Ireland continues to support the right to self-determination of the people of Western Sahara, as well as the continuing engagement of the United Nations in the search for a political solution in the territory based on the principle of self-determination. UN Secretary General Ban's Personal Envoy for Western Sahara, Christopher Ross, is continuing his efforts to convene direct negotiations between the two sides, following the last such discussions held in March 2008. In an attempt to resume contact this year, Mr. Ross hosted a second round of informal discussions in New York in February following an initial round held in Austria in August 2009, but unfortunately he has had to report that so far there has been no real engagement between the two sides, Morocco and the Polisario, in resolving the outstanding issues. The major issue remains Morocco's refusal to allow a Referendum in the territory which would include an option of independence for the people of the Western Sahara. This has been provided for in a number of UN peace plans, and it is difficult to see that there can be any genuine self-determination without such a referendum. Mr. Ross visited the region in the early part of this year, and reported back to the UN Security Council in some detail.
In an effort to move beyond the current impasse, Mr Ross this summer started to visit the capitals of the so-called Group of Friends (this group is comprised of the UK, France, Spain, the U.S. and Russia). Mr Ross reported that these meetings revealed an interest in moving beyond the status quo and finding a solution. In addition, there was unanimous agreement on the need to intensify work on confidence-building measures, including the resumption of family visits by air, the early inauguration of family visits by road and other steps proposed by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). It is disappointing therefore that a recent family visit had to be aborted in September, particularly since Algeria, Morocco and the Saharawis had agreed to expand the Confidence-building Measures Programme in meetings with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees earlier in September. I urge all parties to resume these flights and build on the Confidence-building Measures Programme, and to implement the UNHCR proposal to allow family reunification visitors to travel by land as well as air to the Saharawis refugee camps, based in Tindouf, Algeria.
Issues pertaining to the Western Sahara are regularly raised at EU level within the framework of the EU-Morocco dialogue. The most recent EU — Morocco Summit took place in Granada on 7 March 2010. The EU conveyed its concerns over the situation of Western Sahara as well as the need to safeguard the rights of both Moroccan and Saharawi human rights defenders, and these concerns were reflected in the joint statement after the meeting.
Ireland will continue its dialogue with both Morocco and the Polisario, through their representatives based here in Ireland, to encourage support for the UN Secretary General's good office's mission and the efforts of Personal Envoy Ross to achieve some measure of political progress and increased confidence between both sides.