Relationship dossier
Canada
Western Sahara
Relationship assessment
Canada supports a UN-led process for Western Sahara’s self-determination; the territory’s contested governance limits assessment of direct bilateral ties.
Canada toward Western Sahara
+10Canada supports a United Nations-led process addressing Western Sahara’s status and the territory’s right to self-determination. Canada does not recognize Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara.
Western Sahara toward Canada
Not assessedOverall relationship
Not assessedHow to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Canada supports a United Nations-led process for Western Sahara that provides for the territory’s self-determination and does not recognize Moroccan sovereignty over it. Western Sahara’s governance and international status remain disputed, and information about the Sahrawi authorities’ government conduct toward Canada is limited.
Major uncertainties
- The scope of direct Canadian cooperation with Sahrawi authorities is unclear.
- The extent of Sahrawi government engagement with Canada is unclear.