UN Security Council accused of double standards in Western Sahara ‘travesty’

UN Security Council Resolution 1979 on Western Sahara passed yesterday by the Security Council for the first time recognises the need to improve human rights in the disputed Territory, but fails to respond to South Africa and Nigeria’s calls to establish human rights monitoring, leaving the UN mission (MINURSO) the only contemporary UN mission without a human rights mandate.

The UK which previously expressed support for human rights monitoring was one of five countries to draft the resolution text. South Africa and Nigeria proposed amendments to the text, all of which were rejected.

This failure to establish a mechanism to monitor human rights comes in sharp contrast to the UK and French position on human rights in other recent resolutions such as 1970 on Libya. In November Western Sahara was the scene of mass protests and violence. South African Ambassador Baso Sangqu addressing the Security Council said:

“This double standard creates an impression that the Security Council does not care about the human rights of the people of Western Sahara." He called the lack of human rights monitoring in Western Sahara a “travesty”.

Natalie Sharples from the Western Sahara Campaign, part of a Network of organisations in 35 countries campaigning for the protection of human rights in Western Sahara said:

“The fact that France the UK and US have been so keen to highlight their support for human rights in Libya and Ivory Coast, yet are prepared to deny these rights to the Sahrawi people is shameful. It is clearly time for an African member to be included in the UN’s Group of Friends.”

Francesco Bastagli the former UN Assistant Secretary-General and Special Representative for Western Sahara said:

“Whether it's conflict prevention, basic human rights or responsibility to protect, Western Sahara is the long-neglected obligation of the international community. The Security Council can hardly be credible in its concern over Libya and other countries in the region while continuing to ignore the tragic plight of the Saharawi people.”

NOTES

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The UN Secretary General’s recent report on Western Sahara notes that unrest in the region brings increased urgency for efforts to resolve the 36 year conflict.

Noam Chomsky has said that the mass protests that took place in Western Sahara in November last year marked the starting point of the North Africa/Middle East protests.

Human rights abuses in Moroccan occupied Western Sahara are reported widely by International human rights organisations who have repeatedly called for human rights to be monitored by UN mission (MINURSO).

MINURSO is the only UN mission established since 1978 without a human rights mandate.

The resolution fails to establish any mechanism to monitor human rights instead: “Welcoming the establishment of a National Council on Human Rights in Morocco and the proposed component regarding Western Sahara, and the commitment of Morocco to ensure unqualified and unimpeded access to all Special Procedures of the United Nations Human Rights Council,

France is thought to be the main country to oppose human rights monitoring and in previous years threatening to veto the resolution if it included any reference to human rights http://bit.ly/fEFjZ9

The UN’s “Group of Friends of Western Sahara” consists of the UK, US France, Spain and Russia.

Western Sahara has been occupied by Morocco for 36 years in violation of international law and numerous Security Council Resolutions. http://www.wsahara.org.uk

Francesco Bastagli was UN Assistant Secretary-General and Special Representative for Western Sahara from 2006 – 2006. He resigned in protest over UN inaction on Western Sahara.

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