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The
31. Maintenance of Status Quo This provides the final option considered in this paper and could be regarded as a 'better' alternative to integration especially where the UK has defence, communications, scientific or commercial interests to protect UK would face difficulties in the UN if such a policy continued indefinitely but these would not be insurmountable. Since the independence of Zimbabwe in 1980 the focus of those opposed to colonialism has passed (except for the Falklands) from the UK to France, although the UK may come in for criticism for its recent decision not to cooperate with the Committee of 24. There would be continuing problems over aid and security Continued dependent status might be accepted locally, but pressure for full internal self-government is likely to continue and to exact concessions from HMG until dependent status becomes hardly distinguishable in practice from Associated Statehood.
32. Out of the 12 territories, there are 6 for whom the maintenance of the status quo in the immediate and medium term future seems the most likely option : BAT (FCO Ministers have already opted for this); BIOT (likewise); St Helena and Dependencies (at least Ascension) because of their importance in the UK communication network; South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands (as long as the situation in the Falklands remains unchanged and because South Georgia is a land base for potential fishing and a possible forward logistics base for British Antarctic Survey work in BAT; Pitcairn. Henderson, Ducie and Oeno (for reasons discussed under the
abndonment option in para 13 of this paper).
V WIDER FOREIGN POLICY IMPLICATIONS
33. The 1973 Review rejected the 'hang on' policy or the continuance of the then current policy of 'drift'. Its preferred policy was:
"(i) to relieve HMG or direct responsibility for as many as
possible of the remaining territories;
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