UN Committee Affirms Western Sahara Colonial Status, Self-Determination
The United Nations General Assembly's Fourth Committee, which handles Special Political and Decolonization matters, recently adopted a significant resolution on Western Sahara. This resolution, supported by 152 states during the 81st session of the General Assembly, explicitly addresses the territory as a decolonization issue under the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples. The adoption reaffirms the Sahrawi people's inalienable right to self-determination and independence, consistent with the UN Charter and General Assembly Resolution 1514 (XV). Sidi Mohamed Ammar, the Polisario Front's representative to the UN, noted that this decision reinforces the legal framework of Western Sahara, responding to attempts to alter the legal nature of the issue.
In its decision, the Committee acknowledged the UN Secretary-General's report of July 31, 2026, which underscored Western Sahara's status as a decolonization matter. It also reiterated the UN's responsibility towards the Sahrawi people. The Committee called upon the Special Committee on Decolonization to continue its review of the territory's status and to present a report to the 82nd General Assembly session. Furthermore, the Secretary-General was requested to provide a report on the resolution's implementation during the upcoming session, reinforcing the ongoing international focus on this issue.
Concurrently, Algeria and South Africa have explicitly reaffirmed their support for the Sahrawi people's inalienable right to self-determination. This joint stance was communicated in a communiqué following a meeting between Algerian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ahmed Attaf, and South African Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ronald Lamola. Both nations expressed their backing for the United Nations' efforts to achieve a just and lasting political solution that enables the Sahrawi people to exercise this fundamental right, aligning with relevant resolutions and principles of both the UN and the African Union.
