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Morocco Lands Diplomatic Victory As EU Excludes Western Sahara from Annual Human Rights Report

Morocco has for years spoken out against the biased and unjust inclusion of the Western Sahara as a separate entity in international human rights reports.


By Jihane Rahhou

March 6, 2024


Credits @FFHR.CZ



Rabat - The European Parliament has not mentioned Western Sahara in its annual report on human rights, marking the latest diplomatic win for Morocco and its territorial integrity. 


According to converging Spanish media reports, the Western Sahara’s exclusion from the latest annual report on Human Rights and Democracy in the World was made possible through cooperation between Moroccan diplomats and European politicians.


Spanish reports indicate that Moroccan ambassadors across Europe contacted EU politicians urging them to oppose an amendment proposed by two Spanish MEPs, Miguel Urban, and Manu Pineda, which would have seen Western Sahara mentioned in the report.

In a letter addressed by Morocco’s Ambassador in Copenhagen, Khadija Rouissi, to Danish Social Democrat MEPs, the Moroccan diplomats advocated for a balanced perspective, and urged them to oppose the baseless amendment. 


“I would like to express my unwavering confidence that you are advocating for a balanced perspective, opposing this baseless amendment that would do more harm than good, when the EU institutions and Morocco are developing substantial efforts to foster mutual trust and understanding,” the letter, quoted in Spanish media reports, reads.


Morocco has for years spoken out against the biased and unjust inclusion of the Western Sahara as a separate entity in international human rights reports. In January 2023, Morocco’s Ministerial Delegation in charge of Human Rights strongly rejected claims and accusations of human rights violations made against the country in the 2023 Human Rights Watch (HRW) report.


The Ministerial delegation highlighted the major strides Morocco has made in advancing human rights in the country and stressed Rabat’s willingness to engage constructively with non-governmental organizations.


In a statement, the Moroccan delegation took issue with HRW’s apparent anti-Moroccan bias, arguing that the section of the organization’s report dedicated to Morocco lacks neutrality, objectivity, and professionalism and belies its fixation on bringing the Moroccan authorities into disrepute. 


The Moroccan ministerial delegation explained that HRW’s latest report merely rehashes accusations from previous reports based on one-sided and outdated narratives promoted by biased third parties out to undermine Moroccan interests.


The reports showed Human Rights Watch’s inability to present a realistic picture of the human rights situation in Morocco, the delegation argued, accusing the international NGO of using its reports to settle political scores with Morocco.





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