Morocco: Mining

Mr. Drew
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 6 October 2009, Official Report, column 228W, on Morocco: mining, what recent steps the Government have taken to seek to ensure that Morocco fulfils its obligations under international law to ensure that the extraction and exploitation of phosphates do not adversely affect the interests of the people of Western Sahara.

Mr. Ivan Lewis
I refer my hon. Friend to the answer of my hon. Friend the Member for Harlow (Bill Rammell) of 23 March 2009, Official Report, column 32W.

The UK continues to maintain its position that Morocco, as the de facto administering power of Western Sahara, is obliged under international law to ensure that economic activities under administration—including the extraction and exportation of phosphates—do not adversely affect the interests of the people in Western Sahara.

Paul Flynn
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to the Moroccan Government on (a) ending the movement of members of the Moroccan civilian population into the occupied Western Sahara and (b) the application of Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention until the status of Western Sahara is determined.

Mr. Ivan Lewis
I refer my hon. Friend to the answer of my hon. Friend the Member for Harlow (Bill Rammell) of 5 May 2009, Official Report, column 47W, Western Sahara: Politics and Government:

We have not discussed the movement of population between Morocco and Western Sahara, or the application of article 49 of the fourth Geneva convention, and have no current plans to discuss either matter with the Moroccan Government.

The Government see the status of Western Sahara as undetermined and continue to believe that progress towards a negotiated solution to the dispute, providing for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara, is best achieved under the auspices of the UN. To this end the UK fully supports the efforts of the UN Secretary-General and his Personal Envoy, Christopher Ross.