Madrid, April 17, 2014 (SPS) - 19 Spanish cultural and political non-governmental organizations have asked the UN Security Council to take its responsibilities in maintaining international peace and security in accordance with the UN principles and purposes, by voting “favourably” to expand the powers of MINURSO to include sustained human rights monitoring in Western Sahara.
In a letter addressed to ambassador of the Members States of the UN Security Council, the Spanish ONGs indicated that the Security Council is before a “historical opportunity” to expand the mandate of the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) to include sustained human rights monitoring.
The ONGs expressed their concern over the events that have taken place in the last two days in the occupied territory of Western Sahara, denouncing the “arbitrary” expulsion by Moroccan authorities of several Spanish delegation from the airport of the occupied city of El Aaiun, capital of Western Sahara, last of which a 3-member women delegation.
Stressing the need for the independent international organizations to monitor human rights in occupied Western Sahara, they voiced concern over the “continuous and grave” human rights violations by the Moroccan authorities, which have been denounced by various UN and international bodies, of which the Special Rapporteur on torture Mr. Juan Mendez, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, RFK Center for Justice and Human Rights.
Underlying that the original mandate of the INNURSO was to verify the ceasefire and cessation of hostilities and to identify potential voters, the letter recalled that it remains the only existing UN peacekeeping operation without a human rights component.
The letter, on other hand, regretted for the fact that the referendum in Western Sahara should have taken place in January 1992, however, it was not possible to proceed in conformity with the original timetable.
Following is a full list of the ONGs that signed the letter:
- ALOUDA Cantabria;
- Asociacion Canaria de Solidaridad con el Pueblo Saharaui;
- Asociacion de Amistad del Pueblo Saharaui de Sevilla;
- Asociacion de Mufilados de Guerra del Sahara Occidental;
- Aturando Yesa;
- CEAS- Coordinadora Estatal de Asociaciones Solidarias con el Sahara;
- EHBildu; Emakumeak Garapenerako Elkarlanean ;
- Febrero Feminista;
- Fundacion Mundubat;
- Fundacion Sahara Occidental;
- Grupo Jaima amigas/os de la RASD;
- Plataforma de solidaridad de Lebrija;
- Poemario por un Sahara Libre
- PURNA;
- Puyalon;
- Red Andaluza de Apoyo a las Mujeres Saharauis;
- Red Madrileria de Apoyo a las Mujeres Saharauis;
- Resistencia Saharaui. (SPS)
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