PRESS RELEASE


HEADLINE - Scotland to Host Landmark International Conference on Sovereignty and Decolonisation
DATELINE – 9th May 2025, Scotland
LEAD         - "Next Steps for Scottish Sovereignty"  to Convene in Dunfermline, Scotland,  16-18 May 2025

A copy of the Advance Notice of Petition and supporting papers can be viewed on the Liberation movement website: www.liberation.scot

DUNFERMLINE, SCOTLAND — From 16 to 18 May 2025, legal scholars, diplomats, parliamentarians, economists, civic leaders, and members of Scotland’s liberation movement will gather at the Carnegie Conference Centre in Dunfermline for the landmark international conference, “Next Steps for Scottish Sovereignty.”

This high-level gathering, organised by the Scottish Sovereignty Research Group in partnership with Justice pour Tous Internationale and SalvoScot Ltd., will focus on legal, political, and diplomatic strategies to advance Scotland’s right to self-determination under international law.

Strategic Context

The conference takes place in the midst of a forward-looking international advocacy campaign led by Justice pour Tous Internationale (JPTi) on behalf of Scotland’s liberation movement. On 7 March 2025, an Advance Notice of Petition was formally transmitted to the Chair and members of the United Nations Special Committee on Decolonization (C-24), setting out the case for Scotland’s recognition as a Non-Self-Governing Territory under General Assembly Resolutions 1514 (XV)and 1541 (XV). The submission was accompanied by an executive summary of Scotland’s colonial condition and illustrative annexes detailing markers of dependency, the exhaustion of domestic legal remedies, and the peaceful character of Scotland’s liberation movement.


Highlight: Plenary Session on Decolonisation – 17 May 2025
The conference’s central session, “Decolonisation & Self-Determination,” will take place on
Saturday, 17 May, from 14:00 to 16:00 in Hall A of the Carnegie Conference Centre, Dunfermline. It will feature formal presentations from:

- Ms. Sara Salyers, Director of Salvo Scotland and Communication Officer of Liberation Scotland
- Professor Alf Baird, Co-convener of Liberation Scotland
- Mr. Sharof Azizov, Executive Director of Justice pour Tous Internationale
- Ambassador Craig Murray, former British diplomat and international legal advocate
- An invited King’s Counsel, expert in UK constitutional law

This central session will examine the substantive legal, historical, and political arguments underpinning Scotland’s claim to be included in the United Nations list of Non-SelfGoverning Territories (NSGTs), drawing comparative insights from the cases of New Caledonia and French Polynesia—both of which have already been inscribed on that list by the General Assembly.

It will highlight that such inclusion does not require the consent of the administering Power, as affirmed by the case of French Polynesia, whose re-inscription was effected through Resolution 67/265. The session will demonstrate how Scotland satisfies the legal thresholds established in Resolutions 1514 (XV) and 1541 (XV), notwithstanding the absence of a consensual decolonisation process within the United Kingdom.

The session will serve as a focal point for mobilising legal, diplomatic, and public advocacy ahead of the June 2025 Substantive Session of the C-24, during which all efforts will be focused on ensuring that Scotland’s claim is delivered.


Participation and Access
The conference is open to diplomatic missions, civil society organisations, journalists, and members of the public. In-person attendance is available to accredited participants upon pre-registration. Complimentary livestream access will be extended to Permanent Missions in Geneva and New York, with particular emphasis on member states of the C-24. More information and the full programme are available at: https://www.scotttishsovereigntyresearchgroup.org

JPTi’s Statement
Sharof Azizov, Executive Director of Justice pour Tous Internationale, stated: “This conference will clarify the legal, historical, and diplomatic case for Scotland’s recognition as a Non-Self Governing Territory under international law. It marks an essential step in restoring Scotland’s right to choose its future within a lawful, peaceful, and internationally monitored process.”

About Justice pour Tous Internationale
Justice pour Tous Internationale (JPTi) is an independent human rights non-governmental organisation, registered as a not-for-profit association (CHE-226.634.549) with recognised charity status (N° DAR: 022060176) in Geneva, Switzerland. Established on 20 April 2022 and formally registered on 6 May 2022, JPTi operates on the principle that all politics must exist in the context of human rights.

The organisation engages rigorously with United Nations mechanisms, regional human rights bodies, and diplomatic platforms to challenge structures enabling violations and to secure redress for victims. JPTi is dedicated to strategic litigation in support of self-determination, decolonisation, and democratic accountability worldwide.

Its work spans critical thematic areas including:


- The defence of whistleblowers, journalists, and entrepreneurs
- The promotion of religious freedom and child rights
- The modernisation of policing services
- The countering of abuses of state security legislation used to suppress dissent
- The combatting of corruption through initiatives ensuring the transparent repatriation of illicit assets

Through its case-driven approach and commitment to international law, JPTi leverages global advocacy channels to foster accountability, strengthen democratic institutions, and uphold the dignity and rights of individuals worldwide.

For more information, visit: www.jpti.ch



A copy of the Advance Notice of Petition and supporting papers can be viewed on the Liberation movement website: www.liberation.scot



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For further information contact: – secretariat@liberation.scot

or visit  https://www.jpti.ch/