Copenhagen (Denmark), April 26, 2016 (SPS) - The President of the Euro-Mediteranean network of Human Rights (EuroMed Rights), Michel Tubiana called on, in a letter addressed to the Member States of the United Nations Security Council, to renew the mandate of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) and to extend this mission to include a review of the human rights situation.
The president of EuroMed Rights, a network of over 80 human rights defence organizations located on both sides of the Mediterranean urged, in his letter, the members of the Security Council, who will vote on the extension of the MINURSO’s mandate on 28 April, to “ensure that human rights are at the heart of these discussions.”
“EuroMed Rights notes that the prevailing context in Western Sahara remains an exceptional situation: many demonstrations have led to incidents and arrests, or were simply prohibited, the demonstrations were repressed, freedom of association and assembly are impeded, and foreign delegations were denied entre by the Moroccan authorities.”
In the light of this situation in Western Sahara, EuroMed urges the Member States of the United Nations Security Council “to instruct your ambassadors to the United Nations to renew the MINURSO’s mandate, extend the MINURSO’s mission to include a review of human rights situation, or establish permanent international surveillance and monitoring mechanisms relating to respect for human rights.”
EuroMed Rights also urges the Members of Security Council to “ensure that the MINURSO is able to carry out its mission unhindered,” recalling that “in the space of 25 years, the mandate given to the MINURSO has not provided any overall solution” to the conflict in occupied Western Sahara.
“This anniversary year is symbolic: the international community must provide new answers to a situation that has lasted too long,” said Tubiana in his letter.
The MINURSO was established by Security Council resolution 690 (1991) to monitor the ceasefire and organize a self-determination referendum.SPS
125/090/700