Western Sahara: Human rights monitoring must be incorporated within MINURSO’s mandate

Source: 
The Western Sahara Campaign

MINURSO, the UN mission in Western Sahara, is the only contemporary UN peacekeeping mission in the world without a mandate to monitor human rights. The Western Sahara Campaign writes, "We are very disappointed that last week the Secretary General failed to expressly recommend human rights monitoring. See our press release here. But there is still time to influence the decision-makers: the members of the Security Council and the “Group of Friends” (including Spain). We need your help to pressure your national delegations as a matter of urgency! The Security Council consultation starts this Thursday! (15th April)"

Take Action!

Make sure your country supports human rights monitoring
1. Contact your Foreign Minister and ask your MP to do  the same
        • Explain the human rights abuses against those who peacefully oppose the  
          Moroccan occupation.
        • State that MINURSO is the only contemporary peacekeeping Mission
          without a mandate to monitor human rights and;
        • If your country is a member of the UN Security Council or the Group of
          Friends: call on your country to insist that human rights monitoring is
          incorporated within MINURSO’s mandate.
        • If your country is not a member of the Security Council: ask that
          your country makes a public statement calling for human rights monitoring.

2. Contact your national delegation to the UN
   • Please write/email/fax your national delegation to the UN on the above points

If you could please send any copies of letters and responses to coordinator@wsahara.org.uk

The UN Security Council
Permanent members of the UN Security Council are: China, France, Russian Federation, UK and US.

Non-permanent members: Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Gabon, Japan, Lebanon, Mexico, Nigeria, Turkey and Uganda.

UN Group of Friends
France, Russian Federation, Spain, UK, US.


Contact details for all UN missions of Security Council and Group of Friends members

UK
H.E. Sir Mark Lyall Grant
Permanent Representative of the UK to the United Nations
UK Mission to the UN
One Dag Hammarskjold Plaza
885 Second Avenue
New York, NY 10017
USA
Fax: (212) 745 9316

US
H.E. Ms Susan E. Rice
Permanent U.S. Representative to the United Nations
United States Mission to the United Nations
140 East 45th Street
New York, N.Y. 10017
USA
Fax: (212) 415 4053

France
H.E. Mr Gérard Araud
Permanent Representative of France to the United Nations
Permanent Mission of France to the United Nations
245 East 47th Street 44th floor
New York, N.Y. 10017
USA
Email: france@franceonu.org

Spain
H.E. Mr. Juan Antonio YÁÑEZ-BARNUEVO
Permanent Representative of Spain to the United Nations
Permanent Mission of Spain to the United Nations
One Dag Hammarskjöld Plaza, 36th Floor
New York, NY 10017
USA

China
H.E. Mr. Zhang Yesui
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Permanent Representative of the People's Republic of China to the United Nations
Permanent Mission of China to the United Nations
350 East 35th Street
New York, NY 10016
USA
E-mail: ChinaMissionUN@Gmail.com

Russian Federation
H.E. Mr Vitaly Churkin
Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the United Nations
Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the United Nations
136 East 67 Street
New York, NY 10065
USA
Fax:(212)628-0252                                                                                              E-mail: rusun@un.int

Austria
H.E. Mr Thomas Mayr-Harting
Permanent Representative of Austria to the United Nations
Austrian Mission to the United Nations
600 Third Avenue, 31st Floor
New York, NY 10016
USA
Fax: (212) 94 91 840

Bosnia and Herzegovina
H.E. Mr Ivan Barbalic
Permanent Representative of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the United Nations
Permanent Mission of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the United Nations
420 Lexington Avenue
Suites 607 & 608
New York, NY 10170
USA
Fax: (212) 751 90 19

Brazil
H.E. Mrs Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti
Permanent Representative of Brazil to the United Nations
Permanent Mission of Brazil to the United Nations
747 Third Avenue, 9th Floor
New York, NY
USA
Fax:(212)3715716                                                                                               Email: delbrasonu@delbrasonu.org  

Gabon
S.E.M. Denis Dangue Rewaka
Ambassadeur Extraordinaire et Plenipotentiaire, Representant Permanent
Mission permanente du Gabon auprés des Nations Unies
18 East 41st Street, 9th Floor
New York, NY 10017
USA
Fax: (212) 689 5769

Japan
H.E. Mr Yukio Takasu
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Permanent Representative of Japan to the United Nations
The Permanent Mission of Japan to the United Nations
866 U.N. Plaza, 2nd Floor
New York, NY 10017
USA
E-mail: japan.mission@un-japan.org

Lebanon
H.E. Dr. Nawaf Salam
Permanent Representative of Lebanon to the United Nations
The Permanent Mission of Lebanon to the United Nations in New York
866 United Nations Plaza, Suite 531-533
New York, NY 10017
USA
Fax: (212) 838-2819
Email: ambassador@lebanonun.org

Mexico
H.E. Mr Claude Heller
Permanent Representative of Mexico to the United Nations
Permanent Mission of Mexico to the United Nations
Two United Nations Plaza, 28th Floor
New York, NY 10017
USA
Fax (212) 688.8862
E-Mail: mexico@un.int

Nigeria
H.E. Mrs U. Joy Ogwu OFR
Permanent Representative of Nigeria to the United Nations
Permanent Mission of Nigeria to the United Nations
828 Second Ave
New York, NY 10017
USA
Fax (212) 697 1970

Turkey
H.E. Mr Ertuğrul Apakan
Permanent Representative of Turkey to the United Nations
Permanent Mission of Turkey to the United Nations
821 UN Plaza
New York, NY 10017
USA
Email: turkey@un.int

Uganda
H.E. Dr Ruhakana Rugunda
Permanent Representative of Uganda to the United Nations
Permanent Mission of Uganda to the United Nations
336 East 45 Street
New York, NY 10017
USA
Email: ugandaunny@un.int


Further information

Western Sahara Campaign UK, MINURSO and Human Rights Briefing

Amnesty International, UNSC members should support independent human rights monitoring in Western Sahara and the Tindouf camps, 28 April 2009

Human Rights Watch, Letter to the UNSC urging human rights monitoring in Western Sahara 17 April 2009