The Government of Gibraltar has said that their position has always been that the annual UN Consensus decision is contradictory and unacceptable and they have never supported it.

"It does not make sense for the United Kingdom to agree a Consensus wording that makes a reference to the 1984 Brussels Agreement, on the one hand, and then be committed at the same time to no discussion or negotiation of our sovereignty.

We have never supported, and do not support, any discussions on Gibraltar under the 1984 Brussels agreement.

This year, the shorter draft Consensus decision has seen the removal of both the reference to joint- sovereignty, which had been inserted by Spain, and the reference to the double-lock, which had been inserted by the United Kingdom as a counter to it.

There is instead a new clause (d) which calls for dialogue and cooperation as the way forward in order to find common solutions and progress in areas of mutual interest."

The Government maintains that whatever the United Nations Consensus may say, the future of Gibraltar can only be freely and democratically decided by the people of Gibraltar in exercise of their right to self-determination.

"It is nonetheless important to recall that the guarantees in the Preamble to the Constitution remain in the Preamble itself and that the double-lock mechanism has been constantly reinforced by the United Kingdom in statements made by UK Ministers from the Prime Minister downwards. The right of the people of Gibraltar to self-determination was restated only last week at the Joint Ministerial Council between all the Overseas Territories and the United Kingdom Government, where it was also made clear that the UK Government will support the removal of any territory from the United Nations list that wished to be so removed."