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<p>It is disappointing that Mauritius’ claim that the British Indian Ocean Territory
(BIOT) is part of Mauritius, which we strongly refute, should have been referred to
the International Court of Justice (ICJ) by the UN General Assembly. It is an accepted
international principle that States should not be compelled to have their bilateral
disputes adjudicated upon by the ICJ without their consent. Circumventing this principle
sets a dangerous precedent. BIOT has been under continuous British sovereignty since
1814. No international court or tribunal has ever found UK sovereignty to be in doubt.
Mauritius agreed to the detachment of the islands in 1965, in return for certain benefits
including a UK commitment, which we stand by, to cede sovereignty of the territory
to Mauritius when it is no longer required for defence purposes. Mauritius affirmed
that agreement numerous times following independence, and in March 2015 a United Nations
Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) Arbitral Tribunal ruled the agreement to
be internationally binding.</p>
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