Copenhagen, Denmark, January 19, 2014 - An International Conference about Western Sahara, jointly organized by the Danish United Nations Association (UNA) and the Metropolitan University College Saturday in Copenhagen. The Conference was attended by distinguished speakers and more than 150 participants.
The main speakers were: Mr. Francesco M. Bastagli, former UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Western Sahara, Mr. Kurt Mosgaard, Major General, former force commander of the UN mission (MINURSO) in Western Sahara, Mrs. Kate Kelly, attorney for the RFK Partners for Human Rights at the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights, Mr. Jørgen Estrup, President of the Danish UN Association, Mrs. Eva Flyvholm, International Secretary for the Danish Red-Green Alliance Party, Mrs. Bodil Ceballos, member of Parliament of Sweden for the Green Party and member of the Swedish parliamentary committee on foreign affairs, Mr. Mudassar Kapur, member of Parliament of Norway for the Conservative Party and Dr. Sidi Omar, professor and head of the international Campaign against the Moroccan security wall in Western Sahara
Various speakers reaffirmed the right of the Saharawi people to self-determination through a democratic referendum that has independence as an option, emphasized the respect of human rights and the urgent need that the UN Security Council gives a mandate for MINURSO to monitor and report about human rights in Western Sahara.
“The issue of Western Sahara is an issue of decolonization and self-determination and the legal opinion of the international Court of Justice of 1975 was very clear in this. More than 120 UN resolutions reiterate the Saharawi right to self-determination. Every year the question of Western Sahara is discussed in the UN decolonization Committee,” said Mr. Francesco M. Bastagli, former UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Western Sahara
“The UN should assume its obligation in Western Sahara, which is still one of the 16 remaining non-autonomous territories in the World. The first violation of human rights in Western Sahara is the denial of self-determination” continued Bastagli.
“The Recommendation of the Kennedy Center for Justice & Human Rights after its visit to the occupied territories of Western Sahara was that the UN should give MINURSO a mandate to monitor and report about Human rights,” Said Kate Kelly, attorney for the RFK Partners for Human Rights at the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights
“The Scandinavian Countries should actively support the UN peace process and the MINURSO mandate for human rights.” she added
“I hope that the referendum will be organized soon. My party very much supports the right of the Saharawi people to self- determination. Denmark has voted two times against the fisheries agreement between the EU and Morocco and supports the MINURSO human rights mandate. Denmark should demand the EU to exclude Western Sahara from the EU free trade agreements with Morocco. We cannot accept that EU supports illegal occupation,” said Mrs. Eva Flyvholm, International Secretary for the Danish Red-Green Alliance Party
“Norway does not recognize the sovereignty of Morocco over Western Sahara supports the rights of the people of Western Sahara to self-determination and supports the MINURSO human rights mandate,” said Mr. Mudassar Kapur, member of Parliament of Norway for the Conservative Party
“Sweden always votes against the EU-Morocco fisheries agreement because for us it is a contrary to International law. The issue of Western Sahara should be solved through a democratic referendum with the option of the independence. Sweden supports a MINURSO human rights mandate,” said Mrs. Bodil Ceballos, member of Parliament of Sweden for the Green Party and member of the Swedish parliamentary committee on foreign affairs
“Resolving the Western Sahara conflict on the basis of the free and democratic exercise by the Sahrawi people of their right to self-determination is an indispensable condition for re-establishing regional peace and stability in the Maghreb. It will also lead to eliminating, once and for all, one of the most deep-seated fears in the living memory of the peoples of the region, namely expansionism and territorial acquisition by force, and thus laying the foundations for building trust, a strongly founded peace and regional harmony,” said, Dr. Sidi Omar, professor and head of the international Campaign against the Moroccan security wall in Western Sahara
Several lectures on various topics were presented during this conference about Western Sahara the last colony in Africa, Western Sahara, including: Historic and legal background, the UN peace process, the violations of Human Rights and the illegal agreements with Morocco, the occupying power.
The conference was chaired by Mr. Lave K. Broch from (UNA) and Mrs. Ann Kristina Mikkelsen Bojsen from Metropolitan University College. (SPS)
062