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Reviewing the Legal Debate on the Sahara Conflict from an Integrated Perspective

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10
10:00 am January 2025
Add to Calendar 2025-01-10 10:00:00 2025-02-05 20:07:46 Reviewing the Legal Debate on the Sahara Conflict from an Integrated Perspective Description Location Policy Center Policy Center Africa/Casablanca public

PCNS

The presentation of the book Reviewing the Legal Debate on the Sahara Conflict from an Integrated Perspective, authored by Professor Shoji Matsumoto, offers an opportunity to delve into the intersection of international law, sovereignty, and self-determination within the context of the Moroccan Sahara question. This work reexamines the legal foundations of the dispute, particularly through the lens of jus cogens norms, state responsibility, and the principle of non-recognition of premature statehood.

The book analyzes key international legal instruments, such as the 1975 ICJ Advisory Opinion, the Madrid Accord, and the Moroccan Autonomy Initiative, as frameworks for resolution. It provides a thorough exploration of the balance between self-determination and territorial integrity, as well as the evolving role of international organizations in addressing protracted conflicts.

It aims to engage policymakers, academics, and legal experts in focused discussions on the importance of international law in resolving protracted conflicts. By addressing these critical issues, “Reviewing the Legal Debate on the Sahara Conflict from an Integrated Perspective” seeks to clarify the legal arguments underpinning the Moroccan Sahara question and provide actionable insights for stakeholders committed to a just and lasting solution.

Professor Shoji Matsumoto, the author, is a Senior Fellow at the Policy Center for the New South. A former professor of international law at Sapporo Gakuin University and visiting fellow at SOAS, University of London, he also leads several NGOs, including the Sapporo Institute for International Solidarity and the Japan Center for Moroccan Studies.

 

AGENDA

 

10:00 – 10:30

Welcoming Coffee

10:30 – 10:35 

Introductory Remarks

Speaker: Karim El Aynaoui, Executive President, Policy Center for the New South

10:35 – 11:05

Presentation: Reviewing the Legal Debate on the Sahara Conflict from an Integrated Perspective

Speaker: Matsumoto Shoji, Senior Fellow, Policy Center for the New South

11:05 – 11:45

Debate

Discussants:              

El Mostafa Rezrazi, Moderator, Senior Fellow, Policy Center for the New South

Nouzha Chekrouni, Senior Fellow, Policy Center for the New South

Mohammed Loulichki, Senior Fellow, Policy Center for the New South

11:45 – 12:10

Q&A Session

12:10 – 12:15

Closing Remarks

El Mostafa Rezrazi, Senior Fellow, Policy Center for the New South

 

Speakers
Nouzha Chekrouni
Senior Fellow
Dr. Nouzha Chekrouni is a Senior Fellow at the Policy Center for the New South. She has extensive experience in academia, diplomacy and political leadership.  She has served as His Majesty’s Ambassador to Canada (2009-2016), and Dean of the Council of Arab League Ambassadors to Canada (2015-2016). Dr. Chekrouni was Minister for the Moroccan Community Living Abroad (2002-2007), a Member of Parliament (2002-2007), and the Minister for Women and Social Issues (1998-2002). She holds a Bachelor Degree from the Philological Faculty at the University of Fez, a Post-Graduate Diploma and a PhD in Linguistics from the Université Sorbonne Nouvelle in Paris. Dr. Chekrouni has also completed a Certificate in Ethics and International Relations at Harvard University. She is a 2016 Senior F ...
Mohammed Loulichki
Senior Fellow
Mohammed Loulichki is a Senior Fellow at the Policy Center for the New South and an Affiliate Professor at Mohammed VI Polytechnic University. He brings over 40 years of comprehensive experience in diplomacy, conflict resolution, and human rights. He has served in various roles including as a member and Deputy Head of the Moroccan delegation to the 3rd Conference on the Law of the Sea (1982-1990), Head of the Department of Legal Affairs and Treaties at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (1988-1991), and General Director for Multilateral Affairs in the same ministry (2003-2006).   He also acted as Morocco's Ambassador to Hungary, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Croatia (1995-1999), and was the Moroccan Government's Ambassador Coordinator with MINURSO (1999-2001). Furthermore, he served ...
El Mostafa Rezrazi
Senior Fellow
Dr El Mostafa Rezrazi is a professor of Crisis Management, and Security Studies and a Senior Fellow at the Policy Center for the New South who focuses on Terrorism, Security and East Asia studies. His area of Expertise covers Afro-Asian Affairs, Strategic & Security Studies, Terrorism, Extremism and Deradicalization, mainly from the view of Criminal; Legal and Forensic Psychology.  He got his Ph.D. in Regional & International Affairs from the University of Tokyo in 1998, and later a Doctorate from the University of Mohammed V on the Psychological dynamisms of Suicide Bombers (2014). He is the executive director of the Moroccan Observatory on Extremism and Violence, Director of the African Center for Asian Studies, Rabat. Currently, he is Visiting Professor at the Univ ...
Matsumoto Shoji
Senior Fellow
Professor Shoji Matsumoto Senior Fellow at Policy Center for the New South. He is currently working in NGOs, namely as the President of Sapporo Institute for International Solidarity (Sapporo, Japan); Japan Center for Moroccan Studies (Sapporo, Japan); and the International Center on Separatism (Tokyo, Japan). He was previously professor of international law at Sapporo Gakuin University, and has recently retired. Dr. Shoji continues to teach international law and other related subjects at the university as a lecturer.  Dr. Shoji was additionally a visiting fellow at the SOAS, University of London and also visiting professor at Mohamed V University. ...