Alice Jill Edwards, United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment / DR ‹ › At the invitation of the Moroccan government, Alice Jill Edwards, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, will conduct an official visit to Morocco from March 23 to April 2, 2026, the UN Human Rights Council announced in a statement. As part of her itinerary, Edwards is scheduled to hold a meeting with representatives of Moroccan civil society in Rabat on March 27. She will then travel to Laayoune, where she is expected to meet with members of NGOs active in the Sahara region. During the visit, Edwards will meet with government officials, representatives of international organizations, including UN agencies, as well as civil society actors, NGOs, victims and their families, according to the statement. At the end of the mission, the Special Rapporteur will present her preliminary findings to the Moroccan authorities and hold a press conference to share her initial observations. A comprehensive report on the visit will later be submitted to the UN Human Rights Council in 2027. In preparation for the visit, Edwards has also contacted Moroccan NGOs to gather information on the state of freedoms in the country.
