United Kingdom and the EU in favor of the Moroccan autonomy

UNITED KINGDOM and the EU IN FAVOUR OF THE MOROCCAN AUTONOMY
PROPOSAL




TAOUFIQ GAZOULIT


The 4th commission of the general assembly of the UN agreed upon a
consensus draft of resolution about the future of the Sahara, which
was seen by Western diplomats and observers as a strong sign to the
Moroccan initiative for negotiating an autonomy statute for the Sahara
region. The draft resolution consists on the following main points:

·Welcoming the adoption of Security Council resolution 1754(2007) of
30 April 2007,Expressing its satisfaction that the parties have met on
18 and 19 June and on 10 and 11 August 2007 under the auspices of the
Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General and in the presence of the
neighbouring countries and they have agreed to continue the
negotiations.

·Calling upon all the parties and the States of the region to
cooperate fully with the Secretary-General and his Personal Envoy and
with each other,
Reaffirming the responsibility of the United Nations towards the
people of Western Sahara

·Welcoming in this regard the efforts of the Secretary-General and his
Personal Envoy in search of a mutually acceptable political solution
for the dispute, that will provide for self-determination of the
people of Western Sahara,

·Supports strongly Security Council resolution 1754(2007) by which the
Council called upon the parties to enter into negotiations, without
preconditions in good faith, taking into account the developments of
the last months, with a view to achieving a just, lasting and mutually
acceptable political solution which will provide for the self-
determination of the people of Western Sahara;

·Commends the efforts undertaken by the Secretary-General and his
Personal Envoy for the implementation of Security Council resolution
1754(2007), encourages the parties to continue to show political will
and spirit of cooperation in support these efforts and to create the
propitious atmosphere for dialogue and for the success of the
negotiations;

·Invites the Secretary-General to submit to the General Assembly at
its sixty-third session a report on the implementation of the present
resolution Welcomes the ongoing negotiations between the parties held
on 18 and 19 June and on 10 and 11 August 2007 in the presence of the
neighbouring countries under the auspices of the United Nations;

As a result to this draft of resolution, The British government
encourages the "continued engagement" of the parties to the Sahara
conflict, opposing Morocco and the Algerian-backed Polisario
separatist movement, to resume negotiations.
"We encourage the continued engagement of the parties in the
negotiations in accordance with the United nations Security Council's
resolution 1754," said a Spokesman of the Foreign and Commonwealth
Office

The two parties held two rounds of negotiations in Manhasset,
outskirts of New York (June 18-19 and August 10-11), under the
auspices of the United Nations and in accordance with UN Security
Council's resolution of April 30, 2007, which called upon the parties
to "enter into negotiations in good faith and without preconditions."

During these two rounds, Morocco presented its autonomy proposal that
was described as "serious and credible" by the five member countries
of the Security Council and backed by other influential capitals.

"The UK welcomes participation by all parties in the 2nd round of
negotiations," he added, stressing that "the UK continues to fully
support the efforts of the UN Secretary General and his personal
envoy, Peter Van Walsum, to assist the parties to achieve a just,
lasting and mutually acceptable political solution."

As to the British House of Commons over 120 members of parliament have
signed a motion that lends support to the Moroccan initiative to
negotiate an autonomy statute in the Sahara region in a bid to solve
the 32-year-old dispute over this former Spanish colony.

The document, the first to be signed by such a number of MPs,
"favourably" welcomes the Moroccan autonomy plan as it "offers the
opportunity to meet the demands of the (Polisario) separatists," by
guaranteeing for the Sahrawis a larger role in the institutions of the
region, "while recognizing the sovereignty and territorial integrity
of Morocco."

The Sahara dispute broke out in a year after the territory was ceded
to Morocco by Spain under the Madrid Accord. The Algeria-backed
Polisario separatists are claiming the separation of the Sahara from
the rest of the kingdom.

The British MPs also called on the British government to "encourage"
all the parties to cooperate with the United Nations efforts in order
to reach a solution to this "geopolitical conflict."

The UN facilitated two rounds of talks last summer between Morocco and
the Polisario in accordance with a Security Council resolution that
called on the parties to engage in negotiations "without
preconditions."

The Moroccan autonomy proposal, submitted to the security council of
the United Nations in April 2007, was largely welcomed by the
international community as serious and constructive.

The motion of the House of Commons was signed by MPs representing all
the UK political parties, including members of the Shadow Cabinet. It
is worth saying that ever since the Moroccan government decided to
make a move towards a political solution based on direct negotiations,
and the elaboration of an extremely important alternative called
"Moroccan Initiative for negotiating an autonomy statute for the
Sahara region" the British MP's from all political parties which form
the house of commons and particularly the labour party and
conservative party, have opted to support the Moroccan proposal
concerning the future of the Western Sahara .

Most of the main European countries are supporting Morocco mainly:
France, Spain, and United Kingdom, in addition to the European Union
which greeted the Moroccan initiative for negotiating an autonomy
statute for the Sahara region, and praised the negotiations taken
place in Manhasset under the supervision of the United Nations.

In a statement published, on the23rd of July in Brussels, at the end
of the 6th session of the Morocco-European union association council,
the European Union affirmed "its appreciation to the Moroccan proposal
prepared since a long time"underliying its support to the negotiations
about the statute for the Sahara region.

The EU "notes with interest that parties have announced their
readiness to engage in a good faith in these negotiations, and
congratulates itself that they agreed to carry on their talks during
the second week of august"

The EU hopes that "these negotiations will reach a just, political and
durable solution, which is mutually acceptable and allows the auto-
determination of the people of Western Sahara as stated in the UN
resolutions"

The EU is "convinced that a solution of this conflict, after 30 years,
is everybody's wish, and will improve noticeably chances for a bigger
integration of the Maghreb countries among themselves, and with the
European Union.

It is expected that the third round of negotiations between Morocco
and Polisario front will take place around the end of this year, in
Swisserland, the international community is expecting a breakthrough
in this round with the aim to achieving a durable and just political
to a dispute that lasted over three centuries

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