New York (United Nations), 16 October 2025 (SPS) – During the debates of the UN General Assembly’s Fourth Committee on Special Political and Decolonization Issues, Namibia reaffirmed its steadfast support for the Sahrawi people’s right to self-determination and freedom, emphasizing the United Nations’ legal obligation to achieve justice and liberty for the people of Western Sahara in accordance with the UN Charter and relevant resolutions on decolonization and self-determination.
Namibia stressed that any agreements or commercial deals concluded with third parties concerning the territory of Western Sahara without the consent of the Sahrawi people are illegal and void, as they undermine international law. This principle, the statement noted, has been reaffirmed by the European Court of Justice in its rulings of 2016, 2022, and 2024 respectively.
The statement added: “The continued exploitation of Western Sahara’s natural resources without the consent of its people undermines the principles of justice and international law. We therefore call on the international community to stand on the right side of history by refraining from any actions that perpetuate or legitimize the unlawful appropriation of Sahrawi resources.”
The Namibian representative recalled that 50 years after the occupation of Western Sahara in 1975, the Sahrawi people remain displaced from their homeland, and the territory continues to be under colonial administration, with the decolonization process still unfinished. Namibia, he emphasized, considers Western Sahara to be a territory under occupation and calls for renewed international efforts—particularly by the UN Security Council—to protect the rights and dignity of the Sahrawi people in accordance with the principle of self-determination.
He further affirmed that the Fourth Committee, as part of the broader UN system, bears both a moral and legal mandate to uphold the rights of peoples under colonial rule. Accordingly, the Committee has a legal responsibility to ensure justice and freedom for the people of Western Sahara in line with the UN Charter and relevant decolonization and self-determination resolutions.
Namibia also expressed deep concern over the continued denial of access to the occupied territories of Western Sahara for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) due to longstanding restrictions that have prevented independent field assessments. The statement called on the UN system—especially the General Assembly and the Security Council—to intensify efforts to guarantee unhindered OHCHR access and to uphold the principles of neutrality and the rule of law in all reports concerning Western Sahara.
Finally, the Namibian representative referred to the efforts of the African Union (AU), where both parties to the conflict are members. He recalled that the AU Summit has urged the two sides to resume negotiations urgently, without preconditions and in good faith. He concluded by calling on Morocco to do the right thing—allowing Africa’s last colony to fully exercise its right to self-determination through a peaceful resolution of the conflict.
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