POSITION PAPER 1

Discussing the Historical Ramifications of the Falklands War

“A legacy of Lawful Governance”. This phrase sounds like it came out of a history novel, but the
depth to which it describes the strength of the long-standing and lawful British administration of
the Falkland Islands is truly powerful.

The Falkland War was a 10 week conflict that ended with hundreds of casualties, controversy
and profound effects on both Britain and Argentina. These islands have been a British Overseas
Territory since 1833, when Britain established control over the islands after an initial settlement
in the 18th century. The British first arrived to the islands in 1690 but then left until the late
1700s, when these islands were occupied at different times by Spain and France and Britain
itself. The British then erected a plaque claiming ownership of the island but left a few years
later leaving the Spanish in control . In the early 1800s the Spanish colony fell apart so Argentina
lay claim to the island under occupation, but in 1830, Britain marines returned and ruled the
island and since then the Argentine and British have been negotiating the right to the land.

If we look at the past actions of the nations, we can see that Argentina had been the first ones to
threaten the British Sovereignty by erecting the Argentine flag in South Georgia which is a
British Overseas Territory. Since the British did not respond with military action, Argentina had
the mindset that if they did invade the Falklands, the British would most likely not retaliate and
thought that even if the British did respond, taking back an island over 8000 miles away from the
UK would be difficult. If we look at Britain’s preceding actions, we see that none of the military
actions were started by them, but were only a form of defense to protect their nation and the
rights of its inhabitants against unlawful Argentine aggression. Prior to the war, Britain had
consistently attempted to resolve Argentina's sovereignty towards the islands diplomatically. The
nation had no choice but to retaliate militarily because Argentina's incursion had undermined
these efforts.

The delegate of the United Kingdom firmly believes that the Falkland Islands are a British
Overseas Territory. Britain strongly stresses the Historical precedent and right to
self-determination, arguing that the islanders had consistently expressed their desire to remain
British through local councils and other means which is a right that should be taken into
consideration The Falkland Islands were initially founded by an English Captain, which is the
primary focus of their argument, as Britain asserts that John Davis was the first to find the
islands in 1592. Britain rightfully insists that its actions were lawful under international law and
intended to safeguard the rights and desires of the islanders throughout the whole battle.

This delegate would like to suggest possible solutions that could help settle this situation and
prevent a conflict like this from occurring again. One solution is ‘Joint Economic Ventures’. The
governments of the United Kingdom and Argentina can use this to help explore and exploit the
natural resources found on the Island and share profits. The nations can also have a Joint
Administration Period Establish a transitory joint administration phase between Argentina and
the UK which enables them to share managerial authority while benefiting the islanders due to
resources and experience of administration from both sides. Another solution could be that the
countries leave the ownership of the country to the choice of the people living there, seeing as
they are the one who would be affected by the government.

The UK will always defend the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands and other territories. The UK
is working towards diplomatic solutions that protect our sovereignty and international
cooperation. The Falkland conflict was one that could have been prevented if the settlements and
agreements were successful and the UK hopes to prevent such wars from occurring ever again.

Bibliography

1. The Falklands War | Remembrance | Royal British Legion. (2022, April 6). The
Royal British Legion. https://www.britishlegion.org.uk/stories/the-falklands-war
2. The British Army and the Falklands War. (n.d.). National Army Museum.
https://www.nam.ac.uk/explore/british-army-and-falklands-war
3. Falkland Islands War | Summary, Casualties, Facts, & Map. (2024, June 25).

EncyclopediaBritannica.https://www.britannica.com/event/Falkland-Islands-War/

The-course-of-the-conflict

4. Coutinho, C. (2021). The Falklands War: an imperial history. International

Affairs, 97(1), 232–233. https://doi.org/10.1093/ia/iiaa202