The Norwegian representatives in Geneva today underlined the need for Morocco respecting that Saharawi organisations are allowed to formally register.
“We recommend that the procedures regarding registration of registration of civil society organizations, including for the organizations advocating for the Saharawi peoples right to self-determination, to be in conformity with international human right standards”, stated the Norwegian government in the UN Human Rights Council today, 22 May.
Several Saharawi civil society organisations have the last years been denied to register formally. This applies to among others the leading human rights networks CODESA and ASVDH.
The statement came in relation to Morocco's evaluation in the Human Rights Council's so-called UPR process, that is taking place every four years.
In a recent published decision of 1 April 2024, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention requested the immediate release of the young Saharawi journalist Khatri Dadda.
The occupying power Morocco, which sabotages the work of the UN Human Rights Council in occupied Western Sahara, has begun its first session after being elected to preside the Council.
Today, Morocco was elected to chair the UN Human Rights Council. The result generated strong reactions.
"The credibility of the UN system is at stake", says the Norwegian Support Committee about this week's election of a new presidency of the Human Rights Council. Norwegian organizations are critical of the candidacy.