Geneva (United Nations), 14 September 2020 (SPS) - UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said Monday, in Geneva, that she "look forward to discussing" the parameters of a new technical mission to Western Sahara in order to "identify critical human rights issues" in the territory.
"Such missions are vital to identify critical human rights issues," and contribute to "preventing the escalation of grievances," in occupied Western Sahara, said the UN Human Rights Chief at the opening of the 45th session of the HRC in Geneva.
"I look forward to discussing the parameters of a new visit with all parties in the near future," she said, referring to the critical human rights situation in the occupied territories.
"We also continue remote monitoring the situation in Western Sahara, where we last conducted technical missions five years ago," said Michelle Bachelet.
The technical missions of the UN Human Rights Council are "vital" to occupied Western Sahara, she added.
Algeria, like the support group in Geneva, has recently stepped up calls to the human rights agency for a technical mission to Western Sahara.
In July, the Algerian delegation to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Geneva requested the resumption of these visits, recalling that no technical mission had been undertaken there since 2015. (SPS)
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