United Nations, Jan 30, 2012 (SPS) - “We also hope that the people of Western Sahara, whether they be in the territory or in the refugee camps, will enjoy full human rights, including the freedom to express their views on their future and that the negotiators will take these views into account,” stated Friday Mr. Christopher Ross, Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary-General for Western Sahara in an interview with UN News Centre.
The Envoy indicated that the Security Council has called on the parties to achieve “a just, lasting, and mutually acceptable political solution, which will provide for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara.”
He added that the Security Council now “expects the parties themselves to negotiate a political solution with the help of the UN, with the help of the neighbouring States, with the help of the international community and to do so instead of reacting to settlement plans others have drawn up.”
Mr. Ross underlined that the United Nations “has worked to implement confidence-building measures to facilitate the return of the refugees once a settlement is reached,” confirming “it has taken an increased interest in human rights in Western Sahara.”
“Unfortunately, the demands of burning issues around the world and the absence of imminent crisis in Western Sahara have worked to deprive this conflict of the attention it deserves from the international community,” replied Mr. Ross to a question about the human dimension to Western Sahara conflict.
The UN Envoy confirmed “we, for our part, are going to continue our efforts to promote a genuine negotiating process,” highlighting that he called the parties to a new round of informal talks next February at the Greentree Estate in Long Island. (SPS)
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