Geneva (UN Human Rights Council), September 10, 2026 (SPS) – Sahrawi activist Yaqouta Mokhtar affirmed on Tuesday, before the plenary session of the 63rd session of the UN Human Rights Council, that the human rights issue in Western Sahara concerns not only violations, but also the absence of a mechanism enabling the international community to see, verify, and work to prevent their recurrence.
In an oral intervention during the plenary session dedicated to commenting on the annual report of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the coordinator of the Sahrawi Observatory for Natural Resources and Environmental Protection said that independent access to the occupied Western Sahara has remained restricted for more than a decade for the UN Human Rights Office, UN special procedures, journalists, and international observers.
She stressed that the absence of independent monitoring does not mean the absence of violations. Rather, it means that victims are left in isolation, documenting facts becomes more difficult, and preventing violations becomes more complicated.
The Sahrawi activist expressed concern over the continued operation of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) without a human rights mandate, considering that this situation perpetuates a protection gap in a context where reports of arbitrary arrests, restrictions on peaceful assembly, and reprisals against those cooperating with UN mechanisms continue to emerge.
She affirmed that the continuation of this protection gap cannot be allowed to persist as though it were normal, calling on the Human Rights Council to treat it as an urgent matter requiring effective action.
Ms. Yaqouta stressed that independent monitoring is not political interference, but rather a tool for prevention, accountability, and the protection of civilians. She underscored the importance of enabling the relevant UN mechanisms to access the territory and carry out their duties independently.
In this context, she called on the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and its special procedures to guarantee immediate and unconditional access to occupied Western Sahara. She also called on the Human Rights Council to address the ongoing protection gap by establishing an independent and permanent mechanism to monitor human rights in the territory.
The Sahrawi activist concluded her intervention by stressing the need for the international community to be able to see and verify what is happening in Western Sahara, considering independent monitoring a foundation for prevention, accountability, and the protection of civilians.
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