On December 2, 2025, the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) adopted [3] a decision under its Early Warning and Urgent Action Procedure concerning the Chagos Archipelago and the rights of the Chagossian people. CERD recalled the forced eviction and displacement of the Chagossian population from the Chagos Archipelago in the 1960s for the establishment of a military base on Diego Garcia.

The decision addresses the bilateral agreement signed on May 22, 2025 between the United Kingdom and Mauritius that has not yet entered into force. The Committee expressed concern that the agreement would allow the long-term leasing of Diego Garcia to the United Kingdom while preventing the return of Chagossians to the island. It also raised concerns about the reported lack of consultation with the Chagossian community and the absence of guarantees of full reparation for past harms.

CERD called on both states to suspend ratification of the agreement and urged them to engage directly with the Chagossian people, ensure their free, prior, and informed consent, and respect their rights to self-determination, return, cultural life, and effective remedies.