<h6><strong>Eduardo González</strong></h6> <h4><strong>Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares will have to appear before Congress on December 10 to discuss the future of Western Sahara following the latest UN resolution, which endorses Morocco's autonomy proposal but does not eliminate the right to self-determination.</strong></h4> The Congress's Board of Spokespersons decided this Tuesday to summon Albares for December 10, in response to a request from Bildu urging the minister to "explain the Government's position regarding the UN resolutions on Western Sahara and their implications for the Moroccan occupation and the Sahrawi people's right to self-determination." On October 31, the UN Security Council adopted a resolution, with eleven votes in favor, three abstentions (Russia, China, and Pakistan), and no votes against, demanding “a definitive and mutually acceptable political solution,” calling on the parties to “submit ideas to support a definitive, mutually acceptable solution,” describing the proposed autonomy for Western Sahara as “the most viable solution,” and, at the same time, defending “the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara.” Although the resolution (which renews the mandate of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara, MINURSO, until October 31, 2026) does not expressly recognize Moroccan sovereignty over the territory and does not eliminate the right to self-determination, Morocco has described this resolution as a “historic victory.” On November 1st, the Plurinational Parliamentary Group Sumar, the junior partner in Pedro Sánchez's coalition government, submitted a non-binding motion to Congress urging the Executive to "reaffirm its commitment to the Sahrawi people's right to self-determination, as established by United Nations resolutions, demanding that the Spanish Government adopt a foreign policy aligned with these principles and with International Law." The text also urges the Government to "demand a return to the path of International Law regarding Western Sahara, unequivocally supporting the effective exercise of the Sahrawi people's right to self-determination and independence through a referendum," to "oppose the agreement between the European Union and Morocco, as it lacks the consent of the people of Western Sahara," and to "condemn the human rights violations committed by Morocco in the occupied territories of Western Sahara."
