Vocabulary
A
Administering Power
The Administering Power is the State responsible for the administration of a United Nations Trust Territory under Chapter XII of the United Nations Charter and by a trusteeship agreement or a Non-Self-Governing Territory under Chapter XI of the same Charter Read more...
Autonomous bodies
According to the Moroccan Initiative for Negotiating an Autonomy Statute for the Sahara Region Read more...
Autonomy
By virtue of constitutional provisions the autonomous regions are vested with 'self-government in economic social and educational matters through freely elected institutions'[1] Read More....
B
Baker I (Drafted in 2000 but never submitted to the Security Council)
The Baker I Plan which was developed following the Houston Agreement proposed autonomy for the Sahara while foreign affairs and defense were to remain the Central Government's responsibility. Morocco accepted the plan. Algeria and the Polisario rejected it.
Baker II (May 2 2003)
The Baker II Plan proposed a referendum including the option of independence after five years of autonomy. Morocco rejected this proposal.
Berm
This term refers to the 2 720 kilometer-long defense embankment commonly named the wall built by the Royal Armed Forces between 1980 and 1987. It allowed Morocco to control the military situation on the ground and secure the entire Territory west of it.
The Berm is in no way a border of Morocco. The Moroccan Sahara i.e. The Southern Provinces extends to the border with Algeria.
C
Compensation
The Moroccan Initiative for negotiating an autonomy statute for the Sahara region states that would not this Region have sufficient financial resources to achieve its development objectives the Central Government will provide it with the additional funds based on the national solidarity principle.
Contiguous Zone
'The contiguous zone may not extend beyond 24 nautical miles from the baselines from which the breadth of the territorial sea is measured'.[1] The coastal State may 'exercise the control necessary to Read More...
Continental shelf of the Sahara/off the Sahara
According to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea 'The continental shelf of a coastal State comprises the sea-bed and subsoil of the submarine areas that extend beyond its territorial sea throughout the natural prolongation of its land territory to the outer edge of the continental margins or to a distance of 200 nautical miles from the baselines from which the breadth of the territorial sea is measured where the outer edge of the continental margin does not extend up to that distance.'[1]. Read More....
CORCAS
Created by His Late Majesty King Hassan II the Royal Advisory Council for Saharan Affairs was overhauled in 2006[1] Read More....
E
Exclusive Economic Zone
Under the International Law of the Sea this zone is located beyond and contiguous to the territorial sea. It may extend up to a maximum of 200 nautical miles from the baselines. The coastal State has sovereign rights over natural resources. It exercises jurisdiction over certain activities for the purpose among other things of protecting the environment. It has an obligation to respect other States' rights (arising from the maintenance of certain freedoms of the high seas regime such as the freedom of navigation) Read More...
F
Financing of the Autonomous Region
By virtue of the 2007 Moroccan Initiative for Negotiating an Autonomy Statute for the Sahara Region the population of the Sahara 'will have the financial resources necessary for the development of the region in all areas.'[1] Read More....
Fourth Committee of the UN
The Fourth Committee of the United Nations is a plenary political committee that deals with various topics such as peacekeeping issues monitoring of special political missions the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and decolonization. It continues to examine the question of the 'Western Sahara' not admitting the Territory has been decolonized by Morocco. Read More....
G
Geneva negotiations
In December 2018[1] and March 2019[2] two rounds of negotiations were held in Geneva Switzerland in which representatives of Algeria and Mauritania took part as parties to the conflict.
Good offices
Although not explicitly mentioned in Article 33 of the United Nations Charter relating to the peaceful settlement of conflicts good offices are a procedure fulfilling the same purpose. Article 33 states that: Read More....
H
Houston Agreement/Peace Agreement
Agreements concluded on September 16 1997 at the Houston Rice University Baker Institute of Public Policy following the fourth series of direct talks[1] between Morocco and the Frente Polisario during which the two protagonists' reached agreement on the code of conduct for the referendum campaign and on a declaration of the parties relating to the authority of the United Nations during the transitional period. In addition they agreed to a set of practical measures for the resumption of the identification process.'[2] Read More...
J
Joint Mission Analysis Centre (JMAC)
The Joint Mission Analysis Centre (JMAC) established in 2005 by the United Nations is a multi-disciplinary structure responsible for conducting integrated analysis for senior management in peacekeeping missions (including Special Representatives of the Secretary-General of the United Nations).
The Joint Mission Analysis Centre collects information from field missions and produces 'fine-tuned' analyses to support their activities. The organizational structure of each JMAC varies from one mission to another; what is common to all is that analysts interpret the information collected by civil affairs officers (civil component including MINURSO's political office).
M
Madrid Accords
Usual denomination of the joint statement of Principles concerning the so-called Western Sahara [before its recovery by Morocco]' dated November 14 1975 between Morocco Mauritania and Spain whose original language is Spanish. Entered into force on November 19 1975 the Declaration was registered by Morocco with the United Nations General Secretariat on December 9 1975 and included in the United Nations Treaty Collection of the same yearRead More...
Mandate of MINURSO
This mandate sets the activities of MINURSO in the Sahara Territory based on Resolution S/RES/690 (1991) and Military Agreement No. 1.
On the field MINURSO implements the resolutions and directives it receives from among others the United Nations Department of Peace Operations and the Department of Political Affairs Read More...
Manhasset (Greentree Estate)
The US location in the suburbs of New York where peace talks and negotiations between Morocco and the Polisario[1] resumed from 2007 to 2012 after Morocco deposited its Initiative for a Large Autonomy for the Sahara Region in 2007.
In the same vein only one meeting was held in Vienna in 2009.
[1]Report of the UN Secretary General S/2012/197 5 April 2012 §§ 11-15 22-25.
Mediator
Under Article 4 of the Hague Convention of July 29 1899 on the pacific settlement of disputes 'The part of the mediator consists in reconciling the opposing claims'[1] of parties to a conflict Read More...
Military Force Commander (MINURSO)
Under the authority of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations the head of the military component directs the operations of MINURSO officers and soldiers in monitoring the ceasefire (ground and air patrols supplying and redeploying of peacekeepers to team sites) demining when necessary and accompanying the Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations and other UN officials during missions carried out in the Territory… Read More...
MINURSO
Acronym (in French) for The United Nations Mission for the organization of a Referendum in Western Sahara established in Laâyoune in April 1991. It is composed of military troops civilian police and civilian staff from the United Nations. As of September 2020 the total number of its personnel was 196 including 168 military observers and 27 troops Read More....
Moroccan Initiative for Negotiating an Autonomy Statute for the Sahara Region (2007)
The Initiative refers to the Moroccan proposal submitted to the General Secretariat of the United Nations in April 2007 to definitely settle the Sahara conflict on a win-win basis where the Moroccan State would keep the main sovereign prerogatives (foreign affairs national defense religious affairs…) and where the Sahara Region would enjoy broad powers allowing Moroccan Sahrawi citizens to manage their own economic social and cultural affairs. Besides they would be associated with national domestic and foreign policy. They would benefit from the country's active solidarity in development when the Region's resources are insufficient Read More....
N
Non-Self-Governing Territories
The Charter of the United Nations provides that Member States 'which have or assume responsibilities for the administration of territories whose peoples have not yet attained a full measure of self-government recognize the principle that the interests of the inhabitants of these territories are paramount and accept as a sacred trust the obligation to promote to the utmost within the system of international peace and security established by the present Charter the well-being of the inhabitants of these territories'[1] Read More....
P
Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General of the United Nations
The Personal Envoy is an important personality who has held high political or diplomatic positions. He is appointed by the Secretary-General of the United Nations to work with the parties to the conflict in this case Morocco Polisario and neighbouring countries namely Mauritania and Algeria although the latter is actually a Party to the conflict as well as other concerned or interested countries such as the States of the Group of Friends of the Sahara with a view to finding a just and lasting political solution in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions.
Successive Personal Envoys were James Baker III (1997-2004) Peter Van Walsum (2005-2007) Christopher Ross (2009-2017) and Horst Köhler (2017-2019).
polisario (Front)
Abbreviated from Frente Popular por la Liberación de Saguía el Hamra y Río de Oro (Popular Front for the Liberation of Saguia Al Hamra and Rio de Oro) a dissident movement created in Rabat in 1973[1] by El-Ouali Moustapha Sayed Read More....
polisario (Front)
Abbreviated from Frente Popular por la Liberación de Saguía el Hamra y Río de Oro (Popular Front for the Liberation of Saguia Al Hamra and Rio de Oro) a dissident movement created in Rabat in 1973[1] by El-Ouali Moustapha Sayed Read More....
Principle of solidarity
National solidarity means that the State possibly some of its extensions or subdivisions (regions provinces public institutions) takes action to assist or upgrade a region that does not have the same resources or the same financial means in particular compared to other regions. The Moroccan Initiative provides for the implementation of this principle for the benefit of the Sahara autonomous Region Read More....
R
rasd
Acronym of 'Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic' proclaimed on February 27 1976 without having in addition to effective independence the three constituent elements of the State required by international law namely the Territory the population and the Government Read More....
Regional Human Rights Commissions (CRDH
Two regional commissions of the National Council for Human Rights of Morocco have been established in the regions of Dakhla-Ouad Eddahab (provinces of Dakhla and Aousserd )and that of Laâyoune-Sakia El Hamra (Provinces of Es-Smara Boujdour Laâyoune and Tarfaya) Read More....
Regional justice
The Moroccan Initiative provides that:
'22 - Courts may be set up by the Regional Parliament to give rulings on disputes from enforcement of norms enacted by the competent bodies of the Sahara autonomous Region. These courts shall give their rulings with complete independence in the name of the King Read More....
Reports of the Secretary-General on the Sahara
The United Nations Secretary-General is mandated by the UN Security Council to monitor and report regularly to It (variable periodicity) on the situation in the 'Territory'. He also reports to the General Assembly Read More....
Resolutions of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC)
Since the recovery of the Sahara by Morocco the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has adopted the following resolutions: Read More...
S
Sahara Region / Southern Provinces
The Sahara Region includes the ten following provinces: Guelmim Assa-Zag Tan-Tan Sidi Ifni Laâyoune Boujdour Tarfaya Es-Semara Oued Ed-Dahab and Aousserd.
In accordance with the Moroccan Initiative of a Large Autonomy for the Sahara Region this Region will serve as a pilot and model for Its advanced regionalization.
Self-determination
Article 1 of the Charter of the United Nations defines self-determination or the right of peoples to self-determination as follows: 'all peoples have the right to determine without external interference their political status and to pursue their economic social and cultural development'[1] Read More....
Southern Provinces Development Programme (2015-2021)
His Majesty King Mohammed VI launched this Programme on November 6 2015. With an amount of 77 billion dirhams (the equivalent of 8 billion dollars) and aimed at accelerating the development and the socio-economic integration of the Sahara (New Development Model for the Southern Provinces) the programme is designed in particular around structuring projects such as the Tiznit-Laâyoune-Dakhla expressway the fishing port of Lamhiriz and the Dakhla-Atlantic port. The Programme also provides a maritime line of coastal navigation dedicated to the transport of goods between Casablanca and Dakhla and the reopening of the two maritime lines linking the Canary Islands to Tarfaya and Laâyoune. Besides a Teaching hospital in Laâyoune and a technological pole in Foum El Oued have been built. By the end of 2018 this programme was achieved at a rate of 48% Read More....
Sovereignty
'Sovereignty in the relations between States signifies independence. Independence in regard to a portion of the globe is the right to exercise therein to the exclusion of any other State the functions of a State. The development of the national organization of States during the last few centuries and as a corollary the development of international law have established this principle of the exclusive competence of the State in regard to its own Territory in such a way as to make it the point of departure in settling most questions that concern international relations.'[1] Read More....
Sovereignty
'Sovereignty in the relations between States signifies independence. Independence in regard to a portion of the globe is the right to exercise therein to the exclusion of any other State the functions of a State. The development of the national organization of States during the last few centuries and as a corollary the development of international law have established this principle of the exclusive competence of the State in regard to its own Territory in such a way as to make it the point of departure in settling most questions that concern international relations.'[1] Read More....
Sovereignty
'Sovereignty in the relations between States signifies independence. Independence in regard to a portion of the globe is the right to exercise therein to the exclusion of any other State the functions of a State. The development of the national organization of States during the last few centuries and as a corollary the development of international law have established this principle of the exclusive competence of the State in regard to its own Territory in such a way as to make it the point of departure in settling most questions that concern international relations.'[1].
Special (UN) Procedures
The Special Procedures are a mechanism of the United Nations Human Rights Council supported by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) which allows the United Nations to collect information about the human rights situation in the Member States through fact-finding missions to the field and to take appropriate action in accordance with the prerogatives of each mechanism and the international commitments of Member States in the respective areas of each mechanism. There are country procedures and thematic procedures. Read More...
Special Representative of the UN Secretary- General (UNSG)
The Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General has two functions: he is the head of MINURSO the administrative and military chief of the Mission who oversees the work of the Force Commander and also the political Representative of the Secretary-General. In this regard he carries out political work assisting and advising the Secretary-General and his Personal Envoy if requested.
The successive Special Representatives of the UN Secretary-General in the Sahara are : Colin Stewart (since December 1 2017) Kim Bolduc (2014-2017) Wolfgang Weisbrod-Weber (2012-2014) Hany Abdel Aziz (2009-2012) Julian Harston (2007-2009) Francesco Bastagli (2005-2007) Alvaro de Soto (2003-2005) William Lacy Swing (2001-2003) William Eagleton (1999-2001) Robin Kinloch (April – May 1999) Charles Franklin Dunbar (1998-1999) Erik Jensen (1995-1998) SahabzadaYaqub-Khan (1992-1995) Johannes Manz (1990-1992) and Hector Gros Espiell (1988-1990).
T
Territorial integrity
Inseparable from the notion of sovereignty territorial integrity can be understood as the sovereign right of existence of the State and assimilated to the principle of inviolability of Its Territory Read More....
Territorial sea
The sea zone contiguous to the land territory of a State over which the sovereignty of that State applies Read More....
Tindouf Camps
These are five camps set up from 1975-1976 in a desert arid Region in south-west Algeria near Tindouf. Most of their inhabitants live in harsh conditions and remain heavily dependent on international humanitarian aid Read More....