Paris, France – The 49th conference of the European Coordination of Support for the Sahrawi People (ECOCO) commenced today in Paris, drawing delegations from across the globe. This year’s event is particularly significant, taking place in France, a nation recently shifting its stance on the Western Sahara issue.
Organizers have framed the conference as a pivotal opportunity to amplify the voices advocating for self-determination and the decolonization of Western Sahara. The agenda aims to challenge what they describe as the evolving ‘colonial’ attitude of the French government and to reaffirm the Sahrawi people’s inalienable right to self-determination and independence.
Algeria is strongly represented, with a delegation that includes members of parliament, representatives from the Algerian diaspora, and members of the National Committee for Solidarity with the Sahrawi People.
The two-day conference (November 28-29) features a series of workshops designed to address key issues. The first day includes addresses from ECOCO President Pierre Galand, Sahrawi Prime Minister Bouchraya Hamoudi Beyoun, and Régine Villemont, President of the Association of Friends of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic.
Workshops on the first day focus on the exploitation of natural resources and alleged violations of European Court of Justice rulings, as well as the responsibilities of the United Nations, France, and Spain in the region.
Day two’s agenda includes workshops dedicated to respecting the fundamental rights of the Sahrawi people, the resumption of ECOCO field activities, citizen mobilization in Europe (highlighting marches in France and Spain), and a strategic discussion on the future of solidarity efforts.
The 49th ECOCO conference will conclude with the release of a final declaration. ECOCO, supported by the Polisario Front, is considered the primary international gathering for solidarity with the Sahrawi people. For over three decades, the annual conference has brought together activists, human rights advocates, NGOs, trade unions, researchers, and elected officials from around the world.
