Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment his Department has made on the ability of the Government to gain support at the UN from EU member states for its position on the Chagos Islands of the UK leaving the EU.
The vote on the UN General Assembly Resolution 71/292 was a disappointing outcome. Sovereignty of the British Indian Ocean Territory is clearly a matter for the UK and Mauritius to resolve ourselves. Taking this bilateral issue to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) through the General Assembly is an inappropriate use of the ICJ mechanism. This is reflected in the fact that over half of General Assembly members did not vote in favour of the resolution. We will continue to work with EU and other partners in order to present the UK's position effectively at the International Court of Justice.