UN General Assembly
2019

We cannot talk about leaving no one behind when we live in a world in which the people of the Western Sahara and Palestine have indeed been left behind. Informed by the anti-colonial struggle in our region and the international solidarity extended to us during our struggle, the Southern African Development Community convened a solidarity conference in March in South Africa for the Polisario Front and the people of Western Sahara, at which we reiterated our unwavering commitment to the people of Western Sahara’s right to self-determination and freedom. Similarly, the people of Palestine have a fundamental right to self-determination and independence. We must achieve a just, lasting and comprehensive peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians, with the establishment of two States that coexist in an atmosphere of peace and security.