New York (United Nations) 26 May 2022 (SPS)- The Representative of the Frente POLISARIO at the United Nations and Coordinator with MINURSO, Dr. Sidi M. Omar, stressed that the Saharawi people are expecting serious actions from the UN not only words, in a press release he issued today on the occasion of the International Week of Solidarity with the Peoples of Non-Self-Governing Territories.
“What the Sahrawi people await from the United Nations is to see serious actions, and not only words, which practically demonstrate the willingness of the United Nations to assume its sacred responsibility and to exert all efforts to bring the decolonisation of Western Sahara to its conclusion through the free, genuine, and democratic expression of the sovereign will of the Sahrawi people in the exercise of their inalienable and non-negotiable right to self-determination and independence,” he wrote.
The Week of Solidarity with the Peoples of Non-Self-Governing Territories is celebrated by the UN in the last week of May of every year starting from the 25th.
Following is the full text of the Press Release of which SPS received a copy:
REPRESENTATION OF THE FRENTE POLISARIO AT THE UNITED NATIONS
PRESS RELEASE
International Week of Solidarity with the Peoples of Non-Self-Governing Territories
[New York, 26 May 2022]: On 6 December 1999, the United Nations General Assembly adopted resolution 54/91 in which it reaffirmed its resolution 1514 (XV) of 14 December 1960, containing the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, and all its subsequent resolutions concerning the implementation of the Declaration.
The General Assembly also reaffirmed its determination to continue to take all steps necessary to bring about the complete and speedy eradication of colonialism and the faithful observance by all States of the relevant provisions of the Charter of the United Nations, the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
By its resolution 54/91, the UN General Assembly affirmed once again its support for the aspirations of the peoples under colonial rule to exercise their right to self-determination, including independence. In this context, it decided to observe annually the Week of Solidarity with the Peoples of Non-Self-Governing Territories, beginning on 25 May.
The observance this year by the United Nations of “the Week of Solidarity with the Peoples of Non-Self-Governing Territories”, which lasts until 31 May, takes places after 61 years since the adoption by the UN General Assembly of its resolution 1514 (XV) known also as the Magna Carta of decolonisation. It also comes after the adoption by the General Assembly of its resolution 75/123 on 10 December 2020 whereby it declared the period 2021-2030 the Fourth International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism.
At present, there are 17 Territories whose peoples have not yet exercised their right to self-determination and independence including Western Sahara, the last colony in Africa, whose decolonisation was thwarted owing to Morocco’s illegal military invasion and occupation of the Territory on 31 October 1975, which the General Assembly deeply deplored in its resolutions 34/37 of 21 November 1979 and 35/19 of 11 November 1980, and other relevant resolutions.
Almost six decades have passed since the General Assembly adopted its resolution 1956 (XVIII) of 11 December 1963, whereby it approved the report of the Special Committee on Decolonisation containing the list of the Territories to be decolonised including Western Sahara.
The UN General Assembly has ever since adopted numerous resolutions calling for enabling the Sahrawi people to exercise their inalienable right to self-determination and independence, but the decolonisation of the Territory has not been achieved yet because of Morocco’s continued illegal military occupation of parts of the Territory.
The observance this year by the United Nations of “the Week of Solidarity with the Peoples of Non-Self-Governing Territories” should not pass as a ceremonial event, but as a strong reminder that colonialism still exists in the 21st century, and it should therefore be an opportunity to operationalise the sacred responsibility of the United Nations towards the remaining colonised countries and peoples.
The Sahrawi people, who continue to endure the horrendous consequences of Morocco’s continued illegal military occupation of parts of their land, still look to the United Nations to implement its own resolutions regarding the decolonisation of Western Sahara and to operationalise the legal and moral responsibility towards our people, particularly Sahrawi civilians and human rights activists in the Sahrawi Occupied Territories who are subjected daily to inhuman and unspeakable practices at the hands of the occupying state of Morocco.
What the Sahrawi people await from the United Nations is to see serious actions, and not only words, which practically demonstrate the willingness of the United Nations to assume its sacred responsibility and to exert all efforts to bring the decolonisation of Western Sahara to its conclusion through the free, genuine, and democratic expression of the sovereign will of the Sahrawi people in the exercise of their inalienable and non-negotiable right to self-determination and independence.
The Frente POLISARIO has demonstrated by concrete actions its genuine commitment to the peaceful, just, and lasting decolonisation of Western Sahara and has made tremendous concessions for peace. However, we will never accept the fait accompli that the occupying state of Morocco is seeking to impose by force in the Occupied Territories of the Sahrawi Republic (SADR), and we will continue to use all legitimate means to defend the sacred rights of our people and their national aspirations for freedom and independence.
Dr Sidi M. Omar
Representative of the Frente POLISARIO at the United Nations
Coordinator with MINURSO.” (SPS)
090/500/60 (SPS)