The Nordic Centre Party Youth has 7 member organisations in Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland and Åland Islands.

The following statement was adopted:

Recognise Western Sahara now!

In 1975 Morocco occupied Western Sahara, and started a long lasting process of moving people in to the southern part of Western Sahara. When the former colonial power Spain withdrew from the area, the liberation movement in Western Sahara (Polisario Front) declared an independent state, The Saharawi Arabic Democratic Republic (SADR). Since the declaration, the SADR has been recognised by more than 80 states and is today a fully fledged member of the African Union.

According to The International Court of Justice in The Hague, Morocco does not have legitimate historic claims on Western Sahara, and no country has recognised Western Sahara as Moroccan territory. Despite of this, and in violation of international conventions, Morocco exploits Western Sahara’s natural resources. Internationally Morocco is trying to present Western Sahara as part of Morocco.

Even after the cease-fire in 1991, 165000 Sahrawis are living in refugee camps in Algeria. Here they are waiting for their homeland to be permitted to carry out a referendum, which originally was supposed to be held in 1992. In the referendum they were to decide whether Western Sahara should be an independent state or not. Morocco has delayed this referendum, since there has not been reached an agreement on who will have the right to vote. If everyone living in Western Sahara will have this right, the majority of the voters will be Moroccans moved in to the occupied area.

The UN Secretary-General has a Personal Envoy for Western Sahara, Christopher Ross. Western Sahara is an ongoing subject in the UN Security Council, but Morocco is showing an incredible arrogance, ignoring the UN resolutions and peace agreements. Therefore a new generation of Sahrawis is growing up in refugee camps. The UN also has an operation in Western Sahara, MINURSO, with a mandate to prepare and organize the referendum, monitor the cease-fire, implement the repatriation programme, and verify the reduction of Moroccan troops in the Territory.

The Nordic Centre Party Youth (NCPY) demands that the Nordic countries recognise The Saharawi Arabic Democratic Republic as an independent state. The countries should trough their diplomatic channels create a pressure for the Western Sahara cause.

NCPY is also asking the Nordic countries to search for efficient methods to stop the Nordic business cooperation with Morocco within the occupied areas and start to make business with the SADR instead.