UN General Assembly
1982

parties have agreed to accept a consensus text reaffirming the principles of the movement and those of the Charter, principles which can and must serve to bring about a just and lasting settlement of this dispute. The armed conflict which broke out this spring in respect of the Malvinas was a source of great consternation to the world because of its intensity and its ramifications, involving regional alliances. Was this confrontation inevitable, once the negotiations between Argentina and the United Kingdom had remained too long in a state of uncertainty? As the General Assembly now intends to invite the parties to resume their talks, it is important in our opinion to learn from the past, and in particular from the recent past. We may wonder, among other things, whether the idea of self determination should constitute a relevant factor in these negotiations. Just as the Jewish settlers living in the settlements set up by Israel do not acquire the right to take part in a referendum on self determination concerning the future of the occupied Arab and