To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the joint communication issued by the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders, the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression, the Special Rapporteur on Torture and the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention addressed to Morocco, expressing serious concerns about the human rights' violations committed against the Sahrawi people in the occupied territories of Western Sahara; and if he will make a statement.
Answered on
28 May 2021
Human rights is a UK priority around the world and we raise human rights issues with Morocco accordingly. The UK regards the status of Western Sahara as undetermined. We have consistently supported language in the relevant UN Security Council Resolutions which encourages the parties to continue their efforts to enhance the promotion and protection of human rights in Western Sahara.