Relationship dossier
Vanuatu
Western Sahara
Relationship assessment
Vanuatu withdrew recognition of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic and later supported Morocco’s autonomy proposal
Vanuatu toward Western Sahara
-20Vanuatu recognized the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic in 1980, withdrew recognition in 2000, and later expressed support for Morocco’s autonomy proposal for Western Sahara.
Western Sahara toward Vanuatu
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
Vanuatu recognized the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic in 1980 and withdrew recognition in 2000. It later expressed support for Morocco’s autonomy proposal for Western Sahara, indicating a policy opposed to Sahrawi independence. Information about direct Sahrawi government cooperation with Vanuatu is insufficient to assess the relationship from the Sahrawi side.
Areas of tension
- Vanuatu’s withdrawal of recognition of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic and support for Morocco’s autonomy proposal conflict with Sahrawi claims to independence.
Key developments
Vanuatu recognized the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic.
Vanuatu withdrew recognition of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic.
Major uncertainties
- The scope and implementation of Vanuatu’s support for Morocco’s autonomy proposal are unclear.
- Details of direct Sahrawi government engagement with Vanuatu are limited.