Oct 04 - Treaty of Utrecht Anniversary Symposium
A symposium, organised by Garrison Library Director, Dr. Jennifer Ballantine Perera and the Deputy Chief Minister, will mark the singing of the Treaty of Utrecht 300 year ago. The event will take place next Thursday and Friday at the Garrison Library and will include historians, academics and others from Gibraltar, the UK, Spain, the US and Utrecht itself.
At the symposium a number of guest speakers will cover various subjects which will include the War of the Spanish Succession as it relates to Gibraltar and the Treaty; legal perspectives on the Treaty; the question of borders and migrations to Gibraltar; as well as Minorca and the Treaty of Utrecht. A full list of speakers and the programme will be published next week. The symposium will therefore set out to look at the wider contexts of the Treaty to evaluate, not only how this document continues to be the subject of debate relating to Gibraltar, but also an understanding of the historical contexts of this European settlement across time and space, across Europe and throughout three hundred years.
Speaking on the event, Dr. Ballentine Perera noted, ‘the Tercentenary of the Treaty of Utrecht this year will certainly strike a chord given the continued references to the Treaty that are made to this day. At the same time, the Treaty of Utrecht set about redrawing borders across a number of states in an attempt to redress the balance of power in Europe. The Treaty, signed between England and Spain, refers to a 'perpetual and never-ceasing hope [that] the needle of the balance may remain invariable', and as such it had far reaching aims.’
Dr. Garcia added, ‘this is one of many events that the Government has organised this year to mark the 300th anniversary of the Treaty of Utrecht. It will be recalled that an exhibition on the subject was held at the European Parliament building in Brussels. In addition to this, on the day of the actual anniversary, 13 July, an informational fun-day about the Treaty was held in John Mackintosh Square. A coin and postage stamps to mark the Tercentenary were also issued earlier this year. The symposium is the more serious, academic side to the commemorations. There will be speakers from different countries, including Gibraltar, who will give their own take on the Treaty of Utrecht from different perspectives.
The Government, for its part, does not accept that the Treaty of Utrecht is a barrier to the right of the people of Gibraltar to self-determination as some have argued. The Treaty was signed in an age when Kings and Queens would gift each other cities, regions and countries regardless of the wishes of the inhabitants of those territories. Much has changed in 300 years, including the development of the legal principles of human rights and self- determination. We have to move on with these principles and not remain stuck in the past. The Government is very grateful to Dr Ballantine Perera and her team for everything they have done to make this project a reality.’
The general public is welcome to attend the symposium free of charge, those who wish to do so are asked to register by contacting the Garrison Library on 20077418.
