Morocco Urged to Address Poverty and Human Rights Abuses in Western Sahara

The United Nations has called on Morocco to take concrete steps to address poverty and human rights abuses in Western Sahara, a region it has occupied since 1976.

Education and Cultural Preservation

A report by the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights expressed concern over the difficulties faced by Sahrawi people in accessing education, especially at the university level. The committee recommended that Morocco provide education that enables them to play a useful part in society and encourages understanding and tolerance among nations and ethnic groups.

• Provide education that enables Sahrawi people to play a useful part in society
• Encourage understanding and tolerance among nations and ethnic groups

The report also highlighted the lack of support for the Sahrawi language and culture, urging Morocco to guarantee full and unrestricted enjoyment of their right to take part in cultural life. This includes preserving, developing, expressing, and disseminating their identity, history, culture, language, traditions, and customs.

Human Rights Abuses

A recent study by a Spanish NGO found that the Moroccan occupation has had a devastating impact on the Sahrawi people’s basic human rights, including the right to work, health, and education. The report highlighted the exploitation of Western Sahara’s fisheries resources by Morocco and European Union countries, without the consent or benefit of the local population.

Call for Action

In response, the Spanish Society for International Human Rights Law has called on:

• The UN Human Rights Council to establish a Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in occupied Western Sahara
• The High Commissioner for Human Rights to establish a permanent Office in Western Sahara to monitor the implementation of recommendations made by the Special Rapporteur

The society also urged that this mandate be active until the end of the Moroccan occupation and cover all universally recognized human rights, including:

• Right to self-determination
• Economic, social, and cultural rights