Guinea Bissau (Hansard, 30 January 1974)

§ 16. Mr. Biggs-Davison
asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Comonwealth Affairs what recent request for recognition he has received from the so-called "Republic of Guinea Bissau".

§ Lord Balniel
The African Party for the Independence of Guinea Bissau and Cape Verde (PAIGC), which declared an independent "Republic of Guinea Bissau" on 25th September 1973, has made no request to Her Majesty's Government for recognition.

§ Mr. Biggs-Davison
As a number of Governments recognise this fantasy while Her Majesty's Government and many other Governments have rightly decided that this entity does not satisfy any of the criteria for recognition, would it not be well for Her Majesty's Government to ask the United Nations Secretary-General to accept repeated invitations from the Portuguese Government to visit Bissau and see the situation for himself and on behalf of the United Nations?

§ Lord Balniel
The decision whether to recognise a Government rests with the individual countries. As I have told the House, we do not recognise the republic because it does not meet our criteria for recognition. These criteria are based upon common sense and are the same criteria as were used by Labour Members when they were in office.

§ Mr. Richard
Is it the Government's view that the Republic of Guinea Bissau is in control of the territory of which it claims to be in control?

§ Lord Balniel
No, it is not our view that the Republic of Guinea Bissau is in control of the territories it claims to control. It claims that the PAIGC controls a major part of Portuguese Guinea. We do not believe that to be true; nor do we believe that it commands anything like the obedience of the population

§ Mr. Richard
May I follow that by asking ——

§ Mr. Biggs-Davison
Order. The hon. and learned Gentleman was not called

§ Mr. Richard
With respect, I was called. It is for you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, not the hon. Member for Chigwell (Mr Biggs-Davison), to decide whether I am in order.

§ Mr. Biggs-Davison
On a point of order, Mr. Deputy Speaker. It was not audible in the Chamber that you called the hon. and learned Gentleman.

Mr. Deputy Speaker
I did call the hon. and learned Gentleman, and I am sorry if I was not audible.

§ Mr. Richard
Does it follow from what the Minister has just said that if the Government were satisfied that PAIGC was in control of the area, they 433 would then be prepared to recognise the republic?

§ Lord Balniel
That is a hypothetical question. If such a situation arises, we shall use the usual criteria. But the position at the moment is that the Portuguese continue to control the greater part of the territory, including the main towns and the means of communication, so the question does not arise.

§ Mr. Maclennan
The Minister has referred to the criteria required for recognition as being based upon common sense. Is it not the case that they are based upon international law? Is it not also the case that there is growing discontent in international legal circles about these criteria? Will the Government consider initiating discussion about whether the international law of recognition should be developed within, for example, the International Law Commission itself, to take account of changing political realities?

§ Lord Balniel
The criteria for recognition must be decided by individual Governments. We are satisfied, as were hon. Gentlemen opposite when in office, that the criteria we use are wise and sensible.