New York (United Nations), 14 December 2023 (SPS) – On the occasion of the 63rd anniversary of the adoption by the UN General Assembly of its resolution 1514 on the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, the Frente POLISARIO Representation at the United Nations issued a Press Release highlighting the historical, legal and political significance of this resolution, which is considered the Magna Carta of decolonisation and the cornerstone of UN policy towards the territories that are still colonised, including Western Sahara.
The Press Release pointed out that the new aggression unleased by the occupying state of Morocco since 13 November 2020 has once again forced the Sahrawi people to resume their legitimate struggle, which had been recognised and supported by the General Assembly in its resolutions, including resolution 2983 (XXVII) of 14 December 1972, in which the General Assembly requested all States to give the Sahrawi people all necessary moral and material assistance in their struggle.
The full text of the Press Release as received by SPS:
FRENTE POLISARIO REPRESENTATION AT THE UNITED NATIONS
PRESS RELEASE
On the Commemoration of the 63rd Anniversary of UN General Assembly Resolution 1514
Today the United Nations and all world nations mark the 63rd anniversary of the adoption by the General Assembly of its resolution 1514 (XV), on 14 December 1960, on the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, known also as the Magna Carta of decolonisation.
By its resolution 1514 (XV), the General Assembly recognised that the subjection of peoples to alien subjugation and domination constituted a denial of fundamental human rights, was contrary to the Charter of the United Nations and was an impediment to the promotion of world peace and cooperation. It solemnly proclaimed the necessity of bringing to a speedy and unconditional end colonialism in all its forms and manifestations.
On 10 December 2020, the General Assembly adopted resolution 75/123 declaring the period 2021-2030 the Fourth International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism. However, colonialism is still far from over.
At present, the Special Committee on Decolonisation (C-24) includes on its list 17 Non-Self-Governing Territories including Western Sahara, the last colony in Africa, whose decolonisation was obstructed by Morocco’s military invasion and occupation of the Territory in 1975, which was deeply deplored by the General Assembly in its resolutions 34/37 of 21 November 1979 and 35/19 of 11 November 1980, among others.
Six decades have passed since the General Assembly adopted its resolution 1956 (XVIII) of 11 December 1963 whereby the General Assembly included Western Sahara on the list of the Non-Self-Governing Territories falling within the scope of Chapter XI of the UN Charter, thus recognising the international status of Western Sahara as a decolonisation issue and consequently the inalienable right of the Sahrawi people right to self-determination and independence to be exercised in accordance with General Assembly resolution 1514 (XV) and other relevant resolutions.
However, the decolonisation of Western Sahara remains unfinished owing to the obstructionism of the occupying state of Morocco coupled with the inaction of the international community, which has thus far emboldened the occupying state not only to persist in its illegal occupation of parts of Western Sahara but also to violate and torpedo the 1991 ceasefire on 13 November 2020, causing the collapse of the UN peace process and triggering a new war in the region.
In the face of the new aggression unleashed by the occupying state of Morocco, the Sahrawi people have again been forced to resume their legitimate struggle that the General Assembly had recognised and supported in its resolutions, including resolution 2983 (XXVII) of 14 December 1972 in which the General Assembly requested all States to give the Sahrawi people all necessary moral and material assistance in their struggle.
It is therefore imperative that the General Assembly and its subsidiary bodies redouble their efforts to bring about a peaceful and lasting solution to the decolonisation of Western Sahara, which remains an indispensable prerequisite for restoring peace and stability in North Africa.
New York, 14 December 2023