US asked to shut down the UN Decolonization Committee where Argentina raises the Malvinas issue

The United States requested an end to the mandate of the United Nations Special Committee on Decolonization (C-24), the forum that Argentina has used since 1989 to set out its position on the Malvinas Question. The proposal was made on October 15 before the Fourth Committee of the General Assembly, according to the journalistic sources consulted.

What happened on October 15 in the Fourth Committee

The US delegation questioned the body’s costs and argued that it had left behind the original purpose for which it was created. During the session, more than twenty draft resolutions on decolonization were approved. The US delegation described the committee’s operation as a waste of resources and criticized the body’s working trips.

According to the reports, the US official stressed that more than 80 former colonies have joined the UN as Member States, yet the C-24 acts as if nothing had changed and re-examines the same texts every year. She also questioned that, although the General Assembly removed Puerto Rico from the list of non-self-governing territories in 1953, the Committee continues to hold annual hearings on the island.

The journalistic sources agree on the central fact: the US proposal to end the C-24’s mandate and its presentation on October 15 before the Fourth Committee. They also agree on the direct link to Argentina: the Malvinas Question is examined every year by that Committee.

The C-24 as the setting for Argentina’s claim since 1989

Since 1989, the C-24 has been the central UN setting where Buenos Aires sets out its position and obtains resolutions that recognize the existence of the sovereignty dispute and urge Argentina and the United Kingdom to resume bilateral negotiations, according to the journalistic sources.

The United Kingdom administers ten of the 17 non-self-governing territories analyzed by the body, among which is the Atlantic archipelago. In June, during the C-24’s annual meeting, Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno denounced British militarization and the unilateral exploitation of natural resources on the islands, reiterating the call for direct dialogue.

President Javier Milei had mentioned in his last address to the General Assembly that the body is «useless» and accused it of looking the other way on the islands’ cause, inviting the United Kingdom to engage in dialogue to find a peaceful solution.

Argentina’s diplomatic protest of July 13

Argentina’s Foreign Ministry reported that, on the instructions of Foreign Minister Quirno, a formal note of protest was submitted to the Embassy of the United Kingdom on July 13. The rejection was directed at the movements of the vessel HMS Medway, which the note describes as illegally deployed in the Malvinas Islands, not duly notified in accordance with the bilateral agreements and declarations in force, and which involved transit through Argentina’s territorial sea.

The official statement maintains that the unilateral action constitutes a violation of the commitments assumed in the Joint Declaration of September 25, 1991, which replaces Annexes I, II, III and IV of the Joint Declaration given in Madrid on February 15, 1990, in section I.2 «Confidence-building measures,» point «b» (text according to the Joint Declaration given in Buenos Aires and London on July 12, 1993).

The Argentine Government firmly rejects this British military incursion into spaces under Argentine jurisdiction, which adds to a sustained policy of unilateral acts incompatible with United Nations resolutions and with the duty of both parties to refrain from altering the situation while the sovereignty dispute remains pending a solution, according to the official note.

The Foreign Ministry also states that such movements contravene the bilateral commitments on confidence-building measures in the military sphere in force between the two countries, and that they add to the long series of unilateral actions carried out by the United Kingdom in contravention of United Nations General Assembly Resolution 31/49, which urges both parties to refrain from adopting decisions that entail the introduction of unilateral modifications in the situation of the Malvinas Islands while the sovereignty controversy remains pending a solution.

Argentina’s abstention in the vote on colonialism

In parallel, the Argentine Government decided to abstain at the UN during the vote on a resolution aimed at eradicating colonialism in all its forms. The initiative, promoted by Russia, sought to reaffirm the historic Resolution 1514 of 1960, the fundamental norm on which Resolution 2065 of 1965 was built, which obliges the United Kingdom to negotiate over the Malvinas Islands, and was approved with 85 votes in favor, 49 against and 23 abstentions.

According to the Crónica report, the Executive Branch’s decision not to support the text responds directly to political alignment with Donald Trump, since the Fourth Committee document condemns unilateral economic sanctions, describing them as a modern form of colonialism. While nations in the region such as Brazil, Uruguay and Mexico, as well as South Africa and India, voted in favor, Argentina chose to abstain in line with the position adopted by the United States.

This attribution of cause —alignment with Trump— appears in the journalistic report and is not confirmed by the official Foreign Ministry source, which does not refer to that vote in the material provided.

Documented timeline

1. 1953: the General Assembly removes Puerto Rico from the list of non-self-governing territories, according to the reports. The C-24 continues to hold annual hearings on the island, the United States questions.
2. 1989: the C-24 becomes established as the central setting where Buenos Aires sets out its position on the Malvinas and obtains resolutions that recognize the sovereignty dispute.
3. June: during the C-24’s annual meeting, Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno denounces British militarization and the unilateral exploitation of natural resources on the islands.
4. July 13: the Foreign Ministry submits a formal note of protest to the United Kingdom over unnotified movements of the vessel HMS Medway, which involved transit through Argentina’s territorial sea.
5. October 15: the United States proposes before the Fourth Committee to end the C-24’s mandate, questioning costs and operation.

Between 1989 and June, the C-24 remained the forum for Argentina’s claim. Between June and July, the diplomatic protest focused on a specific military episode. Between July and October, the US offensive against the committee introduced a factor of uncertainty over the continuity of that forum.

What to keep following

The fact to follow is the resolution that the Fourth Committee ultimately adopts on the C-24’s mandate and whether the US proposal succeeds. It is also worth watching whether Argentina maintains its abstention in votes on colonialism and whether the United Kingdom responds to the July 13 protest. The official Foreign Ministry source does not comment on the US proposal of October 15.