MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the situation in Western Sahara
23.11.2010
pursuant to Rule 110(2) of the Rules of Procedure
Adrian Severin, Véronique De Keyser, María Muñiz De Urquiza, Vincent Peillon, Guido Milana on behalf of the S&D Group
See also joint motion for a resolution RC-B7-0675/2010
B7‑0677/2010
European Parliament resolution on the situation in Western Sahara
The European Parliament,
– having regard to its previous resolutions on Western Sahara and the report of March 2009 by its ad hoc delegation, and particularly the recommendations made by the delegation concerning respect for human rights,
– having regard to United Nations Resolutions 1754 (2007), 1783 (2007), 1813 (2008) and 1871 (2009) calling for a just, lasting and mutually acceptable political solution which would provide for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara in the context of arrangements consistent with the principles and purposes of the Charter of the United Nations,
– having regard to the chapter of the 2008 report of Amnesty International concerning Morocco and Western Sahara and the report of December 2008 by Human Rights Watch, ‘Human Rights in Western Sahara and in the Tindouf Refugee Camps’,
– having regard to the statement of 10 November 2010 by the spokesperson for the EU High Representative Catherine Ashton concerning Western Sahara,
– having regard to Rule 110(2) of its Rules of Procedure,
A. whereas for weeks thousands of Saharawi civilians, particularly children, women and older persons, were gathering in the Camp of Gdaim-Izik in Laâyoune to protest against their living conditions, demanding housing, work and social assistance, and whereas on Monday, 8 November the government, after having engaged in negotiations with a view to responding to these demands, sent security forces and the gendarmerie to dismantle the camp,
B. whereas, however, the information currently available concerning the reasons for this operation, the degree of force used, the reaction of the people in the camp and the number of casualties among the demonstrators and the security forces is vague and contradictory,
C. whereas these incidents occurred on the same day on which the third cycle of informal talks on the status of Western Sahara opened in New York, with the participation of Morocco, the Polisario Front and the neighbouring countries, Mauritania and Algeria,
D. having regard to the ‘advanced state’ of relations between the EU and Morocco and the human rights provisions in the Association Agreement between Morocco and the EU, particularly Article 2 thereof,
E. whereas the opinion of the European Parliament’s Legal Service of 13 July 2009 on the EU-Morocco FPA states that this FPA, which includes de facto Western Sahara, is in compliance with international law only if economic activities related to the natural resources of Western Sahara are carried out for the benefit of the Saharawi people and in accordance with their wishes,
1. Is shocked by the violent incidents which took place in the Camp of Gdaim Izik and in the town of Laâyoune, as well as by the use of force on the very same day on which the third cycle of informal talks on the status of Western Sahara opened in New York;
2. Deplores the loss of human life and expresses its solidarity with the families of the dead, the injured and the disappeared;
3. Urges the setting-up, under the aegis of the United Nations, of an independent and transparent committee of inquiry with a mandate to establish the responsibilities of the various parties for triggering the aforementioned events, and to indicate what casualties occurred; is astonished that European parliamentarians and journalists were refused access to Western Sahara and calls on the Moroccan authorities to allow the press and nongovernmental organisations access to the region and freedom of movement there;
4. Calls on the Moroccan authorities to pursue a policy of transparency with regard to information about the situation in the territory of Western Sahara;
5. Calls on Morocco, by virtue of its status as a favoured partner of the EU, to facilitate admission to the territory of Western Sahara and freedom of movement and contact there;
6. Recalls its support for the resumption of the informal talks between the parties to the conflict with a view to achieving a just, lasting and mutually acceptable political solution which provides for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara in accordance with what is stated in United Nations Security Council resolutions, and welcomes the efforts made to this end by the personal envoy of the United Nations Secretary General, Christopher Ross;
7. Calls furthermore for the inclusion of monitoring of the human rights situation in the mandate of MINURSO and supports the decision by the Security Council to extend the mission by one year;
8. Calls on Morocco, the Polisario Front and all the countries participating in the discussions to refrain from any provocation, play a constructive role and, despite the tensions, continue the aforementioned talks; welcomes in this context the fact that the parties have agreed to meet again in December;
9. Acknowledges the efforts made by the EU Member States which are members of the Group of Friends of Western Sahara (France, Spain and the United Kingdom) to facilitate the bilateral dialogue process and calls on the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy to play a more active role in these talks;
10. Calls on the Moroccan authorities to respect the provisions of existing agreements and to deliver the information and data required by the Commission, thus making possible the renewal of the Fisheries Partnership Agreement, which would be beneficial to both sides;
11. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the United Nations Secretary General, the Government of Morocco and the leadership of the Polisario Front.