Open letter to UN from Geneva Group of NGOs supporting Saharawi human rights

Saharawis were alarmed to discover that the Moroccan ambassador to the UN, Omar Hilale, had been appointed by the UN to oversee human rights treaties. He will work jointly with the Swiss ambassador, Valentin Zellweger, on how to strengthen human rights treaty bodies of the United Nations.

The open letter from the NGOs Support Group for Human Rights in Geneva was made public on Friday 17 April protesting Hilale’s appointment.
It details why Omar Hilale is certainly not the right man for this job. Firstly a country which is occupying another country in violation of international law should not be entrusted with such work. Secondly, Morocco was found by a UN rapporteur to have imposed lengthy prison sentences on Saharawis based on “ “confessions” extracted under torture and has not investigated the claims as required to do.

16 April 2020 Open Letter to UNGA President

The Geneva support group for Saharawis’ human rights also issued a press release to mark International Day for the Right to the Truth concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of Victims. It includes the full list of AWSA co-signatories from 210 organisations belonging to the Geneva group.
Press release: 200324 PR Intl. Day Truth-Victims

March 24 – UN International Day for the Right to the Truth about Gross Violations of Human Rights and for the Dignity of the Victims

On this day the Australia Western Sahara Association honours the resilience of the people of Western Sahara in their peaceful struggle for self-determination and independence.  

AWSA has joined with the Geneva Support Group for the Protection and Promotion of Human Rights in Western Sahara in calling for United Nations processes for holding the referendum for self-determination be re-activated. Importantly, on this international day, the UN must commit to the monitoring of violations of human rights in the Occupied Territory of Western Sahara and reporting the truth about such abuses, including enforced disappearances.

News release issued 24 March 2020 by the Geneva Support Group

In Victoria the AWU and councils observe Western Sahara’s National Day

Western Sahara flag is raised at Richmond Town Hall

27 February 2020 was the 44th anniversary of the declaration of the Saharawi Republic.
The Australian Workers’ Union – Victorian Branch proudly observed Western Sahara’s National Day with the Saharawi flag raised high.

Western Sahara National Day was also marked on Thursday 27th Feb with the raising of the Saharawi flag at Richmond Town Hall, VIC.

Sydney AWSA raises the flag at Leichhardt Town Hall to commemorate Saharawi National Day on 27 February

Leichhardt Town Hall flag raising ceremony [Image: Bill Hawker, 2020]

Thursday 27 February marked the 44th anniversary of the declaration of the Saharawi Republic.

In recognition of this anniversary the flag of Western Sahara was raised in solidarity at Leichhardt Town Hall by Jamie Parker MP.

Also attending the flag-raising ceremony were Kamal Fadel (Polisario Representative Australia and New Zealand), Lesley Osborne (Secretary of the Australia Western Sahara Association, AWSA) and members of AWSA.

Aminatou Haidar announced as a Laureate in the 2019 Rights Livelihood Award

The Right Livelihood Award, widely known as the ‘Alternative Nobel Prize’, celebrates its 40th anniversary this year.
Press Release, Stockholm, 25 September 2019

The 2019 Award goes to Aminatou Haidar (Western Sahara), Guo Jianmei (China), Greta Thunberg (Sweden) and Davi Kopenawa / Hutukara Yanomami Association (Brazil).
The Laureates were announced in Stockholm, Sweden, on 25 September 2019 at a press conference at the International Press Centre at the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs.
Ole von Uexkull, Executive Director of the Right Livelihood Foundation, commented: “With the 2019 Right Livelihood Award, we honour four practical visionaries whose leadership has empowered millions of people to defend their inalienable rights and to strive for a liveable future for all on planet Earth.

Rights Livelihood Award announcement

BBC interview, Business Daily: The conflict mineral that feeds the world

Morocco dominates phosphate fertilisers thanks to its disputed control of Western Sahara
Matt Davies, BBC Sounds podcast: Business Daily.  31 Dec 2019

Matt Davies travels to Morocco to speak to Nada Elmajdoub, an executive at the national phosphate company OCP. He also hears from Mohamed Kamal Fadel, a spokesperson for the Polisario Front, which is bringing legal challenges against Morocco’s phosphate exports in its bid to win independence for Western Sahara; Professor Stuart White of the University of Technology Sydney questions the sustainability of the planet’s usage of mined phosphates to boost crop yields, plus Stephen Zunes, a professor of Middle East politics at the University of San Francisco, explains the history of the Western Sahara conflict and how Morocco gained the upper hand.

BBC Business Daily podcast

Tecber Ahmed Saleh’s tour of New Zealand October 2019

Tecber Ahmed Saleh in Auckland

New Zealand Press coverage, October 2019

Tecber Ahmed Saleh spoke at events in Auckland, Hamilton , Christchurch, Dunedin, Lower Hutt, and Wellington

Western Sahara delegate urges halt on phosphate imports, by Emma Hatton, RNZ, 16 October 2019

Western Sahara refugees in NZ to urge Government to ban imported phosphate, NZTV, 14 October 2019

Western Saharan activist aims to end phosphate trade, Gerard Hutching, Stuff, Oct 15 2019

24/10/19: ACFID Members Support Call for Independence of Western Sahara

Press release: ACFID Members Support Call for Independence of Western Sahara
24 Oct, 2019
Members of the Australian Council for International Development (ACFID) have backed a resolution at the Annual General Meeting to support the right of the Saharawi people to self-determination and independence.
ACFID’s members, Union Aid Abroad – APHEDA and ActionAid Australia, put forward the resolution at the AGM which was held during the ACFID National Conference in Sydney and received the support of the ACFID membership.

Press release
Text of resolution

Western Sahara refugees in NZ to urge Government to ban imported phosphate

1 NewsNow, 14 October 2019

Refugees from Western Sahara are encouraging the New Zealand Government to stop two New Zealand companies importing phosphate from disputed land.  NZ’s Ballance Agri-Nutrients’ spokesperson Mark Wynne told 1 NEWS, “I think it’s fine, there’s a United Nations framework in place for purchasing product out of disputed territories and we comply 100 per cent with that.” But human rights lawyer Craig Tuck strongly disagreed. (cont.)

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