International recognition of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic
The Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic was proclaimed by the Polisario Front on 27 February 1976, in Bir Lehlu, Western Sahara. SADR claims sovereignty over the entire territory of Western Sahara, a former Spanish colony; however, at present the SADR government controls only about 20–25% of the territory it claims. It calls the territories under its control the "Liberated Territories".
UN member states. Of these, have since "frozen" or "withdrawn" recognition. SADR has, at some point in time, been recognised by of United Nations member states, 38 out of 54 African Union member states, 18 out of 57 Organisation of Islamic Cooperation member states, and 5 out of 22 Arab League member states. Several states that do not recognize the Sahrawi Republic nonetheless recognize the Polisario Front as the legitimate representative of the population of the Western Sahara, but not as the government-in-exile of a sovereign state.
The SADR has been a member of the African Union, formerly the Organization of African Unity, since 1984. Morocco withdrew from the OAU in protest, until rejoining in 2017. The SADR also participates as guest on meetings of the Non-Aligned Movement or the New Asian–African Strategic Partnership, over Moroccan objections to SADR participation.
The Arab League simply supports "Moroccan territorial integrity", without further specification. While no other country has ever recognized Morocco's unilateral annexation of Western Sahara, a number of countries have expressed their support for a future status of Western Sahara as an autonomous part of Morocco.
Besides Mexico, Algeria, Iran, Venezuela, Vietnam, Nigeria and South Africa, India was the major middle power to have ever recognized SADR, having allowed the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic to open an embassy in New Delhi in 1985. However, India "withdrew" its recognition in 2000.
States that have recognized SADR
UN member states and South Ossetia either currently recognize SADR or have recognized it in the past. Of these, have "suspended", "frozen" or "withdrawn" recognition. Several African countries and Caribbean or Pacific island-states have taken such actions subsequent to Moroccan lobbying and offers of economic and other exchanges, although the association of such decisions and these efforts is discussable. On the other hand, some states which had "withdrawn" or "frozen" recognition later resumed it.The following lists all the states that have ever recognized the SADR.
States whose parliaments have voted to recognize SADR
The parliaments of several states that do not recognize the Sahrawi Republic have called on their respective governments to recognize SADR. The parliament of Sweden was the first in the EU voted to recognize Western Sahara in December 2012, but this has not been enacted by the Swedish government. Declarations were also adopted by the parliaments of Chile and Brazil.The following lists states whose parliaments have recognized the SADR.
| State | Date of approval | Approval by | Relevant membership, further details | |
| 1 | 01 09 1999 14 07 2009 04 08 2010 01 08 2014 | Chamber of Deputies | Foreign Minister of Chile reported 30 November 1999 by official letter to Sahrawi Chancellor the decision of the President of Chile to recognize the SADR. But it has not been implemented. Therefore, the lower house of Chile's parliament subsequently repeatedly called for the recognition of SADR and establishment of diplomatic relations with it. | |
| 2 | 29 11 2004 | Senate | Australian Senate adopted a motion where "urges Australian government to positively consider extending diplomatic recognition to SADR at the appropriate time." | |
| 3 | 31 05 2007 26 10 2011 03 09 2014 | Chamber of Deputies | Brazilian Chamber of Deputies repeatedly asked government of Brazil to recognize SADR and establish diplomatic relations with it. | |
| 4 | 05 12 2012 | Riksdag | EU; Swedish parliament voted to recommend that the Swedish government "recognises the SADR as soon as possible". |