Question of Western Sahara

  • Author: UN General Assembly (37th sess. : 1982-1983)
  • Document source:
  • Date:
    23 November 1982
  The General Assembly, Having considered in depth the question of Western Sahara, Recalling the inalienable right of all peoples to self-determination andindependence in accordance with the principles set forth in the Charter of theUnited Nations and in General Assembly resolution 1514 (XV) of1 September 1960, containing the Declaration on the Granting of Independenceto Colonial Countries and Peoples, Recalling its resolutions 35/19 of 11 November 1980 and 36/46 of24 November 1981 on the question of Western Sahara, Having considered the relevant chapter of the report of the SpecialCommittee on the Situation with regard to the Implementation of theDeclaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, Having heard the statements made on the question of Western Sahara, inparticular the statement of the representative of the Frente Popular para laLiberacion de Saguia el-Hamra y de Rio de Oro, Recalling its resolution 36/80 of 9 December 1981 on co-operationbetween the United Nations and the Organization of African Unity, Recalling all the decisions of the Organization of African Unity on thequestion of Western Sahara, Recalling also the decision of the Assembly of Heads of State andGovernment of the Organization of African Unity at its eighteenth ordinarysession, held at Nairobi from 24 to 27 June 1981, to organize throughout theTerritory of Western Sahara a general and free referendum onself-determination, Taking note of the various decisions adopted by the ImplementationCommittee on Western Sahara of the Organization of African Unity concerningthe establishment of appropriate machinery to enable the people of WesternSahara to express themselves freely and democratically on their future, 1. Reaffirms the inalienable right of the people of Western Sahara toself-determination and independence in accordance with the Charter of theUnited Nations, the Charter of the Organization of African Unity and theobjectives of General Assembly resolution 1514 (XV), as well as with therelevant resolutions of the Assembly and the Organization of African Unity; 2. Welcomes the efforts of the Organization of African Unity with a viewto promoting a just and definitive solution to the question of Western Sahara; 3. Remains convinced that only negotiation between Morocco and the FrentePopular para la Liberacion de Saguia el-Hamra y de Rio de Oro could create theobjective conditions for the return of peace in north-west Africa and wouldguarantee the fair conduct of a general, free and orderly referendum onself-determination in Western Sahara; 4. Appeals, to that end, to the two parties to the dispute, Morocco andthe Frente Popular para La Liberacion de Saguia el-Hamra y de Rio de Oro, toenter into negotiations with a view to achieving a cease-fire in accordancewith General Assembly resolution 36/46 and the decisions of the Organizationof African Unity; 5. Reaffirms the determination of the United Nations to co-operate fullywith the Organization of African Unity in the fair and impartial organizationof the referendum; 6. Requests, to that end, the Secretary-General to take the necessarysteps to ensure that the United Nations participates effectively in theorganization and conduct of the referendum and to report to the GeneralAssembly and the Security Council on this subject and on the measuresrequiring a decision by the Council; 7. Urges the Secretary-General to co-operate closely with theSecretary-General of the Organization of African Unity with a view to theimplementation of the pertinent decisions of the Organization of African Unityand of the present resolution; 8. Requests the Special Committee on the Situation with regard to theImplementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to ColonialCountries and Peoples to continue to consider the situation in Western Saharaas a matter of priority and to report thereon to the General Assembly at itsthirty-eighth session.
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