The 58th session of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC), currently underway in Geneva until April 4, featured the presentation of two statements on the Western Sahara issue. Speaking on behalf of a group of around 40 countries, Yemeni Ambassador Saeed Majawar reaffirmed Morocco's sovereignty over the Sahara and supported the autonomy plan proposed by the Kingdom in 2007 as a solution to the regional dispute, according to MAP. «Morocco has long engaged in constructive, voluntary, and in-depth cooperation with the United Nations human rights system, particularly with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), to promote and uphold human rights across its territory», the Yemeni diplomat stated in a speech before HRC. He also welcomed the opening of consulates by several countries in the cities of Dakhla and Laayoune. In response, the Polisario Front and its allies issued a counter-statement, read by the Tanzanian ambassador, urging the UN to ensure «self-determination for the Sahrawi people» and to «end Morocco's occupation«of the territory, as reported by the SPS agency. The Tanzanian diplomat also welcomed the October 4, 2024, ruling by the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), which excluded Western Sahara from the agricultural and fisheries agreements between the EU and Morocco. Further exchanges between Morocco's allies and those of the Polisario are expected in the coming days in Geneva.
