{
  "id": 16692428,
  "title": "Decolonization and the geopolitics of legitimacy: From Morocco to Papua",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/27/decolonization-and-the-geopolitics-of-legitimacy-from-morocco-to-papua",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-27T02:09:09.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Jakarta Post",
    "slug": "the-jakarta-post",
    "url": "https://www.thejakartapost.com/opinion/2026/10/27/decolonization-and-the-geopolitics-of-legitimacy-from-morocco-to-papua.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The legacy of colonialism and the struggle for self-determination continue to shape global politics, even as the United Nations strives to uphold principles of decolonization and sovereignty. The UN's establishment in 1945 coincided with a world marked by imperial rule, with many territories still under foreign control. To address this imbalance, the UN introduced the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples in 1960, catalyzing a wave of self-determination and the emergence of numerous new sovereign states.\n\nHowever, the end of formal colonial administration did not automatically resolve the underlying inequalities and power dynamics that had long plagued the international system. Today, 17 territories remain on the UN's Non-Self-Governing Territories (NSGT) list, monitored by the Special Political and Decolonization Committee.\n\nAs a petitioner at the committee, the author attended a session that highlighted the complexities of territorial disputes and the delicate balance between empowering subaltern voices and being consumed by ideological debates. The UN Fourth Committee often serves as a crucial platform for marginalized perspectives, yet it can also become a stage for strategic interests to be advanced under the guise of humanitarianism.\n\nOne striking example of this irony was discussed in the author's petition, which was submitted on October 6. Since Spain's departure from the territory in 1975, the Sahrawi population in Western Sahara has undergone profound socio-economic and institutional changes following its return to Morocco. The strong historical, cultural, and traditional ties between the local Sahrawi tribes and the Moroccan Sultan have played a pivotal role in this transformation. As the author concludes, maintaining the integrity of multilateral forums and upholding the historical and empirical realities on the ground is essential for genuine progress toward decolonization.",
  "summary": "When multilateral forums succumb to political theater and procedural breaches, the genuine legal principles of decolonization and sovereignty risk being lost to ideological distraction.",
  "key_points": [
    "UN established in 1945 to address colonial rule.",
    "17 territories remain on UN's NSGT list.",
    "Sahrawi in Western Sahara transformed under Morocco since 1975."
  ],
  "editors_take": "The persistence of non-self-governing territories demonstrates that formal independence often fails to resolve deep-seated geopolitical power dynamics and the strategic use of multilateral forums by established states.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}