“Blue helmets” delivered weighty mail to the Swiss Federal Council and Parliament this afternoon. In a petition on behalf of 45 organizations and individuals, they demand that Switzerland lobby the UN Security Council to expand the UN mission in Western Sahara to include human rights monitoring.
terre des hommes schweiz and 44 other organizations and personalities submitted a petition to the Federal Parliament today. In it, they demand that the Federal Council and Parliament speak up for the people of Western Sahara at the UN Security Council: The mandate of the UN mission MINURSO should be extended to include human rights monitoring.
Constant and arbitrary human rights violations
In the Moroccan-occupied Western Sahara, the population (including children and the elderly) has been subjected to constant arbitrary arrests, abuse and torture by the Moroccan occupying power for 39 years. “The UN mission MINURSO is on the ground, but does not intervene. It cannot protect the population,” criticizes Elisabeth Bäschlin from the Swiss Support Committee for the Sahrawis (SUKS).
MINURSO is blind to human rights
MINURSO’s powerlessness is due to its limited mandate: unlike most UN peacekeeping missions, MINURSO has to ignore human rights violations. “MINURSO is therefore blind to human rights!” says Annette Mokler from terre des hommes schweiz.
Expansion of the UN mission is stubbornly blocked by Morocco
For three years, the UN Security Council has been calling for MINURSO’s mandate to protect the population to be expanded to include human rights monitoring. But Moroccan diplomacy is waging a persistent campaign to prevent any extension of the mandate,” says Christiane Perregaux from the Comité suisse de soutien au peuple sahraoui.
Referendum blocked for 23 years
Western Sahara has been occupied by Morocco for 1975 years and the Sahrawis have been waiting non-violently for a referendum on the independence and future of their homeland for 1991 years. For just as long, Morocco has successfully blocked the implementation of the referendum promised by the UN, which according to the UN guarantee should have taken place in 1992.
For further information please contact:
Annette Mokler, Program Coordinator Western Sahara, Tel. 061 335 91 53
or
Sascha Tankerville, Media and Information, Tel. 061 338 91 32
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