On 7th March, on behalf of more than 17,000 members of Liberation Scotland, Justice pour Tous Internationale notified the Secretary-General of the United Nations in New York and the Chair and Bureau of the United Nations Special Committee on Decolonization (C-24) of the establishment of Scotland’s peaceful liberation movement. It also submitted an advance notice of petition for the formal recognition of Scotland as a Non-Self-Governing Territory under the United Nations decolonization framework, in accordance with the principles enshrined in United Nations General Assembly Resolutions 1514 (XV), 1541 (XV), and 1654 (XVI), and Chapter XI of the UN Charter. Together, these establish the legal basis for decolonization (i.e. independence) and the right to self-determination for peoples under external governance.
The Advance Notice argues that the UK government has actively obstructed Scotland’s right to self-determination, in contravention of UN General Assembly Resolution 1514 (XV), which states, “all peoples have the right to self-determination” and that the “subjection of peoples to alien subjugation, domination and exploitation constitutes a denial of fundamental human rights.”
Sara Salyers, Director Salvo Scotland (Campaign Organization of Liberation Scotland) commented “Contrary to what we in Scotland – as well as the world at large – have been led to believe, the historical incorporation of Scotland into the United Kingdom in 1707 did not constitute a voluntary partnership. It was never an expression of self-determination, but a process marked by political coercion, by the threats of economic sanctions and military invasion and by bribery. Ultimately, it saw the abandonment by England of the Treaty of Union in favour of the annexation and ongoing colonization of Scotland. The dissolution of Scotland’s independent governance structures followed, along with the displacement of the indigenous population, the suppression of Scotland’s cultures, and the colonial exploitation of Scotland’s maritime and territorial assets. The denial of Scotland’s democratic rights has continued ever since… It is simple justice for our nation and long overdue.”
Given the compelling evidence demonstrating Scotland’s continued governance under external authority, its lack of full self-government, and the systematic denial of its right to self-determination, the Advance Notice will follow in due time with a formal request urging the C-24 to formally recognize Scotland as a Non-Self-Governing Territory within the UN decolonization framework, in accordance with the legal criteria set forth in Resolution 1541 (XV) (1960) and the principles articulated in Resolution 1514 (XV) (1960). The evidence presented in this submission will establish that Scotland satisfies the requirements for classification as a territory that has not yet achieved a full measure of self-government and therefore qualifies for inclusion on the UN list of Non-Self-Governing Territories.
Sharof Azizov, Executive Director, Justice pour Tous Internationale, has commended the strength of the case stating “The Advance Notice of Petition convincingly argues that Scotland lost its political autonomy and became a colony under Westminster’s governance and that this and other institutions of the state have systemically eroded Scotland’s constitutional distinctiveness and suppressed Scotland’s rights to self-determination.”
A copy of the Advance Notice of Petition and supporting papers can be viewed on the Liberation movement website: www.liberation.scot
Irene Brown
Radio Summerhall Arts 