Security Council should act with “determination” for fair solution enabling organization of self-determination referendum

Washington, 23 April (SPS) - Swedish Hans Corell, former Under-Secretary General for Legal Affairs and Legal Advisor at the United Nations, stressed the imperative that the Security Council act, concerning the handling of Western Sahara’s issue, with “authority” and “determination” to ensure a fair solution enabling the organization of self-determination referendum in this territory occupied by Morocco since 1975.

“How this should be done is a political issue that the Council should simply deal with. At the same time, any solution should comply with the international law. In this process, the Council should now examine more radical options than those implemented in the past,” said Correl, suggesting three options that were published in Washington by the International Judicial Academy, supported by the American Society of the International Law.

“One option is to transform the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) into an operation similar to that of the UN Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET), endowed with a general responsibility for the administration of East Timor and entitled to exercise all the legislative and executive powers, including the administration of justice.”

Another option is to “order Spain to assume its responsibilities as an administrative strength in Western Sahara,” he added. These two options, he said, “require the organization of a referendum in which the people of Western Sahara can exercise their right to self-determination.” adding “Considering that the issue of Western Sahara is on the agenda of the United Nations for four decades, the solution can be a third option, more radical, that is the Security Council recognizes Western Sahara as a sovereign State. (SPS)

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