Kingstown (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines) June 5, 2011 (SPS) - The Representative of the Frente POLISARIO to the UN, Mr. Ahmed Boukhari, has called upon the UN Decolonization Committee to reaffirm self-determination as the central objective of the UN political process, in the annual regional seminar of the UN Fourth Committee held from May 31 to June 3, 2011 in Kingstown, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
In his statement before the Seminar, Mr. Boukhari underlined that UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said, two months after the fiftieth anniversary of the UN resolution 1514, that the sixteen remaining Non-Self-Governing Territories must be “given the opportunity to exercise their right to self-determination in order to take the interests of their peoples fully into account.
He pointed that the events sweeping Middle East and northern Africa “have demonstrated clearly that the process of decolonization in Western Sahara must reflect the will of its people if it is to be credible, sustainable, and foster peace, security and regional integration in the long term,” adding “it must also respect international law, including the principles and purposes of the UN Charter.”
He also called on the UN Special Committee on Decolonization and the General Assembly to ensure that 2011 is a “decisive year in international efforts to grant the Saharawi people their long-overdue right to self-determination.”
On other hand, Saharawi diplomat called the attention of the UN Special Committee to the continued and systematic human rights abuses and plunder of Western Sahara’s natural resources by the Moroccan regime.
“Serious and credible UN capacity to monitor and report on human rights is central to restoring the faith and confidence of the Saharawi people in the UN process, and to prevent escalations between the parties that have the opposite effect,” Polisario Representative to the UN said.
He appealed to the Member States of the UN Special Committee to restore respect for international law and to call a halt to the illegal plunder of the natural resources belonging to the people of Western Sahara.
Mr. Boukhari finally considered that this deplorable situation “seriously undermines any efforts at confidence-building that might engender progress towards a peaceful solution that will provide for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara.” (SPS)
089/090 051235 JUNE 11 SPS