Lords Committee hears evidence on the history and administration of the Chagos Islands
Tuesday 29 October
Tomorrow, Wednesday 30 October, the House of Lords International Relations and Defence Committee will hear from senior academics in an evidence session examining the historical context and legal backdrop to the UK’s recently announced agreement with Mauritius over the Chagos Islands. The session will also explore the administration of the Islands as part of the British Indian Ocean Territory.
The session will start at 10:30am and will be available to watch live or on demand at Parliament TV or attend in person in Committee Room 3, Palace of Westminster.
Giving evidence will be:
- Professor Peter Clegg, Professor in Politics and International Relations and Head of the School of Social Sciences, University of the West of England; and
- Dr Jamie Trinidad KC, Fellow, Wolfson College, Cambridge.
Questions will include:
- What were the key motivations behind the UK's decision to retain the Chagos islands as the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) when Mauritius gained independence in 1965?
- How does the administration of BIOT differ from that of other Overseas Territories, and why?
- What importance has the US historically attached to UK sovereignty over the Chagos Islands and Diego Garcia in particular?
- Mauritius had no history of controlling the Chagos Islands prior to its independence, so what is the basis for its claim?
- What rights, if any, do Chagossians have under international law to be involved in decisions about the sovereignty of the Chagos islands? Does the principle of self-determination apply?
- Do you foresee that an agreement with Mauritius will have any implications for other Overseas Territories where UK sovereignty is contested?
