Madrid (Spain), 23 September 2026 (SPS) – The Sahrawi Working Group on Natural Resources and Related Legal Issues held an evaluation meeting on Wednesday at the headquarters of the Polisario Front Mission in Madrid, dedicated to reviewing and assessing the work carried out since the meeting held last July at the Presidency of the Republic in Chahid El Hafed, with the participation of a number of international experts.
The meeting was chaired by the Group’s President, Mr. Oubi Bouchraya Bachir, and attended by members of the Group, alongside Polisario Front lawyer Emmanuel Duvers, as well as a number of international solidarity activists and supporters who have for years followed the various legal and human rights processes aimed at protecting the natural resources of the Sahrawi people.
The meeting reviewed the main developments in the judicial and legal proceedings, particularly before European courts. Participants discussed the results of the actions undertaken and progress achieved during the recent period, as well as legal developments concerning the natural resources of Western Sahara and the challenges that remain to overcome to ensure respect for the Sahrawi people’s sovereign rights over their natural resources.
The meeting also addressed a number of priority files and cases that the Group will follow up during the next phase, within a legal approach aimed at strengthening accountability for the unlawful exploitation of Western Sahara’s natural resources and broadening the scope of legal action before the relevant bodies and courts, in accordance with international law and the inalienable rights of the Sahrawi people.
Participants stressed the importance of continuing coordination among the Group, lawyers, experts and international partners, and intensifying efforts to develop legal tools and mechanisms in a manner that strengthens the protection of Western Sahara’s natural resources and upholds the right of the Sahrawi people to exercise permanent sovereignty over their wealth and resources.
The meeting is part of a series of meetings held by the Group on Natural Resources and related legal issues, with the aim of assessing the work carried out, identifying priorities for the next phase, and strengthening international coordination across the various legal and human rights tracks related to the issue of Western Sahara’s natural resources. (SPS)
090/500/60 (SPS)
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