POSITIONDOCUMENTCommittee:GeneralAssemblyCountry:FranceSubject:RefugeesBasicfactsFrance,officiallytheFrenchRepublicorRepublicofFrance,isamemberstateoftheEuropeanUnionanditscapitalisParis.Itstotalsurfaceareais675,417squarekilometresandithasapopulationof64.5million.Frenchterritorycomprisesvariousregionsoftheworld.MetropolitanFrance,alsoknownasContinentalFrance,isinWesternEuropeanditsislandterritoryincludesCorsicaintheWesternMediterranean,andvariouscoastalarchipelagosintheAtlantic.InAmerica,FrenchGuianaandtheislandsandarchipelagosofMartinique,Guadeloupe,SaintBarthélemyandSaintMartinareallpartofFrenchterritory,asaretheislandsofMayotteandRéunionintheIndianOcean,andthearchipelagosofFrenchPolynesiaandNewCaledoniainthePacificOcean.ClippertonIslandAtollintheEasternPacificandtheso-calledFrenchSouthernandAntarcticLands,thoughuninhabited,arealsoterritoriesbelongingtoFrance.Franceisacountrythatishighlydevelopedeconomicallyandsocially,withaculturethatenjoysawideinternationalcirculationanditisgeopoliticallyinfluential.Itseconomyistheworld’ssixthlargest,intermsofGDP,anditisamemberoftheG-8,theEurozoneandtheSchengenArea.Someofthemostimportantmultinationalcompanies-leadersinvariousbranchesofindustryandtheprimarysector-aretobefoundonFrenchterritory.Furthermore,thecountryistheworld’stoptouristdestination,attractingmorethan75millionvisitorseachyear.France,thebirthplaceofthefirstdeclarationofhumanandcitizens’rights,isafoundermemberoftheUnitedNationsandoneofthefivepermanentmembersoftheUNSecurityCouncil.FranceishometotheheadquartersoftheCouncilofEuropeandtheEuropeanParliament,bothinStrasbourg,andtheOrganisationforEconomicCo-operationandDevelopmentandUNESCO,inParis.ItisalsooneoftheeightbiggestnuclearpowersandamemberofNATO.OFFICIALPOSITIONONTHESUBJECTOF“THERIGHTOFPEOPLESTOSELF-DETERMINATION”TheDelegationofFrance,understandingtheso-calledrightofpeoplestoself-determinationtomeanthatapeoplepossessesitsownsovereigntyandtherighttodecide,withfullautonomyandwithoutexternalinfluences,onitsownformofgovernmentandeconomic,socialandculturaldevelopment.

Isoftheopinionthat,Franceisopposedtothisright,asthereexistvariousculturesinitsownterritoryanditisnotinitsinterestthattheyshouldbefragmentedforsuchareason.Furthermore,overtheyears,thedifferentcultureswithintheFrenchterritoryhavebeenmergingwithFrenchcultureandallthoseculturesandtraditionshavebecomeone.Atpresent,theFrenchRepublicdoesnotdenytheregionstheirlegitimatedesireforindependence,alwaysprovided,astheUnitedNationsCharterstipulates,thatareferendumisheldtodeterminethewillofthepeopletoundertakesuchaventure.Untilnow,therehasbeennorequestinthisrespect.Itbelievesthattocedeanyofitsterritorieswouldresultinaneconomicandculturallossand,forthisreason,andinspiteofbeinginagreementwiththeUnitedNationsCharter,Francewouldnotliketohavetodoso.Itproposesthatahighdegreeofautonomybegiventothosepeoplesdesiringitandthattheybegivencontrolofhomeaffairs,butthatforeignaffairsshouldremaininthehandsofFrance.Notwithstandingthis,Franceproposesthatallpeoplesmayaccedetotherightofautonomyalwaysprovidingthereisanabsolutemajorityofthepeoplewhowantitandwiththefurtherprovisothatthesaidpeopleareinapositiontogovernthemselvesontheirown.