The Mission of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to the United Nations
presents its compliments to the Secretary-General of the United Nations and has the honour
to refer to a Note-Verbale from the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Mauritius to the
Secretary-General dated 9 January 2020 (Nº 03/20 (NY/UN/395), contained in a
Communication by the Secretary-General on 31 January 2020. This concerns the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland’s extension of the 1994 Agreement relating to
the implementation of Part XI of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea
to the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT).
The United Kingdom rejects the claims contained in the Note-Verbale of the Permanent
Mission of the Republic of Mauritius. The United Kingdom has no doubt about its sovereignty
over the territory of BIOT, which has been under continuous British sovereignty since 1814.
Mauritius has never held sovereignty over the islands that now form BIOT and the United
Kingdom does not recognise its claim.
The United Kingdom’s position in respect to our continued sovereignty over BIOT is set out in
more detail in the United Kingdom’s submission to the report of the Secretary-General
(A/74/834) dated 18 May 2020.
The United Kingdom therefore continues to extend the 1994 Agreement relating to the
implementation of Part XI of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea BIOT
and apply its provisions.
The United Kingdom Mission kindly requests that the present objection to the Note-Verbale
be duly recorded, circulated and published, including in any relevant publication issued by the
United Nations.
The Mission of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to the United Nations
avails itself of this opportunity to renew to the Secretary-General of the United Nations the
assurances of its highest consideration.
