New York (United Nations), 16 October 2026 (SPS) – Belize has reiterated its call on the United Nations and the international community to enable the Sahrawi people to exercise their right to self-determination and freely determine their future, stressing that the decolonisation process in Western Sahara remains incomplete.
Addressing the UN General Assembly’s Fourth Committee, which deals with Special Political and Decolonisation matters, Belize’s representative emphasised that, like other peoples awaiting the completion of decolonisation, the Sahrawi people must be able to determine their own future and shape their own history.
Belize stressed that the situation of Sahrawi refugees should not be addressed solely through humanitarian assistance or the continued management of refugee status. Instead, efforts must tackle the root causes of their displacement and ensure that the Sahrawi people can freely decide their future.
The representative noted that the passage of time does not diminish an inalienable right, warning that successive generations being forced to wait to exercise their rights continually tests the international community’s commitment to upholding them.
Belize further stated that completing the unfinished decolonisation process, at a time when multilateralism faces significant challenges, is a test of the United Nations’ credibility and founding objectives. It called for renewed political will, stronger practical cooperation and measurable progress towards this goal.
Concluding its statement, Belize stressed the need to enable the Sahrawi people to shape their own future and ensure that coming generations inherit the freedom to choose their destiny rather than an unresolved colonial situation.
The statement was delivered during the Fourth Committee’s discussions on Non-Self-Governing Territories, including Western Sahara, whose people continue to await the exercise of their right to self-determination in accordance with the United Nations’ principles on decolonisation.
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