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The Collective of Sahrawi Human Rights Defenders in Western Sahara (CODESA), in partnership with the European Lawyers for Democracy and Human Rights (ELDH), held an international online conference on Thursday, 6 November 2025, via the Zoom platform, under the title:
“50 Years of the Occupation of Western Sahara: The Continuing Denial of the Sahrawi People’s Right to Self Determination.”
The session, which lasted two and a half hours, brought together international experts and human rights lawyers who delivered legal, political, and human rights-focused presentations examining the ongoing developments of the Sahrawi cause from multiple perspectives.
Speakers :
Mr. Urko Aiartza, lawyer from the Basque Country, provided a legal analysis of UN Security Council
Resolution 2797, noting that it was not adopted in its original draft form but underwent several amendments, and emphasizing that any just solution must be based on respect for the right to self-determination.
Prof. Manfred Hinz, expert in international and European law, analyzed the rulings of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) concerning Western Sahara, affirming that Western Sahara and Morocco are two distinct and separate entities, and that any economic agreement between Morocco and the European Union is illegal unless it has obtained the consent of the Sahrawi people through their legitimate
representative, the Polisario Front.
Ms. Um Al-Mu’minin Yaya, Sahrawi human rights defender and member of the Executive Bureau of CODESA, presented an overview of the forthcoming CODESA human rights report entitled “50 Years of Moroccan Occupation of Western Sahara.” The report documents serious crimes and grave human rights violations committed by the Moroccan occupying power since 1975, including genocide, enforced disappearance, settlement policy, and the plundering of natural resources.
Mr. El Mahjoub Maliha, Sahrawi human rights defender and Head of External Relations at CODESA, addressed the issue of illegal exploitation of natural resources in Western Sahara, highlighting the involvement of foreign companies in the unlawful extraction of phosphate, energy, maritime, and agricultural resources.
Recommendations:
The conference concluded with several key findings and recommendations, including:
A call for the dispatch of an international fact-finding mission to the occupied part of Western Sahara to assess the situation of human rights and natural resource exploitation on the ground;
Confirmation that the Moroccan occupying power continues to commit grave human rights violations and plunder Western Sahara’s natural resources;
An emphasis on the need for systematic documentation of these crimes and violations, and for holding the responsible actors internationally accountable.
The conference witnessed active engagement from participants, who posed numerous questions and contributed to discussions on ways to strengthen human rights advocacy and international solidarity with the Sahrawi people.
Occupied Laayoune – Western Sahara, 6 November 2025
Executive Bureau of the Collective of Sahrawi Human Rights Defenders in Western Sahara (CODESA)