Geneva (Switzerland), March 3, 2026 (SPS) – The headquarters of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva hosted an international conference on Tuesday titled “Youth under Prolonged Occupation: The Case of Youth in Western Sahara and Palestine.”
The event shed light on the human rights situation of young people and the serious violations they face in the occupied Western Sahara and Palestine.
The international conference, organized by prominent international organizations under the sponsorship of the South African Permanent Representation to the United Nations in Geneva, took place on the sidelines of the 61st session of the Human Rights Council. It highlighted the situation faced by youth in Western Sahara and Palestine, focusing on the multiple restrictions affecting their civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights, as well as the obstacles hindering their access to education, employment, and freedom of movement.
The event, moderated by the coordinator of the Working Group on Human Rights in Western Sahara, Yaqouta Moulay, featured impactful testimonies reflecting the situation of Sahrawi youth in the occupied part of Western Sahara. Among the speakers were Dr. Mohamed Hali, recipient of the Front Line Defenders International Award; Hassna Aba, Secretary of the Prisoners’ Protection League; as well as international activists from Norway, Spain, and Palestine.
The conference concluded with important recommendations calling for the protection of Sahrawi youth, respect for obligations under international human rights law, and increased pressure to ensure the Sahrawi people’s inalienable right to self-determination, in accordance with the principles and Charter of the United Nations.
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