Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of recognising Western Sahara as part of the Kingdom of Morocco.

Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK continues to support UN-led efforts to reach a just, lasting, and mutually acceptable political solution, based on compromise, which will provide for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara. We strongly support the work of Staffan de Mistura, Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary-General and will continue to encourage constructive engagement with the political process and monitor progress.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, if he will make an assessment of the implications for the UK’s (a) strategic and (b) economic interests in Africa of continued neutrality in the Western Sahara conflict.

Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK continues to support UN-led efforts to reach a just, lasting, and mutually acceptable political solution, based on compromise, which will provide for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara, and supports the work of Staffan de Mistura, Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary-General. The UK welcomes the recent efforts of all concerned to engage with the Envoy and to facilitate his recent visit to Western Sahara. We will continue to encourage constructive engagement with the political process and monitor progress.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what recent discussions he has had with his counterparts in (a) the US, (b) France, (c) Germany, (d) the Netherlands and (e) Spain on (i) the Moroccan Autonomy Initiative for Western Sahara and (ii) a political solution to the conflict in that region.

Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Officials regularly meet and consult with international partners to discuss the issue of Western Sahara, including the US, France, Germany, and the Netherlands, up to and including at Ambassadorial level by His Majesty's Ambassadors to Rabat and Algiers, and at Permanent and Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN-level in New York.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of supporting Morocco in the Western Sahara dispute.

Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK continues to support UN-led efforts to reach a just, lasting, and mutually acceptable political solution, based on compromise, which will provide for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara, and supports the work of Staffan de Mistura, Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary-General. The UK welcomes the recent efforts of all concerned to engage with the Envoy and to facilitate his recent visit to Western Sahara. We will continue to encourage constructive engagement with the political process.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to support a political solution to the Western Sahara issue based on the Autonomy Plan presented by Morocco; and what recent discussions he has had with his international counterparts on that Plan.

Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK supported United Nations Security Council Resolution 2703 on 30 October, which renewed the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO's) mandate for 12 months. The UK supports UN-led efforts to reach a just, lasting, and mutually acceptable political solution, based on compromise, which will provide for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara, and supports the work of Staffan de Mistura, Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary-General. The UK welcomes the recent efforts of all concerned to engage with the Envoy and to facilitate his recent visit to Western Sahara. We will continue to encourage constructive engagement with the political process.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of Morocco's Western Sahara Autonomy Proposal on the Western Sahara region; and whether she has made an assessment of the viability of that proposal.

Answered by Graham Stuart

We take note of the proposals presented by the parties to the UN Secretary-General (UNSG) in 2007. We strongly support the work of Staffan de Mistura as the UNSG's Personal Envoy to Western Sahara and encourage all concerned to make the most of this opportunity for a renewed political process to reach a just, lasting and mutually acceptable political solution, based on compromise, which will provide for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will make representations to the (a) government of Morocco and (b) United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change on Morocco’s inclusion of projects in occupied Western Sahara in relation to that country's National Determined Contribution.

Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary

The UK Government worked closely with Morocco to raise global climate ambition ahead of this year's COP26. Morocco hosted COP22 and are considered one of Africa's leaders on climate change, especially on renewables. The UK supports the World Bank's work with Morocco on coal reduction, through the Energy Sector Management Assistance Programme (ESMAP). The UK has no plans to raise the territorial application of Morocco's National Determined Contribution.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the Answer of 5 February 2021 to Question 144869 on Western Sahara; Politics and Government, whether it is Government policy to support the UN’s position that the status of Western Sahara is that it is a non-self-governing territory as set out on its website.

Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary

As the then Foreign Secretary stated on 11 December 2020, (and as referenced in previous answers) the UK regards the status of Western Sahara as undetermined. We note the UN's position on the status of Western Sahara, which is set out on its website: https://www.un.org/dppa/decolonization/en/nsgt/western-sahara

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the Answer of 20 April 2021 to Question 91447 on Western Sahara: Politics and Government, whether her predecessor raised the inclusion of independence as an option in the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara during discussions with the Moroccan Foreign Minister.

Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary

The UK supports UN-led efforts to reach a lasting and mutually acceptable political solution that provides for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara. We regularly discuss the situation in Western Sahara with the parties and encourage them to re-engage with the UN-led political process.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the Answer of 1 March 2021 to Question 158016 on Western Sahara; Politics and Government, when he last held discussions on the continuing hostilities with his (a) Moroccan and (b) Saharawi counterparts; and if he will publish the response to those discussions.

Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary

The UK regularly discusses the situation in Western Sahara with the parties. We continue to urge the parties to avoid further escalation, return to the ceasefire agreement, and re-engage with the UN-led political process.