Speakers Stake Out Diverging Positions on Western Sahara, French Polynesia, Other Decolonization Questions, as Fourth Committee Continues Work
Petitioners addressing the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) took a range of positions on the long‑standing question of Western Sahara today, with some decrying the situation as a “rationalization of colonialism”, even as others cited high turnout in a recent legislative election as evidence of the population’s willingness to take part in Morocco’s democratic processes.
The Committee also heard petitioners and other speakers on the questions of the British Virgin Islands, French Polynesia, Gibraltar and Guam.
As members took up the question of Western Sahara, petitioners discussed issues including the 8 September elections — held in Morocco and in Western Sahara — as well Morocco’s autonomy plan for the Territory, which was first proposed in 2007. Some petitioners reiterated their support for that plan, while others continued to demand self‑determination for the people of Western Sahara.
Sidi Omar, of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Saguia el‑Hamra and Rio de Oro (POLISARIO Front), said the continuing illegal occupation of Western Sahara by Morocco is an insult to the Special Committee, and the situation is only exacerbated by the absence of strong action by the international community. Stressing that Morocco’s disregard for relevant United Nations resolutions has allowed it to continue with impunity, he said the people of the Territory are the victims of unspeakable brutality and oppression.
Petitioner Chris Sassi, of the group S.K.C., echoed those points, stressing that Morocco has long remained in “colonial blindness” while the Sahrawi people are subjected to violence by an increasingly aggressive Moroccan settlement policy. As a result, he said, people in the refugee camps are frustrated and impatient, seeing a future without hope in which armed conflict seems to be the only option.
By contrast, several petitioners praised Morocco’s development model as an important instrument changing the outlook of the broader region. Petitioner Pedro Díaz de la Vega García, of the group Banco de Alimentos, was among those speakers who referenced the high voter turnout during recent elections in Western Sahara, which he said represented an unequivocal demonstration of the willingness of the region’s people to be included in Morocco’s democratic process.
The Committee also heard warnings of terrorist groups entrenching themselves in the Tindouf refugee camps — located in Algeria and administered by the POLISARIO Front — exposing the entire region to security threats and instability. One speaker noted that, over the last 45 years, POLISARIO officials have failed to install electricity, running water or decent homes in the camps.
Petitioners from French Polynesia also spoke, with several accusing the Territory’s government of justifying neocolonialism. Chantal Minarii Galenon, of the Assembly of French Polynesia, underscored that reparatory justice for victims of nuclear testing — conducted by France in the Territory from the 1960s to the 1990s — remains challenging in the wake of devastating health and social consequences.
Édouard Fritch, President of French Polynesia, struck a different tone, emphasizing the Territory’s autonomy and detailing the support received from France — in particular during the COVID‑19 pandemic. He stressed that the Territory is in “no way in a colonial situation, nor in a situation of oppression, nor in a situation of predation or confiscation of its natural resources by anyone”. On the issue of past nuclear tests, he said work with victims continues in partnership and consultation with France.
The Deputy Premier of the British Virgin Islands also spoke today, as did an official representing the Chief Minister of Gibraltar.
The Fourth Committee will reconvene at 3 p.m. on Thursday, 7 October, to continue its consideration of decolonization matters.
Petitioners on the British Virgin Islands
NATALIO WHEATLEY, Deputy Premier of the British Virgin Islands, recalled that local relations with the United Kingdom have come under strain over the last decade, a situation that came to a head in January 2021 when a United Kingdom‑backed commission looking into corruption was launched on the islands with no prior notice or consultation with the local government. Moreover, the announcement of the inquiry was made in British Parliament and coordinated with media, creating a presumption of guilt before the inquiry began. The non‑transparent way the commission was held triggered serious concern throughout the region, he said, noting that the locally elected government and its public servants nevertheless fully cooperated with the commission.
Emphasizing that the tremendous administrative burden of dealing with those matters drew precious time away from hurricane preparedness and the COVID‑19 response, he said the work is being conducted like a public trial and seems to be laying the groundwork to strip the local government of its powers, as a pretext to impose direct colonial rule. He voiced concern that the United Kingdom will attempt to roll back autonomy by taking over the finances of the local government, which would be a violation of international law. What is needed is a progressive relationship based on partnership, to support the sustainable development of the Territory. The United Kingdom’s support for the local COVID‑19 response demonstrates that such a modern partnership is possible, he said.
ELIEZER BENITO WHEATLEY, petitioner, reported that the British Virgin Islands’ relationship with the United Kingdom has deteriorated, creating a deep sense of mistrust, while political engagement has taken a negative turn. The United Kingdom’s Commission of Inquiry is a stark departure from productive engagement and risks pushing the Territory further down the path of colonialization, he warned. Instead, the United Kingdom should be entering into a dialogue with the local entities aimed at paving the way for a Constitutional review and a referendum within 10 years. Against that backdrop, he said there is still an opportunity to step back from the brink of a total collapse of the relationship.
Petitioners on French Polynesia
ÉDOUARD FRITCH, President of French Polynesia, recalled that he has been advocating for autonomy for the Territory for the past 35 years. “My country is in no way in a colonial situation, nor in a situation of oppression, nor in a situation of predation or confiscation of its natural resources by anyone,” he stressed, adding that its broad autonomy enabled it to fight COVID‑19 with France’s full support. Noting that the latter sent more than 200 French health care workers to support local medical teams, along with 350,000 doses of COVID‑19 vaccines, he added that two loans totalling $680 million — guaranteed by the French State — were granted to finance the recovery of French Polynesia’s economy. He emphasized that such support is a “concrete manifestation of France’s solidarity with its autonomous Territory”. French Polynesia is concerned by the possible threats of geopolitical and geostrategic confrontations in the Pacific, which would affect the balance of the world more than the Territory’s decolonization. On the nuclear issue, he said work continues in partnership and consultation with France, and asked the Committee to include a paragraph on the Territory’s contribution to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in its resolution on French Polynesia. “French Polynesia is not a colony to be decolonized,” he stressed.
CARLYLE G. CORBIN, Dependency Studies Project, said that until a genuine decolonization process overseen by the United Nations begins, the debate can be “relegated to an expression of competing opinions between those who seek to legitimize contemporary colonialism, and those who desire a true decolonization process”. Noting that the General Assembly has adopted nine resolutions on the question of French Polynesia since its reinscription on the organ’s agenda in 2013, she said the administering Power has transmitted no information to the Secretary‑General. That lack of cooperation should not be allowed to impede the decolonization process and cannot be used to legitimize contemporary colonialism, he said.
CHANTAL MINARII GALENON, Assembly of French Polynesia, said the Territory’s status has not changed since 2013 “despite the illusory attempts by the representative of the current French Polynesian Government to justify neocolonialism”. Recalling the 30 years of French nuclear testing in the Territory, she stressed that reparatory justice for victims remains challenging in the wake of devastating health and social consequences. Detailing a recent report on those, published by scientists from France and the United States, she said the French Government responded by launching a misinformation campaign to downplay the extent of nuclear contamination.
MOETAI BROTHERSON, National Assembly French Polynesia, said only the Mä’ohi people should decide whether they want to remain a French territory or regain their sovereignty once the decolonization and self‑determination processes conclude. Stressing that the process cannot take place outside of the scrutiny of the United Nations, he drew attention to “denial, defiance and contempt” on the part of the administering Power toward United Nations resolutions. He added that the COVID‑19 pandemic has revealed the limits of the Territory’s “so‑called autonomy”, while France’s Indo‑Pacific strategy makes clear that “after being used and abused by France to become a nuclear power”, the Mä’ohi people are again only being used to ensure that country’s power position.
Petitioners on Gibraltar
DAVID GUERRERO LISTON, speaking on behalf of the Chief Minister of Gibraltar, recalled that Gibraltar has been inhabited for longer than many Member States have existed. It has a unique population, separate and distinct from its administering Power, mostly a product of immigration from all over the planet. Recalling that the Territory has been included on the Non‑Self‑Governing Territories list for more than 70 years, he called on the United Nations to support its right to self‑determination. “The United Nations cannot have one rule for some and a different one for others,” he said, stressing that when it comes to Gibraltar, the Organization has “whistled and looked the other way”. Urging it to send a visiting mission to Gibraltar as soon as possible, he said that for many years, the island has had a relationship of conflict and confrontation with Spain. It is not possible to redraw the boundaries of Europe 300 years ago, he said, expressing his hope for an agreement on a new treaty on the future of Gibraltar and the European Union.
Petitioners on Guam
JOSHUA F. TENORIO, Lieutenant Governor of Guam, noting that decolonization is a priority of his administration, voiced regret that the elected and appointed leaders of the administering Power show no interest in addressing Guam’s longstanding desire to change and improve its political status with the United States. Efforts to administer a non‑binding referendum on the Territory’s political status by Guam’s people have been prohibited by United States courts, and Washington, D.C., has long designated Guam to be outside of both its customs and quarantine zones. However, on a positive note, Guam has generally been afforded a pro rata share of entitlement and aid programmes allocated to the rest of the country’s 50 states, as well as in allotments for COVID‑19 vaccines, he said, noting that Guam provided direct assistance to the United States at the beginning of the pandemic by helping to evacuate service members abroad. It also became an evacuation point and haven for United States‑affiliated Afghans.
He went on to stress that the administering Power’s militarization of Guam put a significant burden on the Territory’s people and natural environment. Those actions caught the attention of three United Nations Human Rights Council rapporteurs in Geneva, who expressed concern over potential serious human rights violations of the indigenous people of Guam. In that context, he called upon the administering Power to address those concerns and to approve a United Nations visiting mission to Guam to assess the progress of the Territory’s sustainable development efforts. He also asked the Committee to include the Special Rapporteurs’ joint letter in the official record of today’s meeting.
MELVIN WON PAT-BORJA, Guam Commission on Decolonization, recalled that the colonized people of Guam have fought to attain a full measure of self‑government for 120 years but have seen only incremental improvements to Guam’s unincorporated Territory status because of inaction of the administering Power. Noting that his organization has consistently advocated for a United Nations visiting mission to the island, he said that while the Committee’s current draft resolution for Guam addresses many concerns, it contains no distinction between the people who were colonized by the United States and those who are residents as a result of the colonial relationship, which is a disservice to the colonized people.
Petitioners on Western Sahara
SIDI OMAR, POLISARIO Front, said the continuing illegal occupation of Western Sahara by Morocco is an insult to the Special Committee. This situation is exacerbated by the absence of strong action by the United Nations and the international community. Instead, Morocco’s disregard for relevant resolutions on the Western Sahara has allowed it to continue with impunity. The people of the Territory are victims of unspeakable brutality and oppression, he stressed, calling for a firm stand from the United Nations. For its part, the POLISARIO remains committed to a peaceful solution, he said, adding that the people of Western Sahara will continue to use all legitimate means to defend their sacred and non‑negotiable rights.
NANCY HUFF, Teach the Children International, spoke of her personal experience with the POLISARIO Front, recalling that her suspicions arose after humanitarian aid she was responsible for went missing and failed to make it into the Tindouf camps between 2000 and 2007. In 2014, the European Anti‑Fraud Office released a report detailing facts relating to the diversion of aid from the camps, which was sold by the POLISARIO leaders on the black market. Another issue of great concern is the POLISARIO’s use of children as soldiers and human shields, she said, citing various United Nations Human Rights Council findings in that regard. In that context, she expressed support for the Western Sahara Autonomy Proposal, first put forward by Morocco in 2007.
KAREN HARDIN, Priority PR Group, drawing attention to the numerous human rights violations in the Tindouf refugee camps, which are run by the POLISARIO movement, urged the Committee to investigate who the POLISARIO members are and what ideology they follow. She said the POLISARIO Front holds the Sahrawi population hostage while withholding the aid intended for them and called for a separate investigation into accusations of abuse in the Tindouf camps.
VIVIAN EADS, Capitol Hill Prayer Partners, expressed concern about Sahrawi youth, who see themselves as victims. She said the issue of Western Sahara will not be resolved until the youth receive positive education and can make contributions to society. Warning that unresolved issues can draw some young people into clandestine activities, she said young people must be able to see themselves as viable individuals bringing their gifts to their society. She further called upon the international community to support the Moroccan autonomy plan as a viable solution to resolve the conflict.
GRACE NJAPAU, Women Investment Network, said the new development model launched by Morocco has provided socioeconomic development and changed the outlook of the region, with a budget of more than $8 million. Moreover, locally elected representatives remain the only instrument to manage the local affairs of the Moroccan Sahara, she said, noting that the new dynamic makes the region a hub of economic exchange.
JONATHAN HUFF, Safety and Security Instructional Services, warned that military organizations such as Hizbullah have established training operations in the Tindouf camps. In addition, militant jihadist groups and Latin American drug cartels that have partnered to transport drugs, arms and humans across the Sahara desert have infiltrated the Sahrawi refugee camps. The result is increased cocaine trafficking from South America to Europe via established routes in Africa. Against that backdrop, he asked the Committee to take swift and decisive action to adopt Morocco’s autonomy plan.
ISMAEL BUCHANAN ABOUI, University of Rwanda, recalled that Morocco presented its autonomy proposal to the Security Council, through which Morocco guarantees that the region’s population can democratically run its own affairs. He noted that under the initiative, resources will be provided to develop the region and boost the economy, reviving cultural and social life not only in the Sahara but throughout Morocco. It is of paramount importance that the new United Nations envoy builds his work on the gains of the two round tables held in Geneva in 2018 and 2019, he said, stressing that the autonomy plan is the only serious and credible initiative that can put an end to the dispute within the framework of Moroccan sovereignty and territorial integrity.
EVARISTO JÚLIO GOMES, Valor Económico, noted that Western Sahara is an area of relative stability despite the many threats facing the region. Moroccan efforts to fight terrorism throughout the Territory have helped to contain the terrorist threat, he said, describing Morocco as a key partner in international cooperation in that arena. Morocco’s new model for development also benefits the entire region and is turning it into an important economic hub, he added.
NYKAKY LYGEROS, University of Lyon, said Morocco’s claim to the Western Sahara is long‑standing and internationally recognized. However, Morocco does not prevent the people from representing themselves, he said, citing recent elections of local officials. In fact, the high voter turnout in those elections shows that the people are committed to the political process there. By contrast, the POLISARIO offers no alternative, only living in the past with no plans for future policies, he said.
DEREK CONWAY, petitioner, expressed his hope that the Committee will urge all interested parties to continue to participate in the Geneva round table process. Most Member States support the autonomy initiative as a realistic, serious and credible basis for resolving the dispute. “It is also the guarantee of a bright future for the entire Sahel‑Sahara region,” he said, voicing his hope that the Committee will examine concerns that the lack of accountability for the diversion of humanitarian aid creates an incentive for the POLISARIO Front to stall progress in the political process.
DANIEL DART RICHERT, DEC Projects, said that in the course of the past five years he has met with all the parties to the conflict and became appalled by the actions of Morocco and by the “silence and complacency of the United Nations”. Stressing that the peacekeeping force in Western Sahara has no human rights mandate, he drew attention to massive human rights violations in the region. What is being witnessed today is the rationalization of colonialism, he said, calling on the international community to give the Sahrawi people the rights they deserve and to immediately hold a referendum on self‑determination.
ANTONIO YELPI AGUILAR, Fundación Global África Latina, noted that the Sahrawi people have a sense of belonging towards Morocco. Such sentiments make it clear that Morocco’s autonomy plan provides the only realistic framework for a good outcome in the Western Sahara. In contrast, the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic seeks totalitarianism, he said, comparing the POLISARIO Front to the Government of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and noting that it was initially introduced to undermine the democratic plans of Morocco in the region.
JEAN DELORS BIYOGUE BI NTOUGOU, Université Omar Bongo, Institut de Recherche en Sciences Humaines, warned that the Tindouf zone could become a hub for terrorist groups and a transit area for arms trafficking, exposing the entire region to security threats and instability. In that context, he stressed that Algeria must positively contribute to the settlement of the dispute by discontinuing its support for the POLISARIO Front.
PIERRE‑MICHEL NGUIMBI, petitioner, called on Algeria — as host of the refugee camps in Tindouf — to assume its humanitarian role. Recalling Security Council resolution 2414 (2018), which asked the POLISARIO Front to refrain from carrying out destabilizing actions at the risk of compromising the political process, he said the POLISARIO nevertheless violated the ceasefire agreement. He further noted that the people of Western Sahara recently expressed devotion to Morocco, adding that its autonomy proposal is the only credible solution to bring end to the conflict.
ANDRÉ GAKWAYA, Rwanda Media Commission, said the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic is not a State and has violated the Charter of the Organization of African Unity. Morocco has always had a sovereign link with Western Sahara, which has been confirmed by the International Court of Justice. He expressed support for Morocco’s autonomy proposal, which represents a true opportunity to promote negotiations aimed at achieving a lasting settlement to the dispute in the context of international law and in accordance with the United Nations Charter.
ANDRÉ GRIMBLATT, Scanner Internacional, outlined various elements of Morocco’s autonomy plan, which was subject to extensive consultations with entities within the Territory, he said. Under the plan, officials would be elected by the local parliament and elected bodies could levy taxes to finance development in the region. A general amnesty is also planned, with a council that would assist with the repatriation of displaced people, he said.
RICARDO BERNARDO SÁNCHEZ SERRA SERRA, Federación de Periodistas del Perú, said the proposed Western Sahara “referendum” is unachievable and was buried by the Security Council 20 years ago for that reason. Sticking to that outdated position is a waste of time while people in the Tindouf camps continue to languish, living in inhumane conditions. Indeed, he pointed out, over the last 45 years, the POLISARIO Front has failed to install electricity, running water or decent homes in the camps.
SIDI LAAROUSSI DAHI, Inspection du Travail de Laâyoune, detailed several ongoing and planned infrastructure projects implemented in the Moroccan Sahara, noting that this specific development model will help achieve a paradigm shift. Stressing that the model will help people utilize their natural resources, enjoy equal opportunities and high‑quality services, he underlined that the project implementation rate since 2015 has reached 75 per cent despite the COVID‑19 pandemic. He further outlined a plan to build a university, a healing center and other social facilities, adding that his model seeks to provide 125 job opportunities for the people of Sahara.
MANSOUR MOHAMED FADEL DOUIHI, Association Sahraouie contre l'impunité aux camps de Tindouf, said the recent report by the Secretary‑General on the situation in Western Sahara referred to pragmatic approaches to conflict resolution and promoting peace in the region. He went on to outline specific developments described in the report, noting that it held the POLISARIO Front responsible for hindering the United Nations process. The report also stressed Algeria’s pivotal role in humanitarian matters and took note of the social and economic projects being implemented by Morocco in the region, he said.
CHRIS SASSI, S.K.C., said Morocco has long remained in colonial blindness, pursuing a strategy to create tension in the Western Sahara wherein the Sahrawi people are subjected to violence by an increasingly aggressive settlement policy, which is destabilizing for the region. As a result, he said, people in the refugee camps are frustrated and impatient, seeing a future without hope in which armed conflict seems to be the only option.
JANET LENZ, International Faith and Peace Dialogue/Not Forgotten International, observed that the Committee’s members sit today in the comfort of a climate‑controlled room with clean bottled water, while people in the Sahrawi refugee camps sit in tents with little or no access to basic services. In the camps, clothing is shared, food and clean water are scarce, and transportation around the region is impossible. The Sahrawi people long to live in their homeland, she said, adding that the older generation still remembers the smell of the sea.
MALAAININ BOULON, petitioner, noted that the southern area of Western Sahara is witnessing massive development progress. In fact, he said, it has the lowest poverty rate in Morocco. The area can run its own affairs, with free and fair elections. That stands in stark contrast to the experience living under the POLISARIO Front, he stressed, citing the steady stream of new arrivals from Sahrawi refugee camps as evidence. He emphasized that it is unfair to allow the politically motivated aspirations of the few to supersede the needs of the many.
PEDRO DÍAZ DE LA VEGA GARCÍA, Banco de Alimentos, referring to the high voter turnout during recent elections in Morocco, including in the Sahara, said that it represented an unequivocal demonstration of the willingness of people in the region to be included in Morocco’s democratic process. The elections demonstrated that through their democratic participation, the people of Western Sahara have already been integrated within Morocco, he said, observing that embassies from various countries have been set up in that part of the Sahara. Turning to the deplorable situation of the people in the Tindouf camps, he pointed to Security Council resolutions calling for a win‑win political solution to the dispute.
AGRON PALI, petitioner, said the decolonization of Western Sahara has not been accomplished yet because Morocco has continued to occupy illegal parts of the Territory since 1975, in violation of United Nations resolutions and the ruling of the International Court of Justice. He further noted that, in keeping with the norms of international law, the United Nations, the African Union and the European Union among others have never recognized Morocco’s illegal occupation. He noted that Western Sahara has witnessed a massive demographic engineering process and called upon the United Nations to assume responsibility for the Non‑Self‑Governing Territory of Western Sahara until the decolonization process successfully concludes.