The United Nations General Assembly on 22 June 2017 adopted a Resolution put forward by Mauritius to seek an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice on the legal consequences of the separation of the Chagos Archipelago from Mauritius in 1965, prior to Mauritian independence from the UK.
On 25 February 2019 the Court delivered its Advisory Opinion. The Court found that the separation of the Chagos Archipelago from Mauritius was contrary to the right to self-determination and that accordingly the decolonisation of Mauritius was not completed in conformity with international law.
Advisory opinions are addressed to the UN organs or agencies requesting them; in this case the UN General Assembly. It is now a matter for the UN General Assembly to consider the consequences of the Advisory Opinion and to determine how it wishes to proceed on this matter. Ireland paid close attention to the discussions leading up to the adoption of the General Assembly Resolution put forward by Mauritius. As a member of the General Assembly we will continue to pay close attention to this matter in the period ahead.