The Right to Self-Determination and Natural Resources: The Case of Western Sahara. (English)

Retten til selvbestemmelse og naturressurser: Eksemplet Vest- Sahara. (Nauru)

MOROCCO; WESTERN Sahara

Phosphate, fish and possibly oil and gas all constitute important natural resources found on the territory and in the waters of Western Sahara. The importance of these natural resources must be recognised in order to understand the stalemate in the attempted process of decolonisation from Morocco, going on for more than 30 years. The article analyses the «resource dimension» of the right to self determination, as recognised in human rights treaties and in Resolution III of the UN Conference on the Law of the Sea, as well as annual resolutions from the United Nations General Assembly. If the resources are exploited in a manner which does not benefit the peoples seeking to enjoy the right of self-determination, such exploitation is illegal. The article shows that the current exploitation takes place in a manner at odds with the interests of the local population, the Saharawis. The article also demonstrates that recent licence agreements with Saharawi authorities in the field of oil and gas, signal a potentially new and constructive approach by international corporations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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