UN General Assembly
1997

therefore does not apply. The territory of Gibraltar was an integral part of Spain, and the Spaniards who lived there were expelled when a military base was established. Pursuant to the repeated invitations made by the United Nations to Spain and to the United Kingdom to settle this matter by negotiation, my Government is engaged in the search for a solution through the bilateral channel established in the Brussels Declaration of November 1984. The Spanish authorities have given repeated assurances that the legitimate interests of the inhabitants of Gibraltar will be respected. I very recently and publicly formulated a most generous offer whereby, following the reincorporation of Gibraltar into Spain, the current inhabitants of the colony would be allowed to retain the broad outlines of their present economic and legal situation. We believe that this offer should help us advance in the bilateral negotiations with the United Kingdom. We all agree on to the irreplaceable nature of our Organization and on the need to reform it. However, our Organization cannot prosper, nor can the reforms be put in