Argentina and the Falkland Islands

This Note looks briefly at the Kirchner governments in Argentina, who have pursued the Argentinean claim to sovereignty of the Falkland Islands as a constitutional mandate.

The arguments on the Argentinean and British sides have not changed with a change of government, while recent developments such as changes to the way in which fishing licences are issued and oil exploration around the Falklands, are continuing to affect bilateral relations.

The Falklands/Malvinas are regularly debated at the United Nations Committee on Decolonization, at which a resolution is adopted calling on the two sides to talk about the issues.

Successive UK governments have insisted that it is the Falkland Islanders themselves who have the right to decide on their destiny. Argentina maintains that the UN principle of the right to self-determination does not apply in the case of the Falklanders. Both the UK and Argentina accuse each other of colonialism.