New York (UN), 15 October 2026 (SPS) – Namibia has reaffirmed that commercial agreements involving Western Sahara’s natural resources without the consent of the Sahrawi people are illegal, calling for a UN-sponsored referendum on self-determination.
Addressing the UN General Assembly’s Fourth Committee, Namibia stressed that Western Sahara remains a Non-Self-Governing Territory whose decolonisation process is unfinished, reaffirming the Sahrawi people’s inalienable right to self-determination and independence.
The Namibian delegation recalled the 1975 advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice and subsequent rulings by the Court of Justice of the European Union, stressing the need to respect international law and reject any arrangements that legitimise the exploitation of Sahrawi natural resources without the consent of their people.
Namibia also denounced the Moroccan military wall, saying it restricts Sahrawis’ access to their land and resources. It called on the UN to ensure unimpeded access to the occupied territory for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to facilitate independent monitoring and accountability.
The delegation urged Morocco and the Polisario Front to resume negotiations urgently, in good faith and without preconditions, in line with African Union and UN resolutions. It also called for the renewal of the mandate of the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) and the organisation of a UN-supervised referendum enabling the Sahrawi people to exercise their right to self-determination.
Namibia stressed that any lasting political solution must respect international law and the Sahrawi people’s inalienable rights, warning that autonomy without sovereignty cannot replace their right to determine their own future.
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