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31 Saharawi NGOs call on EU to exclude Western Sahara from any trade agreement with Morocco

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Shaheed El Hafed ( Refugee Camps), June 27, 2012 (SPS) - 31 Saharawi NGOs represent the civil society called on the EU to respect international law by excluding the occupied territories from any future trade agreement with Morocco.

 

“In all future trade deals between the EU and Morocco, we would urge that the territory of Western Sahara is clearly and explicitly excluded.”, wrote the 31 NGOs In their letter to European Commissioner for Trade,  Karel De Gucht dated 26 June 2012, the 31 NGOs

 

The Saharawi NGOs underlined that “no Trade Agreement should be signed with the occupying power Morocco, for economic activities to take place in the occupied territories of Western Sahara, in disregard of the wishes and interests of the Saharawi people.”

 

“If entering into an Agreement covering the illegally occupied Non-Self Governing Territory of Western Sahara, all measures must be taken to consult the Saharawi people and respect their interests. A transparent strategy must be presented to ensure that the Saharawi people are genuinely consulted and that they give their consent to the process. In addition, a full assessment of human rights implications must precede the take-off of those negotiations.”, NGOs pointed out.

 

“It In the EU-Morocco Association Agreement of 2000, both parties note that respect for democratic principles and fundamental human rights, established by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, shall inspire both parties’ external and internal policies, and constitute an essential element of the Agreement”,  they added.

 

“We ask the European Union to do nothing more than demonstrate genuine respect for the most fundamental right of all, the right to self-determination, through explicitly excluding Western Sahara from all future trade agreements with Morocco”,  wrote the Saharawi NGOs to Mr. De Gucht.

 

They sated that any trade agreement between the EU and Morocco does not preclude Western Sahara is violation to the international low.

 

“The United States government has clearly stated that stated that it does not consider Western Sahara to be part of Morocco, in relation to its USA-Morocco Free Trade Agreement in 2004. Both the Norwegian and the Swiss governments have clarified that the EFTA-Morocco Free Trade Agreement does not cover Western Sahara.” The NGOs recalled.(SPS)

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