars. But, despite the strength and persistence of our arguments and our support for your works we appear to have failed to recruit your support of our decolonisation based on the core elements of our position, namely:

1. That under the Charter and doctrine of the United Nations, and under established principles of international law, decolonisation can only be brought about by the application of the principle of self determination;

2. That there is no rule or principle that enables, still less requires, decolonisation to be other than by self determination in cases where there is a sovereignty dispute. In other words , such cases are not, and cannot be an exception to the general rule, and that there is no UN doctrine to this effect;

3. Accordingly, whether it be on the application of the properly applicable principles of international law, or the correct doctrine of the UN, or the principle of territorial integrity to the facts of the case of Gibraltar during the last 300 years and today, only the principle of self determination applies to our decolonisation;

Instead, you have allowed the principles applicable to a colonial peoples' decolonisation to be contaminated by the anachronistic and competing territorial sovereignty claims of neighbours. You have allowed arguments in support of such claims to stand above sacred principles and doctrines that exist to protect the very peoples whose rights you are mandated to uphold.

I do not believe that this has happened as a result of any objective consideration of the issues and principles, but rather as a result of the machinations, and disproportionate influence on the work of this Committee of sovereignty claimants and other countries that are their diplomatic friends. This is not a measure of the merit of our case or of the extent of our rights, or of UN doctrine, but rather, it is a measure of our inferior diplomatic strength and horse trading power as a very small country. Indeed, this Special Committee exists to protect colonial peoples from that very thing, which the Committee has singularly failed to do in our case.

The Special Committee needs to be clear in its mind whether its mandate and function is to promote and defend the sovereignty claim of the territorial claimant, or to promote and defend the rights and aspirations of the people of the listed territory.

These things of which I speak are sharply illustrated by the wholly unacceptable goings on at Regional Seminars, which by slight of hand and total lack of integrity of process, submit reports to this Special Committee that certain principles have been adopted by the participants, which have never even been discussed by the participants, and which are in reality, simply the fruit of the manipulation in the drafting committee room of sovereignty claimants and their friends, who, as member states, have access to the drafting committee room , which is denied to participants from the Territories.

We had understood that Regional Seminars were intended to be for the benefits of the Territories. This is why the Government of Gibraltar no longer attends the regional seminars, and will not do so while our presence might add legitimacy and credibility to these shocking practices, about which I have complained before.

To make matters worse the Special Committee then receives and adopts those Reports, containing as they do outrageous misrepresentations of facts and self serving distortions of principles amounting, in effect, to a denial of the existence of the right to self determination (in flagrant breach of the Charter, Covenants and Doctrine of the United Nations) in colonial cases where a sovereignty dispute exists. This is intellectually, politically and legally preposterous.

And so, by these means, it is pronounced in the Reports that listed territories which have the misfortune to be the subject of a sovereignty dispute are not entitled to decolonisation by self determination (despite this then being described as a fundamental human right!). Further, we may not participate in the development of work programmes, nor benefit from Special Committee focal points, nor from electoral assistance regarding any act of self determination, nor receive visits or special missions by the Special Committee.

Mr. Chairman, it is a complete misconception to mix up and confuse decolonisation and sovereignty disputes in this way. But in so far as concerns this Special Committee, I believe that it's obligations are very clear. If you think that Gibraltar is a colonial case that remains pending decolonisation, then you are obliged to apply the principle of self determination to its decolonisation, since self determination is, under UN doctrine and international law, the only principle applicable in the decolonisation process.

On the other hand, if you think, for any reason, that Gibraltar is not really a colony, but a sovereignty dispute, then this Committee has no jurisdiction in the case of Gibraltar, because you simply have no mandate or other jurisdiction to deal with sovereignty disputes, and you should therefore ask the General Assembly to relieve you of responsibility for the case of Gibraltar, by delisting us.

But, whatever may be the case the Special Committee has no mandate to establish decolonisation principles that mixes up the two cases. While we are on your list as a decolonisation case, you are entitled to apply only the principle of self determination. The principle of territorial integrity is not a principle that is applicable to the decolonisation of a territory on your list, since such a territory is not part of a state that would be disintegrated by such decolonisation.

Spain and others will point to non binding Resolutions of the 1960s which they say have precisely the effect which I am denouncing. Such resolutions, whatever may be their correct interpretation have ceased to be relevant in a world which has moved on. They are certainly irrelevant to the decolonisation of Gibraltar, which as far as we are concerned has already happened.

In all these circumstances that I have described, Mr. Chairman, it is not surprising that the people and Government of Gibraltar no longer look to this Special Committee or to the UN to help us bring about our decolonisation, legitimately in accordance with our rights and wishes. We have resorted to self help. I no longer come here asking the Special Committee to recognise our right to self determination, or to help us exercise it, still less do I acknowledge the Special Committee, or the UN, as the authoritative arbiter or judge or gatekeeper of Gibraltar's decolonisation.

As I reported to you last year, we have negotiated a new constitutional relationship with the United Kingdom, which the people of Gibraltar have freely accepted in an act of self determination, namely a referendum. If the Special Committee is interested in knowing whether the result of that referendum constituted the informed, genuinely and freely expressed will of the people of Gibraltar, you are welcome to establish that by whatever means you consider appropriate.

This new constitutional relationship, which includes the formal acknowledgement in our Constitution by the UK of our right to self determination, is acknowledged and understood by the Governments of both the United Kingdom and Gibraltar, to be a modern, non colonial relationship which results in Gibraltar no longer being a colony. The UK has so declared publicly, including here at the UN, in Gibraltar and in its own Parliament.

The status of Gibraltar, and its relationship with the United Kingdom for the future, has thus been settled in a way which is entirely acceptable and agreeable to the people of Gibraltar. As far as we are concerned the decolonisation of Gibraltar is no longer a pending issue.

If the UN wishes to define decolonisation differently, or to cling to outdated and unrealistic delisting criteria, that amongst other consequences will result in the Special Committee never being able to finish its work, that is a matter for you. But, that does not alter the reality of our circumstances as I have just described them. We no longer regard that matter, namely, our presence on that list as signifying that we are a colony pending decolonisation.

In its letter to the Committee submitting its annual report on Gibraltar for the year 2007 under article 73E of the Charter, the United Kingdom has made it clear that following the new Constitution, and as a result of it, its relationship with Gibraltar is now non colonial in nature (a statement with which we agree ) and that accordingly Gibraltar should not remain on the UN list of non self governing territories. The UK also makes it clear that it submits the report only because the Charter requires them to do so while Gibraltar actually remains on the list. The Committee should be aware that the report was in fact prepared by the Gibraltar Government.

Nor does the UK's continuing subscription to an annual Consensus Resolution on the case of Gibraltar signify that it continues to believe that Gibraltar should remain on the list, or that it remains a colony pending decolonisation. The dispute between the UK and Spain relates to the Sovereignty of Gibraltar, not its decolonisation. The UK has not agreed to discuss, still less negotiate with Spain the issue of our decolonisation. Furthermore, the text of that annual Consensus Resolution is now a fiction. There is no such process ongoing between the UK and Spain. There have been no meetings under the Brussels Process for many years. What is more, the UK has told us, Spain and the UN that it will not resume any such process unless we are content. We are not content, and will never be content for our affairs to be discussed in a process that is bilateral between the UK and Spain, and consequently that process is for all practical and political purposes dead and defunct.

Mr Chairman, this is what the UK Permanent Representative Sir John Sawers said to the Fourth Committee on 15th October 2007, on behalf of the United Kingdom:

“Her Majesty's Government therefore confirms that it would not enter into a process of sovereignty negotiations with which Gibraltar is not content. Given these previously stated commitments, while this year the UK will again be part of the consensus decision on Gibraltar, any reference to the Brussels Process needs to be understood in this context. In light of this, the implications of Gibraltar's well-known view of the Brussels Process, as regards to both sovereignty and bilateralism between Spain and the UK, are clear.”

In other words, the Brussels Process is dead because Gibraltar is opposed to it and the UK will not participate in it if Gibraltar is opposed to it.

It is thus wholly inappropriate that a process that is known by all to be, and is actually, defunct should be misrepresented to be extant and in operation, and continue to be placed, year after year, at the centre of the Consensus resolution, when in reality its existence is now a fiction.

Mr Chairman, the only process of dialogue that now exists is the Trilateral Forum of Dialogue between the Governments of Spain, Gibraltar and the United Kingdom. If the Consensus Resolution is to be accurate and realistic, and not remain a make believe consensus based on a fiction, it must reflect this now inescapable and permanent reality, namely, that the Brussels Process has now effectively been consigned to the history books, and has been replaced by the Trilateral Forum.

The Government of Gibraltar is totally committed to its participation in this trilateral forum, which is open agenda, thus allowing any and all issues to be raised for discussion. It has already done good work and produced good agreements, and it will continue to do so if all the parties continue to participate constructively and in good faith, as will the Gibraltar Government.

Finally Mr Chairman, even though we profoundly disagree with the Special Committee on many issues of fundamental importance to us, and even though there is no longer any need for us to look to the Committee to help us bring about our decolonisation, we continue to acknowledge the essential work that the Committee has carried out in the past, and its contribution to the advancement of the world over decades. We do of course remain willing to co operate with the Special Committee on any matter that it wishes, not least its delisting criteria and how Gibraltar can now be removed from the UN's list of non self governing territories.

I thank the Special Committee and its staff for the many courtesies that it , and they have shown the Gibraltar Government now and in the past, and through the Gibraltar Government, to the people of Gibraltar.

Leader of the Opposition's Address:

Mr Chairman

Last year when I addressed this Committee I reminded it of what had taken place in the Grenada Seminar regarding one of the items left pending.

Last month in the Bandung Seminar we were again faced with a similar issue regarding a statement attributed to the participants, on which no debate had taken place.

The proposed wording of the statement appeared to limit the decolonisation process to territories where there was no sovereignty dispute. I suggested an alternative wording to correct, this totally unacceptable, implied proposition, which the distinguished representatives of Argentina and Spain agreed was sensible and which they supported. It was left to the full Committee in New York to take the final decision on this matter.

I trust the final version of the Bandung Seminar Report adopted by this Committee will reflect this.

May I remind the Committee that, if the existence of a sovereignty dispute were to preclude our country’s decolonisation, this Committee should have told us that in 1964, when it first considered the matter. Instead it did the very opposite saying the Decolonisation Declaration was fully applicable to the territory and the people of Gibraltar, a decision from which the Committee has never resiled in the last 44 years.

Whilst on the subject of what transpired at Bandung, I should like to draw the attention of the committee to an item raised by the distinguished representative of Spain in his statement to the seminar, since that statement appears on the record but the comments I made on it, do not.

Spain’s paper included a reference to its concerns over the British military base in Gibraltar. Let me say, Mr Chairman, that the argument is a hairy old chestnut, if ever there was one.

In case any of Your Excellencies, should run away with the idea that we, 20,000 Gibraltarians are a belligerent, war mongering, lot that threaten world peace, whilst our 45 million Spanish neighbours are a peace loving nation, concerned over the military presence on Gibraltarian soil, let me put your minds at rest by putting things into perspective.

On two occasions in our history there has been a sovereignty deal with Spain put on the table. On each occasion, it has been rejected by our people in a 99% against vote. The first, the Castiella proposals of 1967, the second, the Pique proposals of 2002. On both occasion the deal under negotiation guaranteed the British sovereign military base facilities, and only the sovereignty of the indigenous, Gibraltarian, colonial people, was to be the subject of the settlement.

So much for the concerns expressed by Spain over the military presence!

Mr Chairman in Bandung we were all very concerned at how near we are to closing the Second Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism without even the faintest glimmer of light, that this Eradication will take place.

As someone fully supportive of the work of this Committee, fully committed to its decolonisation agenda, having defended politically, here and in my own country, the legitimacy of the UN’s role in the decolonisation process, I have to say to you, as a friend, that the credibility of the Committee is seriously dented in the eyes of many of the colonial peoples you are charged with defending.

Declaring a third decade and doing nothing for the next 10 years will only further damage this lack of credibility.

The seminars recently have all identified the need for this Committee to play a more pro-active role so that there is movement towards the goal.

However, when the reports get adopted here, what happens?

Nothing.

It all gets sent to the 4th Committee and they in turn pass it on to the General Assembly who approves the next Seminar. Then we close the circle by getting together next year in the Caribbean.

Yet, it is not as if the template for the action that is needed has to be invented, it is already there, except that nothing is being done about it.

The information that has to be provided under Article 73(e), by the administering powers, was always intended to give this Committee the opportunity of monitoring progress towards the attainment of self determination and decolonisation. The latest General Assembly Resolutions in this area call for these reports to provide the fullest possible information on political and constitutional developments in the territories concerned.

In Bandung UK, as the administering power for 10 out of the 16 territories, actually set out in its Report, quite a lot of detail on the political and constitutional development in each of its territories.

Having made clear that none of its overseas territories are colonies any more, the UK none the less, does address in its paper the Options that the UN provides for decolonization.

For the first time it acknowledged that there are indeed 4 options and not just 3.

In Gibraltar we did not know of the 1970 provision, until I discovered it as a result of my first UN visit. Given that in 1976 UK had rejected all 3 options provided in resolution 1541(XV), i.e. independence, free association and integration, we adopted as the obvious choice what had not been rejected. We saw option 4 as a form of association which differed from free association in not being capable of being converted unilaterally into independence.

On many occasions since, in addressing the UN and at seminars, I have argued that this option provides the possibility of tailor made constitutions for the remaining 16 territories for which none of the 3 options in 1514(XV), may not be a suitable solution.

I would urge the committee to look at the constitutional change in the remaining territories in this light, in the context of the seminar recommendation to look for innovative solutions.
Any such innovative solution would still have to pass the litmus test of providing for each territory in question, a full measure of self government as required by the Charter and consistent with that territory’ circumstances and capabilities.

That said, the UK position, in Bandung, was that it considers your continued existence outdated. In other words, Your Excellencies were all declared redundant. It’s kind of, what we might call in the European Union, a state of collective redundancy.

The UN List of Territories is also outdated, by the way, all 16 of them. You are being asked to accept that all the 10 remaining British overseas territories enjoy modern non-colonial relationships with UK and that none therefore should remain on the UN list. That is if the list is not scrapped altogether.

Clearly that view is not shared by us and has never been, in Opposition or in Government.

The reality is, that in spite of this rather hostile statement, which was noted and regretted by the participants at Bandung, UK on this occasion has gone further than it has done for a very long time in engaging with you, by providing you with details of the constitutional developments, in all the 10 territories.

The emphases on this requirement in several General Assembly Resolutions recently, are for a purpose. The only sensible and logical purpose to requesting such information is to analyse and evaluate it.

To assess, whether the resultant relationship with the administering power brings a territory closer to attaining a full measure of self government.

To conclude, if it is such, that it is deemed to be enough to enable this Committee to recommend to the General Assembly the removal of the territory from the list thereby ending the reporting requirement under Article 73(e).

The UK paper itself acknowledged that the purpose of the Seminar was to assess the situation in the territories and in particular their evolution towards self government and self determination.

This is absolutely correct and it is the closest this Committee has ever got to being invited by UK to assess the continuing evolution of its 10 territories towards self government on the basis of the changes that are taking place in their Constitutions.

It is Mr Chairman the same request I have been making to this Committee in respect of Gibraltar’s case from as far back as the setting up of the Constitutional Committee in 1999.

In many respects, it seems to me, that the ball is very much in your Committee’s court and that this opportunity should not be missed.

The Committee should therefore, not simply record the fact that it has the information, but indeed express a view on the relevance of the changes for the decolonisation question.

Indeed if the Committee fails to rise to the occasion then I do not see how it can continue to point the figure at the administering powers’ lack of involvement.

Our view has always been that the situation of Gibraltar is no different to any of the other 15 in terms of its legal status, or the applicability to its decolonisation of the Charter, the Human Rights Declaration and the Conventions.

We ask for no more than equal treatment with the rest.

Our 73e Report says the relationship with UK in the new constitution is modern and thereby non colonial.

This Committee has the duty to say why it still falls short of the level of self government required to make the relationship non-colonial, if that is indeed your view.

The UK told the 4th Committee, in relation to the Spanish position, that it does not accept, and has never accepted, that the concept of territorial integrity applies to Gibraltar’s decolonisation.

It also stated that it will not participate in any sovereignty discussions with Spain with which Gibraltar is not content.

Why on earth should Gibraltar and its people ever be content to see their sovereignty discussed with Spain by their administering power, or their former administering power, depending on whether we are already decolonised or not? As far as we are concerned the decision on that question was taken by the 2002 Referendum, and is now closed.

The decision adopted without a vote at the 76th plenary meeting of the General Assembly, last December, was no different from the one adopted a year earlier. The text urges UK and Spain to find a definitive solution to the question of Gibraltar.

Which question is that Mr Chairman, I ask you?

The question of our decolonisation, which UK claims has already happened and you do not give an answer to?

The question of the territorial integrity of Spain, which UK says it rejects as having no application to Gibraltar?

If it is indeed neither of these, but a question of a border dispute between a sovereign territory, us, and its neighbouring nation state, then it is not within the remit of this Committee, the 4th Committee, or the General Assembly’s agenda items on decolonisation.

Last month His Majesty King Juan Carlos of Spain addressed the nation on the 200th anniversary of Spain’s War of Independence, which, incidentally, happened 104 years after the separation of Gibraltar from the Spanish part of the Iberian Peninsula.

The event marked, as His Majesty said, the first expression of the Spanish people, not as subjects of the monarchy, but as the real owners of their own national sovereignty and identity.

Why should Spain seek to deny to the Gibraltarians, that right which they first exercised 200 years ago. The ownership of their own national identity and sovereignty.

In 1991 His Majesty addressed the General Assembly and expressed the hope that a solution to the Gibraltar dispute would be found in accord with the times in which we lived.

17 years later Spain seems to be still living in 1704 and not in 2008.

The reality is that Spain has lost the argument in this forum and knows it. She should therefore come to her senses and accept the inevitability of her situation.

Gibraltar will never, ever, be a part of Spain again.

9th June 2008 - Petrol Shortage

Thanks to lack of forsight by our government, where no reserve petrol is kept in Gibraltar and our supply of petrol depends on that imported from Spain, we are presently suffering a major petrol shortage due to a strike action by Spanish truck driver.

Most petrol stations have had to close down due to having run out of petrol and those few which still have some left are experiencing queues of over one hour.

The Spanish truck driver strike is also affecting the availability of foodstuff, with supermarkets and shops running out of stock.

What is disgraceful is that no contingency plans nor backup reserves are in place in the event of transport or any other incident which might affect the import of petrol or foodstuff from Spain.

(Of course, our government has reassured us that there is no reason for panic or concern, that contingency plans are in place (I guess the contingency plan are that if no petrol is available, you walk, and if there is a foodstuff shortage, you either grow potatoes or starve)).

2nd May 2008 - STATEMENT BY THE GSLP/LIBERAL OPPOSITION

The Opposition note that Spain has reacted to the statement made by Mr Caruana when he appeared before the Foreign Affairs Committee of the House of Commons.

In a written submission of his own, the Spanish Ambassador to London quotes that Mr Caruana had said Spain subscribed to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea without making any reservation on the case of Gibraltar and proceed to argue “so international law makes Spain's denial of territorial waters completely unsustainable in law”.

As far as the Opposition is concerned, Spain's denial of Gibraltar's territorial waters is totally unacceptable politically irrespective of whether or not it is sustainable in international law.

In any event, Spain's entering or failing to enter a reservation at the time of signing up to the Convention does not change international law. The fact is that Spain has now made it clear that Mr Caruana did not know what he was talking about because Spain had actually entered a reservation.

The Opposition does not believe that Spain has got the right to deny the territorial waters of Gibraltar because under international law all the colonies have territorial waters, so the colonial situation of Gibraltar is completely irrelevant. The nature of the reservation entered into by Spain refers both to the Treaty of Utrecht and to the process of decolonisation.

If Spain's argument for the reservation has any validity it would mean that colonies only acquire territorial waters on being decolonised and this is not and has never been the case.

It is clear that Spain has exploited the way in which Mr Caruana expressed himself in order to suggest that Gibraltar somehow considers that Spain's position is unsustainable only because they failed to enter a reservation at the time the Convention was signed. The implication is that since they actually did enter a reservation Gibraltar is saying that their position is sustainable. We reject and refute this view nor do we accept that this was the intention of the statement made by Mr Caruana.

The Opposition considers that the way to put paid to Spain's argument is for the United Kingdom to once and for all extend the limit of Gibraltar waters not affected by a median line to the 12 mile limit that we are entitled to have. They have failed to do this in the past in order to pacify Spain and they ought to know by now that the more they attempt to pacify Spain, the more aggressive Spain will become.

It is regrettable that the Gibraltar Government does not appear to attach the same importance that we attach to this question of the 12 mile limit.

21st April 2008 - Killing of Rock Apes

In an effort to reduce the ape population, the government has not found any other more humane method of dealing with the problem than the killing of 25 apes.

There has been a massive protest worldwide.

If you want to add your signature to the 'Stop culling the Macaques in Gibraltar' please click here.

21st April 2008 - Next Tripartite Talks

According to the Spanish press, the Spanish Foreign Affairs Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos has stated that the next round of the talks will take place in London and will centre on environmental matters, more specific, to to prevent another incident like that of the New Flame.

The news seems to have come as a surprise to the local government and have sought confirmation from the UK.

According to our government, the next round of talks will concentrate on other topics, not just the New Flame.

(Only time will tell who telling the truth)

7th April 2008 - IWBM PRESS RELEASE

Prime Minister’s Oral evidence to the Foreign Affairs Committee.

The IWBM executive committee welcomes that part of the Prime Minister’s when he answers questions from the Chairman of the Committee on Representation at Westminster.

The Prime Minister answered.” You cause me to plunge into schizophrenia in answering this question. Half of me would welcome it very much. But for what I am about to explain to you the answer would be an unqualified yes. There would be a huge value if it w3as not a voting member. In the US Congress the representatives of Puerto Rico are allowed to attend and participate in debates but not to vote” the Prime Minister goes on to add “ So yes, I would love to have some sort of representation for Gibraltar in Parliament – indeed. In both Houses of Parliament but that would have to be done In a way that did not undermine Gibraltar’s ability to be economically and jurisdictionally separate and distinct from the UK in the EU legal framework. “

The above statement capsulates by Gibraltar’s Prime Minister’s coincides with the IWBM’s submission to the Foreign Affair’s Committee. Devolved Integration as we have painstakingly explained over the last eight years provides precisely that, a totally Autonomous Gibraltar, with its own Parliament, just like Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, its own fiscal regime. Over and above this there would be no doubt that Gibraltar is finally ‘ decolonised’.

We are confident that Gibraltar’s Prime Minister’s fears can be dispelled if Gibraltar fights in the courts of Europe in favour of the clear and favourable Legal Opinion given at the time when the Azores ruling was given. That Legal Opinion fitted the Gibraltar situation perfectly. We have written and have made frequent references to this matter on various occasions.

We trust that the Foreign Affairs Committee will consider the IWBM’s submission on Devolved Integration and that the Prime Minister will put ‘ political will’ behind his words.

Joe L Caruana.
Chairman
IWBM

29th March 2008 - Fear of being arrested

According to local and Spanish news sources the Chief Minister has lately been avoiding going to Spain for fear of being arrested in relations to the New Flame. It has further emerged that for the same reason, the next round of the Tripartite Talks might not be held in Spain.

2nd March 2008 - STATEMENT BY THE GSLP/LIBERAL OPPOSITION

The Opposition has been informed that the Spanish frontier authorities are no longer recognising the validity of a permit of residence issued in Gibraltar. These permits are issued by the Immigration Department of the Royal Gibraltar Police.

Earlier this month, a Mexican national resident in Gibraltar, who is married to a Gibraltarian, tried to access Spain, as she had done many times in the past on the basis of her Mexican passport, her Gibraltar I/D card and her Gibraltar permit of residence.

The Spanish national police at the frontier challenged the validity of the permit of residence and refused to allow the person to cross into Spain. When the holder of the permit of residence attempted to obtain an explanation as to why the permit was not deemed to be a valid document, when she had used it in the past, she was told she was going to be arrested.

The Opposition understand that there have been other cases where a similar situation has arisen and where this particular document issued in Gibraltar has not been recognised in Spain.

The person in question did not attempt to enter Spain again, and reported the matter to the Police in Gibraltar and to the Opposition. On behalf of the affected party, Shadow Minister Dr Joseph Garcia raised the question with the Deputy Governor, the representative of the British Government in Gibraltar earlier this month.

Yesterday, the person decided to go to Spain. The permit of residence was not requested on the way in. However, on the way back to Gibraltar, the Spanish National Police asked to see her permit of residence. When the same document was produced, once again the Spanish authorities questioned the validity of the document and they threatened to arrest the person in question and deport her back to Mexico. It was only after a very unpleasant conversation that the person in question was allowed to return to Gibraltar and warned not to set foot in Spain again with this Gibraltar permit of residence.

The situation is totally unacceptable. The permit of residence issued in Gibraltar is recognised as valid by the Gibraltar Government and the Royal Gibraltar Police, who are the ones who issue it. However, the Spanish frontier authorities, after accepting the validity of this document, have now decided to decline it.

The Opposition consider that the British and Gibraltar authorities should defend the document that has been issued and cause it to be accepted in Spain, in the same way as it was been accepted until now. It is deplorable that the persons who hold valid Gibraltar documentation should be treated in this way by the Spanish frontier authorities.

29th February 2008 - More border queues.

The traffic queue at the border has for the past number of days been on the increase. At 5pm today the traffic hold up by the Spanish authorities at the border was well over 2 hours to get across into Spain. The queue extended from the border in an easterly direction to Eastern Beach and in a southerly direction to Line Wall Road and Queensway.

Vehicular traffic coming from Spain into Gibraltar is also suffering from retentions in excess of 1 hour, only yesterday at midday the queue extended from the Spanish frontier to the area of La Linea known as Los Junquillos.

This only proves the point that, irrespective of Tripartite Talks, Cordoba don-deals, or whatever the UK, the Spanish and the Gibraltar governments might come up with, one can only expect harassment in whatever form or shape from Spain, who irrespective of what some might be led to believe, remains being an unfriendly neighbour.

Click here to view images of traffic queue at the border.

25th February 2008 - Drop it Pete, do Gibraltar a favour

Whether the PP wins the Spanish Elections or not would it not be sensible to walk away from the Tripartite Talks?

There are lots of tangible reasons to believe that the Spanish Politicians' meaning of ‘Good Neighbourly Relations' is NOT the same as ours.

The facts speak for themselves, for example:

- All Spanish political observers believe that the tripartite talks are helping their aim of achieving a Sovereignty take-over.
- The reiterated Official ‘ non-recognition of Gibraltar Waters'.
- The exaggerated drum beating about the oil spill from the New Flame vessel.

Courts

- Sr. Jose Carracao's statement making it clear that the PSOE's i.e. the Spanish Government's position has not changed and that their long term plan is to place Gibraltar in a position where there will be no alternative for progress, for Gibraltar, without arriving at a solution with Spain, on sovereignty of course.
- Sr.Moratino has said that the PSOE is seeking ‘ more mechanisms, more capacity and more instruments to find solutions to problems”, are we so naive as to hand him on a platter these mechanisms? The only ‘solution' they care about is how to get their hands on Gibraltar.
- Sr. Rajoy says “ the States of Spain and UK. Owners of the jurisdiction and sovereignty are the only ones that can take decisions. Any Spanish government has as its inalienable objective the recovery of sovereignty over Gibraltar.” Since when is Spain Owner of the jurisdiction and sovereignty of the Rock? Maybe since the Airport Agreement was signed?

We hear the same AIM with different methods of approach from both the PSOE AND THE PP.

If we need more reasons why to drop the Tripartite Talks we should look pragmatically at what has been achieved with the Cordoba Agreement.

So far precious little!
Fluidity at the frontier?
What else? Good relations?
Then keep on dreaming.

What has the Spanish side got out of it? They have achieved: -

1) Retrospective updated Pensions with an added lump sum payment, which Gibraltar Pensioners do not get.
2) Joint Management of our Airport, which includes baggage handling and Security.
3) A floor space within the Gibraltar Airport, i.e. in Gibraltar territory considered an Schengen Area.
4) Official permission to the Spanish authorities to step inside the Terminal, in keeping with their Schengen responsibility, section (7e).
5) Passengers to and from Spain will arrive and depart as in an Internal Spanish flight.
6) Will the Construction of the Air Terminal and the Tunnel be financed with money Europe Cross Border Funds?
If so beware.
7) The establishment of a ‘ Cervantes Institute' with a top diplomat, versed on the Gibraltar question, as its Director.

If people were to and see through the mist and ignore the double-talk of the ‘Spin Doctors' trying to sell this wonderful ‘Deal' the picture would be apparently clear, the People could oppose this Airport Deal on three grounds,

A) It puts the future Security of Gibraltar at risk.
B) The Chief Minister alone, in total secrecy, without debate or consultation with the House of Assembly did this Agreement. No Referendum was held on this as promised by the C.M. at the start of the Tripartite talks.
C) Why is the Foreign Office and Spain so keen to see this Tripartite Forum alive?
D) The Brussels Process is still alive and the Joint Sovereignty Proposals are still on the books.
E) More importantly 51% of the Electorate are not in agreement with the Government's policy.

Our advice is “ drop it Pete” and you will do Gibraltar a good deed.

Yours truly

Joe Caruana

22nd February 2008 - ASTEG Press Release

LAS COLAS VUELVEN A SER COMO EN DICTADURA

La Asociación Socio-cultural de Trabajadores Españoles en Gibraltar ASCTEG vuelve a denunciar los abusos que se están cometiendo contra los trabajadores a la hora de cruzar la frontera hacia y desde sus puestos de trabajo.

Últimamente, las colas de entrada a la Roca se hacen de nuevo interminables y se llegan a extender hasta el Colegio Carlos V, habiendo llegado hoy hasta el propio Hotel Rocamar , desde las 07:40 hasta las 08:10 de la mañana originándose un caos circulatorio en las rotondas Monderja y Colonia con paradas de tráfico y discusiones entre conductores por el continuo bloqueo del Paseo Marítimo.

Sabemos de lo mal que está la infraestructura en la frontera, de lo mal que se hizo tras el acuerdo Tripartito cuando en lugar de mejorar la entrada se agravó para los trabajadores que entran con vehículos hasta las 09:00 por haberse quitado una vía para la entrada a aduanas que sólo funciona a partir de dicha hora para declarar y de lo mal que se hizo cuando en lugar de colocar 3 vías de salida de Gibraltar a España como previsto también en el Tripartito, se organizan las dos vías una para “declarar” y otra de ”no declarar” que se convierten en un embudo de una sola salida porque casi ningún vehículo quiere pasar por la de “declarar” con lo que a la salida del trabajo, los trabajadores tienen que volver a soportar colas de hasta más de media hora.

No sabemos sin embargo porqué no se hace caso al Gobierno cuando se dan instrucciones para que se agilice el tráfico, no sabemos quien o quienes están de nuevo fastidiando a tanta gente que sufre las consecuencias de rabias incontroladas hacia Gibraltar, hacia los gibraltareños y hasta a los propios trabajadores quienes tienen que sumar a sus horas de trabajo, las de demoras en cola,  los gastos de consumo de petróleo y la innecesaria polución que afecta principalmente a guardias civiles y policías de ambos lados, quienes hora tras hora se tragan el exceso de humos que sólo pueden ocasionarles enfermedades respiratorias y hasta cáncer.

Pedimos a Salvador de la Encina y a través de éste como interlocutor nuestro al Gobierno de la Nación para que se resuelva de nuevo la situación y se vuelva a lo conseguido hace ahora 3 años, cuando las colas tanto de salida como de entrada en horas punta no superaban nunca los 10 minutos, de lo contrario no tendremos más que pensar que seguimos en los tiempos de dictadura cuando las colas se alargaban y nadie sabía jamás quien daba instrucciones para que asi fuera.

Por otro lado exigimos también que se dedique el dinero necesario para que la Guardia Civil y la Policía Nacional deje de sufrir tanto las inclemencias de los fuertes vientos levante, frio y lluvias al no disponer de unas instalaciones que los proteja y al Ayuntamiento linense para que la Policía Municipal ayude en algo controlando las entradas y salidas como siempre lo hemos venido pidiendo. En este último aspecto entendemos que bloquear la salida de Gibraltar hacia el frente obligando a los vehículos a girar en la siguiente rotonda para evitar un policia en horas punta no hace más que perjudicar a los ya sufridos conductores.

22nd February 2008 - Traffic queues

The traffic queues at the Spanish border is on the increase, only yesterday it was taking well over 45 minutes to cross the border from Gibraltar to Spain.

20th February 2008 - Spanish General Elections

The Partido Popular has stated that, should they win the forthcoming general elections the will be two separate forums, one similar to the present Tripartite Talks, where the items on the agenda will pertain solely to matters of mutual interests and include a representative of the Campo de Gibraltar (fancy name they use for the neighbouring area close to Gibraltar containing the Spanish towns of La Linea, San Roque, etc.) and a separate forum dealing specifically with their sovereignty claim, where the participants will only be the UK and Spain.

7th February 2008 - Leadership with a capital L

Referring to the Leader of the Opposition meeting today in London with Foreign Affairs Committee of the House of Commons, Equality Rights Group GGR Chairman, Felix Alvarez, had this to say:

“the common sense and openness with which Joe Bossano has laid evidence to the Foreign Affairs Committee on human rights issues in Gibraltar. Bossano's plain speaking on these issues is Leadership with a capital L.

“Joe Bossano has not beaten about the bush, and has made his views abundantly clear: unequal treatment of citizens not only contravenes Gibraltar's international law obligations but also goes against the grain of the majority of Gibraltarians' sense of tolerance. We live in a small community and in this community the majority of us understand that we should treat others as we would wish ourselves to be treated too. It is only the prejudice and discrimination of a minority of bigots which brings Gibraltar into disrepute internationally and brings us discredit within our own land.

“The GSLP leader's clear commitment to human values in our community, and in the plainest of terms” Mr Alvarez added, “is a signal to Gibraltar that there are, indeed, human and political leaders still left among us who are willing to make a sincere stand on behalf of ordinary people regardless of political considerations,”

7th February 2008 - STATEMENT BY THE GSLP/LIBERAL OPPOSITION

The Leader of the Opposition Joe Bossano is in London and will be appearing as a witness before the Foreign Affairs Committee of the House of Commons today.

The Foreign Affairs Committee is appointed by the House of Commons to examine the expenditure, administration and policy of the Foreign Office.

The Foreign Affairs Committee is currently taking oral submissions for an inquiry into the Overseas Territories which was announced on 5 July 2007. The deadline for the submission of written evidence closed on 31 January 2008.

There have been two previous sessions were oral evidence has been submitted. The first was on 3 December. The Committee were then addressed by the Premier of the British Virgin Islands, the Leader of Government business in the Cayman Islands, the Chief Minister of Anguilla, the Chief Minister of Montserrat, the Premier of the Turks and Caicos Islands, the Commissioner of the Pictairn Islands, a Councillor from the Falkland Islands and a member of the Executive Council of St Helena.

The second session took place on 23 January and the third is this afternoon (Wednesday) at 2.30pm UK time, where the Leader of the Gibraltar Opposition Joe Bossano is the only person down to give oral evidence.

Mr Bossano made written submissions to the Committee in October of last year, and plans to expand on these today. The thrust of the submission made by the Opposition were that it is essential for the Committee to establish beyond any doubt whether the international status of Gibraltar has changed as a result of the 2006 Constitution, or whether that status remains the same now as it was before the new Constitution was implemented.

Mr Bossano returns to Gibraltar on Friday.

2nd February 2008 - STATEMENT BY THE GSLP/LIBERAL OPPOSITION

The Leader of the Opposition Joe Bossano leaves today for the United Kingdom.

During his stay in London, Mr Bossano will be appearing to give oral evidence before the Foreign Affairs Committee of the House of Commons as part of their inquiry into the Overseas Territories.

In October of last year, the Leader of the Opposition made a written submission to the Committee which homed in on only one main issue. This is whether the new constitution has produced a new international status for Gibraltar or whether the status of Gibraltar remains the same now as it was before.

In response to the written submission made by the Opposition, the Foreign Affairs Committee have asked Mr Bossano to appear in person next week, in the afternoon of Wednesday 6 February at 2.30pm.

Mr Bossano will take the opportunity to expand on the paper that was submitted.

During Mr Bossano's absence from Gibraltar, Dr Joseph Garcia will act as Leader of the Opposition.

11th January 2008 - GIBRALTAR SOCIALIST LABOUR PARTY PRESS RELEASE

A year ago I highlighted the discrimination against resident pensioners that was being planned as part of the Cordoba Deal.

Spanish workers withdrawn in 1969 by the frontier closure have ended up being rewarded by getting bigger pension payments, than anyone else that paid the same number of stamps. Last month surviving relatives of such pensioners have received payment as well.

I said last year, that the right to receive equal treatment was not affected by Community Care, which was not a relevant factor.

In the election campaign the GSD told you that I, as “the architect” of community Care, should know better

I am the architect and I've been proved right.

Since last April our pensioners, quite rightly, receive increases in both, Social Insurance pensions and Community Care payments.

The December increase in Community Care, incidentally, has been paid from the reserves that Community Care has left from the £60 million we provided in 1996.

Clearly, if the right thing now is to increase both payments, then it must be wrong not to do the same for Social Insurance pensions paid before last April. The majority of our pensioners know this and agree.

Mr Caruana has once again expressed his gratitude to those pensioners who voted for him. I am not surprised that he is so grateful.

Clearly if none of the discriminated pensioners had voted for him there would have been a change of government.

The result we now face is a Government who does not even acknowledge that it has made a single mistake in the last 11 years. Other Governments make mistakes. Not them.

Thus the Theatre Royal, we have now been told, was not an error of judgment but the best investment Gibraltar ever made.

The proposed airport terminal is a vision thing which requires courage. Courage is normally needed when you do dangerous things which can go badly wrong if you make an error of judgment.

The buildings going up at public expense are not a white rabbit being produced out of a hat by a magician. In their propaganda exercise the Government fails to mention all the land and buildings they inherited in 1996 and all the land and buildings released to the people of Gibraltar by the MOD since, which they have been selling off. These inherited or gifted sources of capital are now fast running out.

One of our policy differences has been the giving of a public building for the Cervantes Institute. Let me say that I do not know anyone who has said that the Cervantes Institute is a Trojan horse. Clearly whoever says this must have even less knowledge of Greek mythology than of Spanish culture.

I am sure you are familiar with the story.

Troy was being besieged for, say, 16 years by the Greeks who cut off, movement of goods and people to the city.

The Greeks then realised that the Trojans were not going to give in and changed strategy.

They offered dialogue and friendly, neighbourly co-operation and departed leaving behind a wooden horse as a gift.

The Chief Minister of the City of Troy was overjoyed at the change of heart on the part of his nasty neighbours. He rushed out to open the doors of the city and bring in the wooden horse for which he provided a public pedestal. However, the poor man was so naive that he didn't suspect for one moment that the horse was full of Greeks.

In our case it is different; we all know the Institute is going to be full of Spaniards. Their declared objective in bringing the Institute into our city is to win the hearts and minds of the Gibraltarians; to pave the way for a successful take-over.

We are convinced that the majority of Gibraltarians do not want to see this end result and will not change their minds. So, even though it is not a Trojan horse, I fail to see why there is a need to welcome the Institute by providing it with a building owned by the people.

Influences from outside Gibraltar can change our society over time. The frenetic luxury developments for outsiders and the get rich quick mentality is creating a new element in our population that may not think like we have traditionally done.

The ever increasing number of our young families having to live across the Border exposes a new generation of Gibraltarians to influences that were not there before.

The traditional family we believe in is the one that cares about our own, not the one that passes judgment on minority views and seeks to suppress them.

We reject outright the notion that to provide all our people, irrespective of their sexual orientation, with equal treatment constitute an attempt to introduce an extraneous “politically correct”, view.

We reject that such equal treatment is what is causing the problems faced by societies in other parts of Europe .

The love of one's neighbours as they are and the respect for their rights, is the basis for the moral code of a modern, caring society and not the cause of its downfall.

We have more confidence than this in the solidity of the traditional family. We do not accept that such a family is put at risk by accepting that in a democratic society different people may chose to develop their relationships in different ways, which they are perfectly entitled to do.

I want to end this New Year message therefore by wishing the whole spectrum of our people, including all those of you who may not share my views, a very happy and prosperous year over the next 12 months and my support in any problems you may have.

11th January 2008 - The Frontier

Surprisingly as it might sound, today whilst going across the border into Spain, the Spanish officer at the Spanish Frontier, after thoroughly examining our passports queried the purpose of our visit, "a que van ustedes".

I wonder if a future triprartite talks agreement will be the tattooing of a number on our forearms, similar to the Nazi death camps, so that the Spanish Guardia Civil can keep track of our movements whilst in Spain.