%0 Journal Article 
%A Izuhara, Steffeny
%T Morocco-Israel Joint hydrocarbon exploration agreement in the continental shelf of Western Sahara: a geopolitical and legal analysis
%D 2025
%@ 3020-2000
%U http://hdl.handle.net/10498/39056
%X Western Sahara is a territory rich in phosphate and fish, with hydrocarbon reserves and the
potential for other economic activities, such as agriculture, livestock farming, and mining. To this date, Morocco continues to exploit the natural resources of Western Sahara, without prior consultation with the local population. This Note focuses on the geopolitical and legal analysis of the controversial Joint Hydrocarbon Exploration Agreement between Morocco and Israel in the Continental Shelf of Western Sahara. It analyses how the agreement serves Morocco’s strategic interests, in particular, in the consolidation of its territorial claim of Western Sahara, considering the opportunities resulting from the growing ties with Israel and the United States of America, as well as the challenges, such as the lack of support for its claim at the multilateral level and legal ground. This Note demonstrates the dynamic between international politics and international law, showing that despite the obstacles in its enforcement mechanism, international law still influences the behaviour and conduct of States.

%K Morocco
%K Israel
%K Western Sahara
%K United States of America
%K European Union
%K Geopolitics
%K Foreign Policy
%K Multilateral Diplomacy
%K Territorial Claims
%K Decolonization
%K Marruecos
%K Sáhara Occidental
%K Estados Unidos de América
%K Unión Europea
%K Geopolítica
%K Política Exterior
%K Diplomacia Multilateral
%K Reclamaciones Territoriales
%K Descolonización
%~ Universidad de Cádiz