Geneva, March 24, 2021 (SPS) - A group of 270 organizations has alerted the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)) on Morocco's human rights violations in Western Sahara, urging it to submit, as soon as possible, a proposal for a programme on technical assistance and capacity building in favor of the legitimate representative of Western Sahara people, the Frente POLISARIO.
This was the subject of a joint statement to the Human Rights Council, in plenary session, to discuss item 10 on the agenda of its 46th session on technical assistance and capacity building.
The organizations expressed their deep regret that the programme has not been implemented in Western Sahara yet, as it is one of the regions concerned by this programme recommended by the Secretariat of the United Nations since 2002.
In this respect, the joint-statement stated that the Office of the United Nations Commissioner for Human Rights had previously received a letter, from the secretary-general, inviting him to provide information on the measures taken in relation to the provisions of the resolution related to the implementation of the Declaration on granting independence to colonial countries and peoples by specialized agencies and international institutions associated with the United Nations.
In addition, the organizations said "it is regrettable that since 2002 the Commissioner for Human Rights has never seen fit to set up a specific programme of cooperation and capacity building with the Frente POLISARIO as the only legitimate representative of the Saharawi people.SPS
125/090/700