Geneva, 4 March 2024 (SPS) - The Geneva Group for Western Sahara has renewed its urgent call to the United Nations to establish an independent mechanism to monitor the human rights situation in the occupied territories of Western Sahara. This comes in light of Morocco's unjustified and unacceptable refusal to allow technical missions from the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) for the ninth consecutive year.
In a verbal statement delivered by the Namibian Mission on behalf of the group during the second item of the 55th session of the Human Rights Council, the group expressed its deep concern about the systematic violations of human rights and international humanitarian law in the occupied territory of Western Sahara and the expulsion of independent international observers.
The statement highlighted that the UN Secretary-General, in October 2023, referred to the concerns of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, emphasizing that "the lack of direct access to information and independent, impartial, comprehensive and continuous monitoring of the human rights situation undermines the ability to make a comprehensive assessment of human rights in the region."
In this regard, the group stressed that "it is deeply regrettable that the calls made by the UN Security Council, the UN and the OHCHR to establish an independent mechanism to monitor the human rights situation have not yet been met, leaving the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) as the only UN mission without a human rights reporting mandate."
Furthermore, while welcoming the recent decision of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention in October 2023, which urged Morocco to comply with the UN body's request for the immediate release of prisoners, the group emphasized that "the lack of human rights monitoring and documentation in Western Sahara is a direct result of the occupying power's refusal."
Regarding the situation in the liberated territories and the Moroccan wall of shame and humiliation in Western Sahara, the group drew the attention of the Human Rights Council to the numerous violations of international humanitarian law resulting from the illegal and indiscriminate use of armed drones, which have led to deaths and injuries among civilians.
In conclusion, the Geneva Group for the Support of Western Sahara renewed its call to all countries to respect the internationally recognized status of the region and refrain from engaging in any actions that undermine the Sahrawi people's right to self-determination, independence, and permanent sovereignty over their natural resources.
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