S/PV.2346 Security Council

I made clear to the Council yesterday [2345rh merfing] that my Government did not lightly call for immediate meetings of the Council. Our worst apprehensions. those apprehensions which ted to our calling the Council into session, have now been realized. The Argentine Government has ignored the two appeals of the Secretary-General and the appeal launched by you. Mr, President, last night in the name of the whole Council for restraint and for the avoidance of the threat or the use of force. PWSPMI: The representatives of the following States: China. France, Guyana. Ireland, Japan. Jordan. Panama, Poland. Spain, Togo. Uganda, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United States of America, Zaire, Provisional agenda (S/Agenda/2346/Rev..l) I. Adoption of the agenda 5. As we sit,here. a massive Argentine invasion of the Falkland Islands is taking place. I cannot find words strong enough to express my Government’s condemnation of this wanton act of armed force. It is a blatant vidlation of the Charter of the United Nations and of international law. It is an attempt to impost by force a foreign and unwanted control over I .900 peaceful tigricultural people who have chosen in free and fair elections to maintain their links with Britain and the British way of life. 2. Letter dated I April 1982 from the Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to the United Nations addressed to the President of the Security Council CS/ 14942) Adoption of the agenda 6. Last night, my Argentine colleague repeatedly accused my country of aggression, It would bc extremely interesting to learn what form of aggression the I .900 peaceful farmers of the Falkland Islands and the lightly armed garrison of less than 100 British soldiers were plotting against the Argentine Republic to justify what I dare say my Argentine colleague will present as an act of self-defence in accordance with Article 5 I of the Charter. Put in these terms, there cannot be anyone in this room or elsewhere who will not recognize the utterly nonsensical nature of the Argentine case, as deployed in the Council last night. Letter dated 1 April 1982 from the Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to the United Nations addressed to the President of the Security Council (S/14942) I. The PRESIDENT (intrrpwttrtion ,fiom Fwtwh): I should like to inform members of the Council that the Secretary-General is following very carefully and with great concern the situation with which the Council is now dealing. He is in constant contact with the President of the Council and with the parties concerned, here in New York. He deplores the recent developments and hopes that, through the Council. a solution may be found that will restore peace procedures to solve the problem now under consideration. 7. The Council faces an emergency. It must act at once. I now propose to read out a draft resolution (S//4Y47] which I am having circulated to members of the Council and which, in view of the extreme gravity of the situation, I strongly hope will be adopted unanimously t.oday. Members of the Council will observe that. in the interests of a quick and peaceful healing of this undoubted breach of the peace. I have -notwithstanding my own very deep feelings on the subjectconfined the draft resolution to bare essentials at this critical juncture. I hope that the statement I have just made, brief as it has been. will leave no one in any doubt as to the strength of my delegation’s and my Government’s views on what has happened. 2. In accordance with the decision taken at the 2345th meeting, I invite the representative of Argentina to take a place at the Council table.

The Council members have received copies of a letter dated 2 April from the representative of the United Kingdom to the President of the Council [S//4%%]. 8. The draft resolution reads as follows: “Dcc>ply di.stt,hd at reports of an invasion on 2 April 1982 by armed forces of Argentina, s’Dctcrn7ini/?g that there exists a breach of the peace in the region of the Falkland Islands. . . I* D~~~nu~~d.s an immediate cessation of hostilities: “2. Drmrnds an immediate withdrawal of all Argentine forces from the Falkland Islands: “3. C‘(r//s on the Governments of Argentina and of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to seek a diplomatic solution to theit differences and to respect fully the purposes and principles of the Charter of the Unit& Nations.” 9. The PRESIDENT fi,?tt~lpr[~t’rtit,17 ,/hj/n Fwm*hJ: The next speaker is the representative of Argentina. on whom I now call. IO. Mr. ROCA (Argentina) fintc~~prc~totion five Spuni.sh): I have listened with great CLIW to the statcment by the representative of the United Kingdom and have taken due note of it. My first remark on his comments and statements is that at no time has the question of sovereignty which my country has been raising rcpeatcdly. throughout the history of these events, been taken up with the inhabitants of the islands: rather. it has been taken up directly with the United Kingdom. Thus. the United Kingdom representative’s atlegation that the action of my Government constitutes aggression against the inhabitants of the Malvinas Islands is as absurd as his statements concerning our reasons. I I. From my statement yesterday [234Srh nrcc~tingl it clearly emerges that, my Government cannot accept either the description or the interpretation of the events described yesterday and today by the representative of the United Kingdom. 12. I wish to inform the Council that today the Government of Argentina has proclaimed the recovery of its national sovereignty over the territories of the Malvinas, South Georgia and South Sandwich islands. in an act which responds to a just Argentine claim and is also an act of legitimate defence in response to the acts of aggression by the United Kingdom. 13. I wish to notify the President and the Council that my Covernmcnt has informed me that no civilians have been wounded or killed and that order and 14. I cannot but emphasizc that in this manner an end has been put to a situation of tension and injustice that was indeed ;I constant element of disturbance to international peace and security. 15. The Argentine Republic. in accordance with its traditional position. will act in conformity with the principles and purposes of the Charter of the United Nations and will make every effort to reach a just and peaceful solution. 16. Finally, I wish to point out that towards the end of his statement last night the representative of the United Kingdom spoke about the history of this matter and said that we would continue to have diffcrcnces. Today my country has added a new page to that history, and we shall no doubt continue to have differences. But I wish to point out that in this.discu+ sion we shall maintain the same readiness to nepotiate that I affirmed last night. within the limits and in the spirit to which 1 referred yesterday. Everything is negotiable. except sovereignty. The interests of the inhabitants of the Malvinas and those of the United Kingdom itself are negotiable: sovereignty over the islands is not. 17. Lacking more information at this time, I would request the President to bear in mind my need to receive instructions from my country, I therefore itsk that the Council defer taking up the draft resolution read out by the United Kingdom representative until it hears the information that my Government will be transmitting in due course.

Nearly the whole population of the Falkland Island\ could be accommodated in the public gallery of thix chamber. I think it is fortunate for them that they httvc not chosen to be here today, because I doubt if they would extract much consolation regarding their own present and future status from the remarks which \~e have just heard from my colleague from Argentina. 19. I noted the readiness of his Government to nelrotiate. I can only say that what they have done today is a curious way of expressing such readiness. Orgenization of work 20. The PRESIDENT (intr,pl.c’t(,tion ,fic~m Frod~L Before ad.journing the meeting. 1 call on the representative of Panama on a point of order.

Since some rumours may h:ive been confusing to members of the Council. I wish to state that when the Council proceeds to its meeting on Nicaragua, my delegation will be prepared to vote 22. Mr, NUSEIBEH (Jordan): 1 wish to associate my delegation with the views expressed by the representative of Panama. The Council has been seized of the question of the tragic events in the West Bank for almost two weeks. and we have exhausted that question. We have a draft resolution in final form and I formally request that it be put to the vote immediately after the vote on the Panamanian draft resolution. 24. The PRESIDENT tintc~rpwtution ,fi~m Frcnth): As all members know. the Council has before it two questions. the complaint by Nicaragua and the situation in the occupied Arab territories. which the Council has been debating for some days now. Draft resolutions have been submitted. if the Council thinks that it should proceed to a vote on these draft resolutions, that it its prerogative, and we shall act accordingly. 23. MI-. KARRAN (Guyana): My delegation. as a co-sponsor of the draft resolution on Nicaragua. would like to support the point made by the representative of Panama. As you are aware. Mr. President, that HOW TO OBTAIN UNITED NATIONS PUBLICATIONS Gnitcd Nations publicattonh ma> be obtaIned l’rom bookstores and distributors throughout the world. Consult your bookstore or wrne to: Unncd Nations, Sales Section. New York or Geneva. COMMENT SE PROCURER LES PUBLlCATIONS DES NATIONS UNIES Les publications des Nations Umcs sont en vente dana les librairies et Its agences depositaires du mondc cnticr. Informcz-vow aupr& de votre libralre ou adressez-vous h : Nations Unies. Section des venles. New York ou Gen&ve. COMO CONSECUIR PUBLICACIONES DE LAS NACIONES UNIDAS Las publicacionec de las Naciones Unidas estdn en venta en librerias y casas distribuidoras en todas partcs del mundo. Consulte a su hbrcro o dirijase a: Nactoncs Unidas. Secci6n de Ventas. Nuew York o Ginebra.