The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted a resolution without a vote on Wednesday during its 79th session, addressing the issue of Western Sahara, which was included in the agenda under the topic related to the implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples. This resolution reaffirms the legal framework surrounding the Western Sahara issue as one of decolonization, marking another setback for the Moroccan occupying regime.
According to the Sahrawi Press Agency (SPS), the UNGA acknowledged the report from the UN Secretary-General dated July 24, 2024, which was presented at this session. The report highlights that both the Special Political and Decolonization Committee (Fourth Committee) and the Special Committee on the Situation with regard to the Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples (Committee of 24) consider Western Sahara to be a matter of decolonization.
Through this resolution, the UNGA reiterates the inalienable right of all peoples to self-determination and independence, in accordance with the principles outlined in the UN Charter and Resolution 1514 (XV) of December 14, 1960, which pertains to the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples.
The UNGA also reaffirmed its commitment to the people of Western Sahara and called upon the Committee of 24 to continue reviewing the situation in Western Sahara as a territory to be decolonized. Furthermore, the Secretary-General has been requested to provide a report on the implementation of this resolution during the next session.
Sidi Mohamed Amar, the representative of the Polisario Front to the United Nations and coordinator with the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO), described the UNGA’s adopted resolution as “very important,” as it confirms the legal and international nature of the Western Sahara issue as a decolonization matter and recognizes the Sahrawi people’s inalienable right to self-determination and independence.
This resolution aligns with the decision made by the Fourth Committee on October 17 and reaffirms “the responsibility of the UN towards the Sahrawi people,” in accordance with Chapter 11 of the UN Charter and relevant UNGA resolutions. It emphasizes that this new resolution “represents a significant setback for the Moroccan occupying state.”
