Geneva, 12 July 2020 (SPS) - The Human Rights Organization "France Libertés" said during the proceedings of the 44th of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva that Morocco used "corruption and intimidation" in its foreign policy to sit down and maintain its illegal occupation of Western Sahara.
"Countries use corruption and intimidation in their foreign policy to establish an illegal situation incompatible with international law. This is the case of the Kingdom of Morocco which illegally occupies Western Sahara, which is on the UN list of non self governing territories," said "France Libertés" by the voice of Lucia Tramer, during the debate of Item 3 on the agenda of the 44th UN Human Rights Council (HRC) (Promotion and protection of all human rights).
The Human Rights organization has dubbed unacceptable the illegal exploitation of natural resources in Western Sahara by Morocco’s Office Chérifien des Phosphates (OCP), which recently opened a branch in Geneva (SAFTCO), owned by the Moroccan royal family.
Such exploitation "contributes to establishing and maintaining the illegal presence of Morocco, as an occupying force, in several parts of Western Sahara," added the source.
In its statement "France Libertés" supported the "recommendations made in the report of UN group's working group on human rights to fight corruption," calling for "fighting corruption which a State, illegally occupying another territory, is practicing."
The organization said in this regard that "corruption is one of the factors that undermine the work and legitimacy of institutions and undermine the rule of law and the rights of groups and individuals subject to marginalization, discrimination and other illegal acts." (SPS)
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