Western Sahara: Nordic Council Rejects Pro-Polisario Draft Recommendation
Rabat – The Copenhagen-based Nordic Council has rejected a draft recommendation that aimed to impose restrictions against imports of products from Morocco’s southern provinces in Western Sahara.
Morocco’s news agency MAP said that the council rejected the draft recommendation by an “overwhelming majority.”
The draft recommendation was proposed by members of the Nordic Left Alliance, who tried to promote pro-Polisario claims in the council in an attempt to challenge Morocco’s territorial integrity and sovereignty over Western Sahara.
The council ruled that the Sahara dispute was not within its competence to discuss.
The council, which is the official body for formal inter-parliamentary cooperation in the Nordic countries, held its 74th session in Helsinki between October 31 and November 3.
The council discussed the theme “future of the Nordic Region’s role in the world,” focusing on the war in Ukraine, energy, and the climate crisis. The council is formed of 87 members from several countries, including Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, the Faroe Islands, Greenland, and Aland.
The vote against the draft recommendation reflects the massive support Morocco’s position has gained on the Sahara dispute throughout the years.
Many countries from across the globe have publicly endorsed Morocco’s efforts to find a mutually acceptable political solution to the Western Sahara dispute. A number of countries have been vocal about Morocco’s Autonomy Plan as a viable, credible, and serious basis to end the dispute over Western Sahara.
The US, which has recognized Morocco’s sovereignty over Western Sahara, frequently expressed support for Morocco’s territorial integrity and the autonomy initiative as the most serious and credible solution to end the dispute.
Over 90 UN member states support Morocco’s autonomy initiative, including more than 10 European countries, such as Germany, Belgium, Spain, and the Netherlands.
Over 27 countries, including nearly 40% of African countries, have also opened consulates general in southern provinces of Dakhla and Laayoune, reflecting their support for Morocco’s territorial integrity.
Despite the growing support, Morocco’s King Mohammed VI recently stressed the importance of continued vigilance to defend the country’s unity.
“To continue to be faithful to the spirit of the Green March and its everlasting oath, we need to remain mobilized and vigilant in order to defend our nation’s unity, achieve greater progress, and strengthen Morocco’s bonds with its African roots,” King Mohammed VI said in his speech commemorating the 47th anniversary of the Green March on November 6.
Source : Morocco World News
