The European Parliament,

A. whereas the UN Security Council and Assembly unanimously adopted in April and May 1991 the peace plan drawn up by the Secretary-General on holding a referendum in the Western Sahara and setting up the United Nations mission to the Western Sahara,

B. having regard to the formal agreement which the two parties to the conflict have given to the peace plan and their undertakings that it should be carried out to the letter,

C. whereas the peace plan for the Western Sahara is of great importance for the political stability of the Maghreb and of a large part of the Arab world, as is evidenced by the constant interest shown by the various countries in the area and the condemnations of countries which do not belong to this political region,

D. having regard to the Council's declaration on 29 June 1991 in Luxembourg supporting the continued efforts of the UN Secretary-General and his special envoy to ensure the smooth progress of the peace process,

E. concerned at the request submitted on 24 August 1991 to the UN by the Kingdom of Morocco that the referendum be postponed,

F. concerned also that the Kingdom of Morocco has asked the United Nations to make changes to the electoral registers, which are incompatible with the principles and procedures laid down in the peace plan,

G. whereas the recent attacks by Moroccan forces have significantly exacerbated the situation, forcing sections of the Sahrawi population to begin a new exodus and causing deaths and injuries amongst civilians,

H. whereas the statements by the King of Morocco concerning an amnesty for certain political prisoners provided they declare the Western Sahara to be an integral part of Morocco amount to a denial of freedom of expression,

I. having regard to its resolutions of 15 March 1989 on the political situation in the Western SaharaOJ No. C 96, 17.4.1989, p. 59 and 18 April 1991 on support for the United Nations Western Sahara peace planOJ No. C 129, 20.5.1991, p. 126,

1. Considers that the achievement of the UN peace plan represents an historic opportunity to put an end to the war which has afflicted this region since 1975 and thereby to bring to a close the final chapter of the decolonization of Africa;

2. Confirms its support for the UN peace plan and calls for it to be implemented promptly and in full; condemns any military offensive which jeopardizes the peace plan;

3. Welcomes the entry into force of the ceasefire on 6 September 1991 as a crucial step towards the referendum on self-determination; congratulates the UN Secretary-General on his resolute approach to maintaining the date of the ceasefire;

4. Draws attention to the fact that the 1974 Spanish census forms the basis of the electoral registers and that any addition thereto is only possible following individual requests by Sahrawi persons and assessment by the UN mission's identification committee;

5. Stresses the need for all political prisoners to be released, for prisoners of war to be exchanged and for the Sahrawi refugees who have fled to neighbouring countries to be repatriated;

6. Considers it essential that the UN mission's teams be given direct access to the territory, and that equipment be transported without hindrance, so that they can fulfil the tasks and obligations conferred upon them by the peace plan;

7. Urges that, in view of their special political and trade links with Morocco, the Community and the Member States remain vigilant and use all possible influence to ensure that the peace plan is respected;

8. Calls on the UN Security Council, the European Community and the governments of the Member States to take firm action in the event of any failure to comply with or attempts to hold up the peace plan which has been adopted;

9. Considers it a matter of urgency, in view of the serious threats to the peace process, that international observers from parliaments and NGOs be allowed to monitor the peace process in situ in the Western Sahara with immediate effect until the results of the referendum have been published and decides to send a delegation to observe the referendum; urges the parliaments of the Member States to do likewise;

10. Calls on the Commission to make a financial contribution to the repatriation and reintegration of Sahrawi refugees by the UNHCR through the UN mission and to maintain, where necessary, aid to the refugees in the Tindouf camps;

11. Congratulates the Spanish and Greek governments which have already made their contributions to the UNHCR and calls on the other governments to follow suit as a matter of urgency;

12. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, the UN Secretary-General, the President-in-Office of the Conference of Heads of State or Government of the OAU, the Moroccan Government and the Polisario Front.