Western Sahara
Western Sahara
Western Sahara has been the subject of a decades-long territorial dispute between Morocco and the Algerian-backed Polisario Front, having been arbitrarily partitioned between Morocco and Mauritania following the end of Spanish rule. Negotiations in 1991 and 2007 were both unsuccessful, and Western Sahara remains partially governed by Morocco.
Algeria continues to host approximately 100,000 refugees in Polisario camps, and a majority of camp administrators are women, although women are still imprisoned for adultery and are excluded from the highest ranking posts. Women have actively participated in the Polisario independence movement as both fighters and peaceful protesters, including acting as leaders in the National Union of Saharawi Women, which serves on the frontlines.
Based on the work of NGOWG members and their partners, the NGOWG advocates for including a human rights monitoring and reporting presence that encompasses gender considerations in the the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) mandate.
Current and Past Recommendations to the UN Security Council (Monthly Action Points)
Western Sahara (April 2011)
Particularly in light of the November 2010 attack on the El-Ayoun refugee camp and the continued detention of human rights’ defenders, the forthcoming mandate renewal and report for the UN mission in Western Sahara (MINURSO) should include a human rights monitoring mandate, which – unlike most other missions established under the authority of the Council – it currently does not have. The inclusion of such a human rights component to MINURSO would be a positive response to the concern expressed by Council members about the human rights situation in Western Sahara, and the Secretary-General’s reiteration of the UN commitment to human rights standards in Western Sahara (S/2009/200). The general deterioration of the human rights situation in Western Sahara has included the targeting of women’s human rights defenders, and a failure to include the full and equal participation of women in any efforts to achieve a peace agreement. Another issue of concern is denial of rights to women political prisoners, which is counter to international human rights and humanitarian law.
Relevant Resources
