Geneva (UN Human rights Council) 18 June 2026 (SPS) — Speaking at the conclusion of a high-level and civil society side event held today at the Palais des Nations, Ms. Yaguta El-Mokhtar, member of the Working Group on Human Rights in Occupied Western Sahara, issued a call to action to the international community, warning that the credibility of the international system depends on its ability to consistently uphold international law in Western Sahara.
The side event, convened on the sidelines of the ongoing 62nd Session of the UN Human Rights Council, was organized Today to present the findings of the newly released report, "Western Sahara: A Year in Review, 2025 Annual Human Rights Report."
Before Ms. Yaguta’s concluding address, the event heard detailed statements from prominent Sahrawi human rights defenders and international experts involved in documenting the violations, who exposed the intensifying patterns of repression, land confiscations, and colonial blockades enforced by Moroccan forces over the past year.
In her closing remarks, Yaguta emphasized that the findings compiled in the 2025 annual report represent the direct human consequences of a protracted political and legal impasse.
"The question before the international community is not whether the legal framework is sufficient," she stated. "The question is whether there is sufficient political will to apply it. Western Sahara does not suffer from a lack of international norms; it suffers from a persistent gap between principles and action."
The activist underscored that the respect for human rights inside the occupied territory cannot be separated from the implementation of international law, reminding audience of the Panel that the situation remains one of the longest-standing unresolved decolonization processes on the United Nations agenda.
Yaguta outlined a series of concrete institutional obligations required to address the escalating human rights crisis in the territory, which has now entered its fifth decade, stressing that the UN must reaffirm its commitment to the decolonization of Western Sahara.
She further estimated that the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) must urgently deploy a monitoring mission to Western Sahara and provide regular, public reporting on the human rights situation in the territory, which is suffering from a total blackout on the field.
The Sahrawi activist recalled that the UN Mission (MINURSO) needs to be empowered to contribute effectively to civilian protection and address the realities faced by Sahrawi people living in the context of an active conflict. "A peace process that does not adequately address human rights concerns cannot produce a sustainable peace," Yaguta warned.
The closing statement explicitly called on the international community regarding their legal and ethical responsibilities under international law. Ms. Yaguta urged the European Union and its member states to "fully respect the principles of non-recognition and non-assistance regarding situations arising from violations of international law," stressing that any economic or political engagement in Western Sahara must align with the rights and explicit wishes of the Sahrawi people.
Turning to regional allies, she challenged the African Union and its member states to remain steadfast in upholding the Union's founding principles, specifically its opposition to foreign occupation and its unwavering support for self-determination.
Furthermore, she reminded the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and all High Contracting Parties to the Geneva Conventions of their critical role in ensuring international humanitarian law is respected.
Concluding her address to the audience composed of representatives of diplomatic missions in Geneva and NGOs, Ms. Yaguta reminded the assembly that the passage of time has neither diminished the core rights of the Sahrawi people nor absolved the international community of its responsibility.
"The recommendations presented today are not ambitious because they seek new standards," she concluded. "They are necessary because they call for the implementation of standards that already exist."
It should be recalled that the released report: "Western Sahara: A Year in Review, 2025 Annual Human Rights Report", was prepared collaboratively by the Working Group on Human Rights in Occupied Western Sahara (WGHROWS), with the specialized, technical backing of international experts alongside the non-governmental organizations ACAPS and the International Institute for Nonviolent Action (NOVACT). (SPS)
090/500/60 (SPS)
Related blogs
