Truth forges ahead: investigation and advocacy regarding human rights violations in the Western Sahara, highlighting the specific situation of Sahrawi women

Objective

To drive and develop a human rights advocacy strategy in the Western Sahara based on research  along with the victims of human rights violations and specifically women, the dissemination of the findings, strengthening of the capabilities of Sahrawi human rights organisations and institutions, and their coordination.

Description

The project provides continuity to the processes to strengthen the Sahrawi organisations for international human rights research and advocacy. Special mention should be made of the envisaged activities, which will be conducted in occupied Western Sahara, the Sahrawi refugee camps in Tindouf (Algeria), the Basque Country, Madrid, Paris and Geneva:

• The Sahrawi civil organisations will prepare an Alternative Report addressed to the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) for the next Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of Morocco (2022).

• We will implement advocacy actions with human rights and political institutions of Spain, France and the BAC.

• We will present the Report on Human Rights Violations of Sahrawi Women Committed by Morocco to the HRC in Geneva and advocacy actions in Madrid and the BAC.

• We will organise the IV Training, Discussion and Coordination Encounter of Human Rights stakeholders of the RASD.

• We will mainstream, with the Sahrawi community residing in the Basque Country, the main findings of the research by Hegoa into human rights in the Western Sahara, with emphasis on highlighting the specific situation of Sahrawi women; mentoring will be provided to the Sahrawi victims.

Planned publications

• Report into human rights violations of Sahrawi women committed by Morocco in occupied Laâyoune (Western Sahara). 
• Summary of the Report on Women’s Human Rights.