New York (United Nations), October 14, 2025 (SPS) – The Sahrawi cause received strong support during the discussions of the United Nations General Assembly’s Special Political and Decolonization Committee (Fourth Committee), where several countries from Latin America and the Caribbean called for enabling the Sahrawi people to exercise their right to self-determination, in accordance with General Assembly Resolution 1514 (XV) on the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples.
The representative of Cuba called for a just, lasting, and mutually acceptable political solution that would allow the people of Western Sahara to determine their own future in line with UN General Assembly Resolution 1514 (XV) on the granting of independence to colonial countries and peoples.
He recalled that more than 60 years have passed since the UN Special Committee on Decolonization declared Western Sahara a Non-Self-Governing Territory, and that numerous resolutions have been adopted by the General Assembly, the Security Council, and the African Union supporting the Sahrawi people’s right to self-determination.
He concluded by stating that his country rejects unilateral decisions that ignore the interests and rights of the Sahrawi people and that violate international law, the UN Charter, and General Assembly Resolutions 1514 (XV) and 2625 (XV). He reaffirmed Cuba’s solidarity and unwavering support for the Sahrawi people and their right to self-determination.
The representative of Nicaragua reiterated her country’s firm and historic commitment to recognizing and defending the inalienable rights of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic’s brotherly people to freedom, self-determination, and national sovereignty. She also expressed Nicaragua’s support for the work of the Fourth Committee and the UN General Assembly in ensuring that the question of Western Sahara remains on the decolonization agenda.
She emphasized the urgent need for a political horizon regarding the issue of Western Sahara, in accordance with General Assembly Resolution 1514 (XV), through the holding of a UN-supervised referendum to allow the Sahrawi people to exercise their right to self-determination — a crucial step toward resolving this colonial situation in Africa.
The representative of Bolivia strongly reaffirmed the need for an immediate, just, and lasting solution that ensures the full exercise of the Sahrawi people’s right to self-determination. He reiterated his country’s historic and steadfast commitment to recognizing and defending the inalienable rights of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic’s brotherly people to freedom, self-determination, and national sovereignty, stressing that the Sahrawi people’s right to self-determination is vital to resolving Africa’s remaining colonial situation.
The representative of Peru recalled that the Special Committee has been dealing with the issue of Western Sahara for 62 years, yet no solution acceptable to all parties has been reached, despite the mediation efforts undertaken by the United Nations. In this context, he reiterated that the Western Sahara issue must still be resolved peacefully through dispute settlement mechanisms in accordance with international law and within the UN framework.
He stressed that the implementation of a political process supported by the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) and the UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy should provide acceptable conditions for all parties and without preconditions. He also underlined that this political process must be accompanied by a steady flow of humanitarian aid to the refugee camps through UNHCR, UNICEF, and the World Food Programme.
The representative of Guyana reaffirmed her country’s support for the resolutions adopted by the Security Council and the General Assembly concerning the question of Western Sahara and urged all parties to respect and abide by these resolutions, emphasizing that resolving this long-standing conflict would contribute to the stability and security of the Sahel region.
The representative of Colombia, speaking on behalf of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC)—which comprises thirty-three countries—reaffirmed the regional organization’s position supporting all resolutions adopted by the General Assembly and the Security Council on Western Sahara, including General Assembly Resolution 79/98. She also reiterated CELAC’s strong support for the efforts of the UN Secretary-General and his Personal Envoy to achieve a just, lasting, and mutually acceptable political solution that ensures the Sahrawi people’s right to self-determination, in line with the principles and purposes of the UN Charter and General Assembly Resolution 1514 (XV), as well as other relevant resolutions.
In this regard, the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States renewed its confidence in ongoing multilateral efforts to encourage more substantive negotiations between the two parties under the auspices of the UN Secretary-General and his Personal Envoy, and in accordance with international law, to implement all relevant Security Council resolutions, including the most recent Resolution 2756 (2024), in order to reach a final solution to this long-standing situation.
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