By the terms of a draft decision submitted by the Chairman on the question of Gibraltar (document A/C.4/54/L.4), the General Assembly would stipulate, among other things, that the establishment of a negotiating process aimed at overcoming all the differences between the Governments of the United Kingdom and Spain over Gibraltar and at promoting cooperation on a mutually beneficial basis on economic, cultural, touristic, aviation, military and environmental matters. Both sides accept that the issues of sovereignty will be discussed in that process.

The British Government will fully maintain its commitment to honour the wishes of the people of Gibraltar as set out in the preamble of the 1969 Constitution.

According to the text, the Assembly would take note of the fact that, as part of that process, the Ministers for Foreign Affairs of Spain and the United Kingdom hold annual meetings alternately in each capital, the most recent of which took place in London on 10 December 1997. Both Governments would be urged to continue their negotiations with the object of reaching a definitive solution to the problem of Gibraltar in the light of General Assembly resolutions and in the spirit of the United Nations Charter.

The Committee approved the related draft decision (document A/C.4/54/L.4), without a vote.

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