PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Gibraltar: Spain (30 June 2014)

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what information his Department holds on the current official position of the UN on Spain's claim to Gibraltar; and what steps he is taking to secure condemnation by the UN of Spain's behaviour in relation to Gibraltar.

Asked by:
Andrew Rosindell (Conservative)

Gibraltar is discussed in the UN's Fourth Committee and Special Committee on Decolonisation. The most recent Fourth Committee decision on Gibraltar urges the Governments of Spain and the United Kingdom to reach a solution in light of all preceding resolutions, while listening to the interests and aspirations of Gibraltar that are legitimate under international law.

The United Kingdom robustly defends its sovereignty over Gibraltar at the UN through rights of reply in the various UN fora in which Spain raises the issue. The Government will also continue to ensure the views of Gibraltarians are heard at the United Nations, and the realities of Spain's actions are widely understood.

Answered by:
Sir David Lidington (Conservative)
7 July 2014