Antalya (Türkiye), 14 November 2026 (SPS)– The Sahrawi Observatory for Natural Resources and Environmental Protection (SONREP) participated in the 31st United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31), held in Antalya, Türkiye, drawing attention to the environmental consequences of the occupation of Western Sahara and the challenges facing the Sahrawi people in the occupied territories and refugee camps.
During the conference, SONREP underscored the need to place peoples' rights, particularly the right to self-determination and permanent sovereignty over natural resources, at the centre of international climate action.
It stressed that climate justice and a fair ecological transition cannot be achieved while colonial occupation and the exploitation of natural resources without the consent of the people concerned persist.
SONREP also highlighted the environmental vulnerabilities affecting Western Sahara, particularly in the occupied territories, where the exploitation of natural resources raises serious environmental and human rights concerns.
It further drew attention to the growing challenges facing Sahrawi refugees, notably in relation to water and food security and the resilience of communities exposed to increasingly difficult environmental conditions.
In this regard, SONREP presented a set of recommendations to the international community, calling for effective measures to address environmental degradation resulting from unsustainable extractive activities in Western Sahara, respect for international law and the Sahrawi people's right to self-determination, and the exercise of permanent sovereignty over their natural resources.
The recommendations also stressed the need to ensure corporate accountability and transparency through effective legal and environmental oversight of companies involved in resource exploitation, independent environmental impact assessments, and increased international support for water and food security in Sahrawi refugee camps.
Through its participation in COP31, SONREP reiterated that the environmental dimension of Western Sahara cannot be separated from its political and human rights dimensions, stressing that genuine climate justice requires accountability for environmental damage, respect for international law and an end to colonial occupation. (SPS)
090/500/60 (SPS)
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