Geneva (Switzerland), December 21, 2023 (SPS) - The Geneva Group renewed yesterday during its regular meeting its “emphasis on continuing and accompanying the Sahrawi cause and supporting the Sahrawi people in their just struggle for their inalienable right to self-determination and independence, including intensifying pressure within the United Nations Human Rights Council in order to ensure respect for human rights in Western Sahara and to acknowledge the responsibility of the international community in this regard through established mechanisms to monitor and report on the situation on a permanent basis”.
The meeting, which was chaired by the Permanent Representative of South Africa to the United Nations in Geneva and which was attended by ambassadors and representatives of the 15 member countries of the group, focused on evaluating the activities carried out by the group during the year 2023 as well as agreeing on the broad lines of work in 2024, which will be a distinguished year in light of the developments of the Sahrawi issue and the International scene in general, as circumstances require increasing the pace of solidarity activities within and outside the Human Rights Council.
In this context, the meeting expressed its appreciation for the recent gains achieved by the Sahrawi issue through the recent resolutions and recommendations issued by United Nations committees and special mechanisms denouncing Morocco’s continued repressive policies against Sahrawi civilians and political detainees, while looking forward to intensifying and diversifying efforts in this regard.
The meeting also listened to a detailed presentation made by the Sahrawi Ambassador Oubbi Bouchraya al-Bashir, the Polisario Front’s Representative in Switzerland and to the United Nations and International Organizations in Geneva on the latest developments in the Sahrawi issue at the regional, continental and international levels, emphasizing the determination of the Sahrawi people to continue their struggle until their national goals of freedom and independence are achieved. He also expressed, “on behalf of the Sahrawi people and the Polisario Front, deep appreciation for the group’s work and its success in conveying the voice of the Sahrawi people and advocating for them at the United Nations and International Organizations in Geneva.”
It is worth noting that the Geneva Group of States Supporting Western Sahara, which includes the embassies of 15 countries, has turned into an active and effective diplomatic body in defending the cause of the Sahrawi people and their just rights at the level of the Human Rights Council and other international organizations in Geneva.
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