New York (UN), 9 October 2024 (SPS) - The general debate of the Fourth Committee of the UN, responsible for special political and decolonization issues, opened on Tuesday in New York. During this debate, a large number of petitioners from various regions of the world advocated for the legitimate right of the Sahrawi people to self-determination and an end to Morocco's prolonged occupation of Western Sahara.
The first day of the debate saw the participation of several notable figures, including the representative of the Polisario Front at the UN, Sidi Mohamed Omar, representatives from the Communist Party of the United States of America, the Colombian Foundation for Friendship with the Sahrawi People, the Ecuadorian Association for Friendship with the Sahrawi People, the International League of Jurists for Western Sahara, the Algerian Academy of Youth, the Italian Sahrawi Solidarity Network, and the University of Santo Thomas, among others.
Speakers reaffirmed the legitimate right of the Sahrawi people to self-determination and emphasized the legal status of Western Sahara, which remains a case of decolonization listed among the non-self-governing territories of the United Nations. They based their arguments on various relevant resolutions from both the UN General Assembly and the Security Council, as well as those from international judicial institutions.
In this context, many speakers deeply lamented the ongoing violations of the legitimate rights of the Sahrawi people and the continued plundering of their resources. They called on the international community to monitor the human rights situation in the occupied Sahrawi territories while awaiting the end of the occupation of the last African colony, and to allow Western Sahara, a founding member of the African Union (AU), to establish its sovereignty over its entire national territory.
In his speech during the debate, Sidi Mohamed Omar referred to the recent ruling issued last Friday by the European Court of Justice (ECJ) concerning Western Sahara, which invalidated the trade agreements between the European Union (EU) and the Kingdom of Morocco.
For the Sahrawi diplomat, this ruling represents "a historic victory for the Sahrawi people and their legitimate struggle for self-determination and independence." He also emphasized that it is "a victory for justice and the rule of law over injustice and the politics of power."
In this regard, he urged EU member states and its institutions to "fully respect the ECJ ruling" and to "refrain from any action that could contribute to the consolidation of Morocco's illegal occupation of Western Sahara."
He continued: "The time has come to see the positive side of history, as countries that respect themselves in Europe and elsewhere, which are genuinely committed to upholding the principles of international law, can never accept or tolerate the continuation of Morocco's illegal occupation of Western Sahara..."
The representative of the Polisario Front at the UN and coordinator with MINURSO also mentioned the recent visit to the Sahrawi territories by the Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary-General for Western Sahara, Mr. Staffan de Mistura, as part of his ongoing contacts with the conflicting parties, the Polisario Front and the occupying state, Morocco.
He clarified that the message conveyed by the Sahrawi people to the UN envoy was very clear: "Our people, who have done everything possible to achieve a just and lasting peace, will continue their liberation struggle by all legitimate means to defend their inalienable right to self-determination and independence."
The proceedings of the Fourth Committee of the UN, responsible for special political and decolonization issues, will continue until next Monday, during which the Committee will continue to hear petitioners on the decolonization of Western Sahara as well as other territories included on its agenda.
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