Buenos Aires, 10 June 2025

 

Today marks the 196th anniversary of the creation, by the Government of the Province of Buenos Aires, of the Political and Military Commandancy for the Malvinas Islands and the islands adjacent to Cape Horn.

On 10 June 1829, a Decree was signed by the then Governor of the Province of Buenos Aires, Martín Rodríguez, which established that: "The Malvinas Islands and the islands adjacent to Cape Horn in the Atlantic sea shall be governed by a Political and Military Commander to be immediately appointed by the Government of the Republic."  Thus, the Argentine authorities of that time created a government structure, the control of which was vested in Luis Vernet, who settled in the islands and publicly exercised his authority and jurisdiction.

Having inherited Spain's titles by virtue of State succession, in accordance with the uti possidetis iuris principle, from the beginning of its independence process in 1810, Argentina continuously and publicly exercised its rights over the South Atlantic archipelagos.

The first Argentine governments took various administrative steps in which they regarded the Malvinas Islands as an integral part of the national territory. On 6 November 1820, Argentine Navy Colonel David Jewett took possession of the Malvinas Islands on behalf of the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata and raised the Argentine flag for the first time there. The Argentine Government also enacted legislation and established legal and administrative structures to consolidate the full exercise of its sovereignty, including the promotion of trade activities and the establishment of settlements, which culminated in the creation, on 10 June 1829, of the Political and Military Commandancy for the Malvinas Islands and the islands adjacent to Cape Horn.

However, on 3 January 1833, such effective exercise of sovereignty was interrupted by an act of force carried out by the United Kingdom, through which it illegally occupied the islands and expelled the legitimate Argentine authorities and the existing settlers. This act, which was committed in times of peace and was contrary to the then-applicable international law, disrupted the territorial integrity of Argentina, a situation that was immediately condemned and protested, and to which no Argentine Government has ever consented in over 192 years of history.

Since then, there has been a sovereignty dispute between the Argentine Republic and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, as recognized by the United Nations General Assembly through Resolution 2065 (XX), adopted in 1965. In this regard, the United Nations have declared that the way to bring to an end the special and particular colonial situation present in the Question of the Malvinas Islands is finding a peaceful and negotiated solution to the sovereignty dispute between both countries.

In compliance with this resolution, starting in 1966 and for 16 years, both countries conducted negotiations in order to find a solution to the sovereignty dispute. However, despite Argentina's countless invitations and the calls made by the United Nations, the United Kingdom has systematically refused to resume sovereignty negotiations.

The international community has, for its part, reiterated the need for the prompt resumption of bilateral negotiations, as stated in 10 resolutions of the United Nations General Assembly and in numerous resolutions of the United Nations Special Committee on Decolonization, as well as in several declarations issued by regional and multilateral forums, such as the Organization of American States (OAS) and the Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR), among others.

Our country has maintained and continues to display a constructive attitude with respect to the inhabitants of the islands, taking their interests into consideration and respecting their way of life, as mandated by the First Temporary Provision of the Argentine Constitution, which establishes that recovering effective exercise of our sovereignty over the Malvinas, South Georgias and South Sandwich Islands and the surrounding maritime and insular areas is a permanent and unrenounceable goal of the Argentine people.

In this context, the Argentine Government wishes to maintain a constructive relationship with the United Kingdom, including substantive dialogue covering sovereignty negotiations and all other topics of common interest, within the framework of the mandate of the Argentine Constitution, UN General Assembly resolution 2065 (XX) and other resolutions of the United Nations.

In the year marking the 60th anniversary of United Nations Resolution 2065 (XX), the Argentine Government reiterates its conviction that the only possible path to recovering the exercise of its legitimate sovereignty rights is diplomacy. It also reiterates its interest in the good offices mission entrusted by the General Assembly to the United Nations Secretary General with the aim of helping the parties resume negotiations in order to find, as soon as possible, a peaceful solution to the sovereignty dispute over the Question of the Malvinas Islands.

On this important date for the Argentine people, we once again reaffirm our sovereignty rights over the Malvinas, South Georgias and South Sandwich Islands and the surrounding maritime areas, as they are an integral part of our national territory.