Arrindell tells UN conference right of return must apply to all forcibly displaced peoples

NEW YORK--Rhoda Rebecca Arrindell of St. Maarten told an international conference at United Nations Headquarters in New York that the right of return must apply to all forcibly displaced peoples, while arguing that decolonization remains an unfinished political obligation requiring meaningful action from the international community.

Arrindell, President of the St. Martin Association, delivered her remarks during the international conference titled “The Right of Return and Decolonization: Restoration of Delayed Historical Justice,” held on September 28 on the sidelines of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly.

“The right of return must apply to all the forcibly displaced peoples,” Arrindell said.

She stressed that decolonization should not be treated simply as an issue belonging to the past or as another subject placed on an international agenda.

“Decolonization cannot be reduced to a historical aspiration or an item on an international agenda. It must be understood as an unfinished political obligation, one that requires the international community... to address the structures that continue to deny people their right to self-determination, sovereignty, and a dignified development in the islands of our ancestors,” Arrindell said.

She also called for consistency in the application of the United Nations principle of self-determination.

“If the United Nations is truly committed to the principle that all peoples have the right to determine their own political destiny, then that principle must mean what it says, and it must apply to all peoples without exception,” Arrindell said.

The conference was organized by the Baku Initiative Group and brought together participants to discuss the right of return within the broader context of decolonization, displacement, historical justice and international law.

The event included two panel discussions titled “Right of Return in the Context of Decolonization and International Law” and “From Forced Displacement to Homeland - Identity, Historical Memory and the Right of Return.”

During the conference, Elgun Hajiyev, Head of the Communication and Data Analytics Department of the Baku Initiative Group, argued that the right to return is a fundamental human right and said any process of return should be carried out in accordance with international law and human rights standards.

He said such processes should respect voluntariness, safety, dignity and non-discrimination, while also providing appropriate mechanisms for restitution or compensation and protection of cultural and religious heritage.

Participants subsequently issued a joint appeal to United Nations Special Rapporteurs calling for the continued promotion of safe, voluntary, dignified and sustainable return as an essential component of lasting peace.

The appeal referred to communities affected in Western Azerbaijan, Bonaire, Aruba and St. Maarten, as well as Sikh, Congolese, Burundian and Rwandan communities.

Participants also emphasized the importance of preserving access to civil registries, property records, archives and other documentation necessary to establish residence, ownership, inheritance and family connections, particularly for communities whose historical ties to land and territory continue to be affected by colonial rule or other historical injustices.

The joint appeal further called for protection and preservation of cultural, religious and historical heritage, including the heritage of Bonaire, Aruba and St. Maarten and the other communities represented during the conference.

The event concluded with a peaceful public demonstration during which participants displayed messages including “Justice begins with the Right to Return,” “End Colonialism. Restore historical justice,” and “Self-determination is the path to decolonization.”

Arrindell’s intervention placed St. Maarten within the wider international discussion on decolonization, self-determination and historical justice, with her remarks emphasizing that principles advanced by the international community should be applied consistently to all peoples.

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