Communique of the Special Envoy of the SG for Western Sahara on the Third Informal Meeting

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Country/entity: Morocco
Western Sahara
Region: Middle East and North Africa
Agreement name: Communique of the Special Envoy of the SG for Western Sahara on the Third Informal Meeting
Date: 9 Nov 2010
Agreement status: Multiparty signed/agreed
Interim arrangement: Yes
Agreement/conflict level: Intrastate/intrastate conflict
Western Sahara Conflict (1973 - 1991)
Conflict in Western Sahara began as an insurgency by the Polisario Front against Spanish colonization in 1973. Two years later, Spain withdrew from the territory. Following the annexation of the territory by Morocco and Mauritania in 1976, the insurgency continued. After proclaiming the establishment of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) in 1976, the Polisario Front succeeded in gaining recognition by several states, but was not admitted into the United Nations. Instead, the territory was annexed by Morocco and Mauritania, sparking a 16-year resistance by the Algerian-backed Polisario Front. Following a withdrawal by Mauritania in 1979, the conflict reached a stalemate through the 1980s and then reignited in 1989 until a ceasefire in 1991. At the time 80 per cent of the territory was under the de facto control of Morocco, while 20 per cent continued to be held by the SADR including the refugee camps along the Algerian border. Unrest has continued to erupt at intervals in from 1999-2004, 2005, 2010 and 2011. Attempts to solve the conflict have manifested in the form of the Baker Plan (2000) and the Moroccan Initiative (2006-2008).
Stage: Pre-negotiation/process
Conflict nature: Government/territory
Peace process: Morocco-Western Sahara peace process
Parties: [Note: Document does not feature signatures]
Kingdom of Morocco; Frente Polisario
Third parties: [No signatures, however Algeria and Mauritania delegations present. Meeting held 'At the invitation of the Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General for Western Sahara, Mr Christopher Ross.]
Description: A short communiqué on the Third informal meeting on Western Sahara held between the Kingdom of Morocco & the Frente Polisario.

Agreement document: MO_101109_Communiqué on Third Informal Meeting.pdf (opens in new tab) | Download PDF

Groups

Children/youth: No specific mention.
Disabled persons: No specific mention.
Elderly/age: No specific mention.
Migrant workers: No specific mention.
Racial/ethnic/national group: No specific mention.
Religious groups: No specific mention.
Indigenous people: No specific mention.
Other groups: No specific mention.
Refugees/displaced persons: Groups→Refugees/displaced persons→Rhetorical
Page 1-2,
For the first time, the delegations of the two parties and the two neighboring states joined together to discuss the program of Confidence Building Measures set forth by the High Commissioner for Refugees. During this meeting, the parties agreed to resume family visits by air without delay on the basis of strict application of the agreed Plan of Action of 2004. They also agreed to accelerate the inauguration of family visits by road. The four delegations plan to meet with the Office of the High Commissioner in Geneva in the near future to review the implementation of the Plan of Action in full and to advance the implementation of the visits by road.
Social class: No specific mention.

Gender

Women, girls and gender: No specific mention.
Men and boys: No specific mention.
LGBTI: No specific mention.
Family: Page 1-2,
For the first time, the delegations of the two parties and the two neighboring states joined together to discuss the program of Confidence Building Measures set forth by the High Commissioner for Refugees. During this meeting, the parties agreed to resume family visits by air without delay on the basis of strict application of the agreed Plan of Action of 2004. They also agreed to accelerate the inauguration of family visits by road. The four delegations plan to meet with the Office of the High Commissioner in Geneva in the near future to review the implementation of the Plan of Action in full and to advance the implementation of the visits by road.

State definition

Nature of state (general): No specific mention.
State configuration: No specific mention.
Self determination: No specific mention.
Referendum: No specific mention.
State symbols: No specific mention.
Independence/secession: No specific mention.
Accession/unification: No specific mention.
Border delimitation: No specific mention.
Cross-border provision: No specific mention.

Governance

Political institutions (new or reformed): No specific mention.
Elections: No specific mention.
Electoral commission: No specific mention.
Political parties reform: No specific mention.
Civil society: No specific mention.
Traditional/religious leaders: No specific mention.
Public administration: No specific mention.
Constitution: No specific mention.

Power sharing

Political power sharing: No specific mention.
Territorial power sharing: No specific mention.
Economic power sharing: No specific mention.
Military power sharing: No specific mention.

Human rights and equality

Human rights/RoL general: No specific mention.
Bill of rights/similar: No specific mention.
Treaty incorporation: No specific mention.
Civil and political rights: No specific mention.
Socio-economic rights: No specific mention.

Rights related issues

Citizenship: No specific mention.
Democracy: No specific mention.
Detention procedures: No specific mention.
Media and communication: No specific mention.
Mobility/access: Page 1-2,
For the first time, the delegations of the two parties and the two neighboring states joined together to discuss the program of Confidence Building Measures set forth by the High Commissioner for Refugees. During this meeting, the parties agreed to resume family visits by air without delay on the basis of strict application of the agreed Plan of Action of 2004. They also agreed to accelerate the inauguration of family visits by road. The four delegations plan to meet with the Office of the High Commissioner in Geneva in the near future to review the implementation of the Plan of Action in full and to advance the implementation of the visits by road.
Protection measures: No specific mention.
Other: No specific mention.

Rights institutions

NHRI: No specific mention.
Regional or international human rights institutions: No specific mention.

Justice sector reform

Criminal justice and emergency law: No specific mention.
State of emergency provisions: No specific mention.
Judiciary and courts: No specific mention.
Prisons and detention: No specific mention.
Traditional Laws: No specific mention.

Socio-economic reconstruction

Development or socio-economic reconstruction: No specific mention.
National economic plan: No specific mention.
Natural resources: No specific mention.
International funds: No specific mention.
Business: No specific mention.
Taxation: No specific mention.
Banks: No specific mention.

Land, property and environment

Land reform/rights: No specific mention.
Pastoralist/nomadism rights: No specific mention.
Cultural heritage: No specific mention.
Environment: No specific mention.
Water or riparian rights or access: No specific mention.

Security sector

Security Guarantees: No specific mention.
Ceasefire: No specific mention.
Police: No specific mention.
Armed forces: No specific mention.
DDR: No specific mention.
Intelligence services: No specific mention.
Parastatal/rebel and opposition group forces: No specific mention.
Withdrawal of foreign forces: No specific mention.
Corruption: No specific mention.
Crime/organised crime: No specific mention.
Drugs: No specific mention.
Terrorism: No specific mention.

Transitional justice

Transitional justice general: No specific mention.
Amnesty/pardon: No specific mention.
Courts: No specific mention.
Mechanism: No specific mention.
Prisoner release: No specific mention.
Vetting: No specific mention.
Victims: No specific mention.
Missing persons: No specific mention.
Reparations: No specific mention.
Reconciliation: No specific mention.

Implementation

UN signatory: [Page 1. The meeting is not signed, but is noted to have been held 'At the invitation of the Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General for Western Sahara, Mr Christopher Ross.]
Other international signatory: No specific mention.
Referendum for agreement: No specific mention.
International mission/force/similar: No specific mention.
Enforcement mechanism: No specific mention.
Related cases: No specific mention.
Source: UN Peacemaker: http://peacemaker.un.org/

Communiqué

Third informal meeting on Western Sahara Greentree, Long Island

9 November 2010

At the invitation of the Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General for Western Sahara, Mr. Christopher Ross, delegations from the Kingdom of Morocco and the Frente Polisario attended a third round of informal talks at Greentree, Long Island, from November 7 to 9 in the presence of delegations from the neighboring states, Algeria and Mauritania.

As the talks began, the participants observed a minute of silence in memory of the late Mr. Mahfoud Ali Beiba and welcomed his successor, Mr. Khatri Addu, the new Head of the delegation of the Frente Polisario.

Morocco and the Frente Polisario engaged in broad and frank discussions of each other’s proposals on Western Sahara in an atmosphere of mutual respect despite the fact that each party continues to reject the proposal of the other as a basis for future negotiations.

To create an environment propitious for progress, the parties have started to build a new dynamic for the next steps of the negotiating process.

For the first time, the delegations of the two parties and the two neighboring states joined together to discuss the program of Confidence Building Measures set forth by the High Commissioner for Refugees.

During this meeting, the parties agreed to resume family visits by air without delay on the basis of strict application of the agreed Plan of Action of 2004.

They also agreed to accelerate the inauguration of family visits by road.

The four delegations plan to meet with the Office of the High Commissioner in Geneva in the near future to review the implementation of the Plan of Action in full and to advance the implementation of the visits by road.

The participants agreed to convene again in December as well as early next year to pursue, through innovative approaches, the negotiating process for which the United Nations Security Council resolutions have called.