He was speaking during discussions of topic 8 of the agenda of the Human Rights Council's 10th session on "Follow up and implementation of the Vienna Declaration and the programme of Action.”

The Moroccan diplomat noted in this regard that the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, which refer to this right in article 2, state explicitly that it “shall not be construed as authorizing or encouraging any action which would dismember or impair, totally or in part, the territorial integrity or political unity of sovereign and independent States.”

It is on the basis of the UN normative process that the General Assembly resolutions adopted after resolution 1514 should be understood, notably resolutions 1541 of December 15, 1960 and resolution 2625 of October 24, 1970, he said.

These three resolutions constitute the integral and complementary legal instrument of the principle of self-determination, Hilale said, adding that if one selects one and forgets the others, this will be tantamount to perverting this principle.

Moreover, he explained, the two 1966 International Covenants on civil and political rights and on economic, social and cultural rights made it possible for this principle to develop significantly. 

He deplored the fact that certain biased statements aim at instrumentalizing the right to self-determination by giving it a baseless primacy, and that those who seek to have a monopoly on the interpretation of this right fail to honour their own obligations as recognized internationally with regard to those for whom they ask for this right.