The situation in Western Sahara has remained practically unchanged since the conflict began more than thirty years ago, in spite of the attempts made for pacification and resolution.

Given Spanish society's familiarity with the conflict for evident historical and cultural reasons, the HRIC´s programmed activities will not go into too much detail in the historical explanation of the confrontation between the Western Saharan people and the State of Morocco, nor into that of the present situation of the two. Instead, an analysis of the causes of the conflict's stalemate will be made, as well as of the human consequences for the population.

• Publication

• Resources on the issue of Western Sahara

• Round table discussions

PUBLICATION

Forgotten conflicts series: Western Sahara HRIC's investigation into the conflict in Western Sahara Download in PDF

RESOURCES ON WESTERN SAHARA

Selection of links to documents and web pages and other bibliographic references on the Western Saharan conflict, organised by

BASIC FACTS ON WESTERN SAHARA

POLITICAL SYSTEM/ SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT

• Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic

• Morocco

ABOUT THE CONFLICT

• Web pages

• On-line analysis

• Bibliography

HUMAN RIGHTS

• Reports

• Recommended links

DOCUMENTS OF THE UNITED NATIONS

THE MEDIA

• Western Saharan media

• Moroccan press

ROUND TABLE DISCUSSIONS

Two sessions with different themes have been organised in order to examine the stalemate that the issue of Western Sahara has suffered. One will consist of the political analysis of the conflict, the other, the verification of the human rights situation in the occupied territories.

Western Sahara: a forgotten conflict?

During the session, professionals from different disciplines presented their analyses of the conflict from the perspectives of their respective areas of study. The speakers provided the tools of analysis necessary to throw light on the obstacles to the effective resolution of the conflict. The participants' contributions and the dialogue between them was used to make an overall analysis in which the causes of the stalemate will be shown, as well as the possibilities for its resolution.

First of all a brief history of the conflict was outlined, paying special attention to the key incidents.

The political/international relations perspective was outline the international and regional contexts that directly affect the Magreb zone, identifying the directly affected actors who are, at the same time, those that determine the evolution of the conflict.

From the resolution and mediation perspective, an expert pointed out the opportunities for, and the internal and external difficulties to, the resolution of the conflict.

Lastly, a representative of the Spanish political system explained the position of the present government on the issue of Western Sahara.

After the presentations the moderator initiated a debate aimed at achieving conclusions to the most delicate current issues of the conflict with a view to the immediate future.

PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Date: Thursday 5th of October 2006 at 18:00
Place: Col·legi de Periodistes de Catalunya
C/ Rambla Catalunya 10

FURTHER INFORMATION

Programme (PDF 37Kb, in Spanis)

The human rights situation in Western Sahara. The occupied territories

The second session consisted of an analysis of the conflict from a human rights perspective. The session began with a consideration of the right to autodetermination and its application with reference to Western Sahara. Human rights activists explained the humanitarian situation in the occupied territories.

The round table format also was used in this session. Each of the invited experts brought his or her experiences to each of the themes under discussion (civil and political rights, treatment of Western Saharan activists etc.) in order to construct a global profile of the human rights situation of the conflict.

PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Date: Friday 6th of October 2006 12.00 hours.
Place: Col·legi de Periodistes de Catalunya
C/ Rambla Catalunya 10

FURTHER INFORMATION

Provisional programme(PDF 37Kb, in Spanish)