1st Edition

The Western Sahara Question and International Law Recognition Doctrine and Self-Determination

By Stephen Allen, Jamie Trinidad Copyright 2024
98 Pages 1 B/W Illustrations
by Routledge

98 Pages 1 B/W Illustrations
by Routledge

98 Pages 1 B/W Illustrations
by Routledge

This book analyses recent developments concerning the application of the international legal doctrines of recognition and self-determination in relation to the Western Sahara Question. It investigates the emergent shift in favour of Morocco’s sovereignty claim to Western Sahara as apparent from the positions adopted by an increasing number of third States in the United Nations and the recent... Read more

1. Introduction;  2. Self-Determination and the Western Sahara Question;  3. The Doctrine of Recognition and Morocco’s Claim to Western Sahara;  4. Recent Developments in UN Practice Concerning Western Sahara;  5. Implications of Growing Support for the Moroccan Position on Western Sahara;  6. Conclusion: The Future of Western Sahara and the Future of International Law

Biography

Stephen Allen is Senior Lecturer in Law at Queen Mary, University of London, and a practising barrister.

Jamie Trinidad KC is Fellow and Director of Studies in Law at Wolfson College, University of Cambridge, Fellow of the Lauterpacht Centre for International Law, and a practising barrister.

'The reader has in [their] hands a specific study on a classic but highly topical question in public international law: does the opening of consular offices in an occupied territory constitute recognition of the sovereignty of the occupying state over the territory? This short and interesting study rigorously analyses this question and serves as an introduction to the Western Sahara conflict for those unfamiliar with it.'

Juan Soroeta, Professor of International Law at the University of the Basque Country.

'The book is a delight to read and provides a comprehensive analysis of the Western Sahara question, shedding light on the complexities of the dispute and its implications for contemporary international law.'

Nektarios Papadimos, book review in International & Comparative Law Quarterly

‘In this book, we witness the complexity of legal predicaments as the tensions within the normative world clash with the facts on the ground […] Yet legal experts and students will enjoy the thorough exploration of debates, and the frequently unsolved questions presented, as frustrating as reality might be. This book is not for those seeking an introduction to the Western Sahara conflict or an easy answer for it. […] Only the committed reader will be able to appreciate the careful deciphering of the shortcomings and exploitations of international norms in the battle for recognition and self-determination.’

Blanca Camps-Febrer, The Journal of North African Studies (02 Oct 2024), DOI: 10.1080/13629387.2024.2409606