New York (United Nations), 23 August 2025 (SPS) – The United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, has expressed his "grave" concern over the continued deterioration of the situation in the occupied Sahrawi territories due to the ongoing human rights violations by the Moroccan occupation in the region. Simultaneously, he expressed his belief in the possibility of reaching a "just and lasting political solution acceptable to both parties that guarantees the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara."
In a report on the question of Western Sahara, covering the period from July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2025, under agenda item 58, "Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples," published on Saturday, Guterres stated: "I remain gravely concerned by the developments in Western Sahara. The continued deterioration of the situation is alarming, untenable, and must be reversed urgently to avoid any further escalation."
Addressing the recorded violations, Guterres pointed out in his report that the Moroccan occupier continues to refuse entry to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights mission into the occupied Sahrawi territories since 2015, despite its repeated requests to visit the area, in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions, the latest being Resolution 2756 (2024).
He stressed in this context that "the absence of independent, impartial, comprehensive, and sustained human rights monitoring (in the occupied Sahrawi territories) remains a major obstacle to a full assessment of the situation," noting that reports indicate international observers, including parliamentarians, researchers, journalists, and lawyers, "continue to face entry restrictions, with dozens being denied entry or expelled during the reporting period."
He also referred to violations by the occupation against 79 Sahrawi activists, as well as those related to so-called "coastal development projects" involving land seizures, destruction of private property, and displacement.
Speaking about the imprisoned Sahrawis from the "Gdeim Izik" group who are serving long prison sentences, Guterres affirmed that the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, in a November 2024 report, noted that "the Government of Morocco has taken no action to implement its Opinion 23/2023, and that detention conditions have deteriorated, including isolation, limited family communication, and restricted access to medical services."
The High Commissioner – Guterres adds – also received reports of similar violations against other Sahrawi detainees, including discriminatory treatment, with reports of at least one death in custody, in addition to reports of a "shrinking civic space and restrictions on the rights of Sahrawis to freedom of expression, association, and peaceful assembly."
Reports indicated that the Moroccan occupation forces "suppressed protests and events supporting self-determination, particularly targeting Sahrawi women human rights defenders..."
Faced with these facts, Guterres renewed his call to "work towards changing course without delay, facilitated by the United Nations and supported by the international community at large, to achieve a just and lasting political solution acceptable to both parties" (Morocco and the Polisario Front).
Concluding his report, which is expected to be presented during the 80th ordinary session of the UN General Assembly scheduled for next September, he stated that "as the 50th anniversary of the conflict approaches, this difficult context continues to make achieving a political solution to the question of Western Sahara more urgent than ever," expressing his belief in the possibility of "reaching a just and lasting political solution acceptable to both parties that guarantees the people of Western Sahara their right to self-determination in accordance with relevant Security Council resolutions."
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