Western Sahara and human rights

Concerns over security in west and north Africa are finally drawing attention to Western Sahara (UN chief warns of conflict 'timebomb', 10 April). This week's recognition by the UN secretary general of the "ever-pressing need for independent, impartial, comprehensive and sustained monitoring of the human rights situations in both Western Sahara and the camps", is the strongest statement on the territory by a secretary-general in years.

Despite repeated calls from international human rights organisations, Saharawi civil society and the UN's own Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the UN security council, under pressure from France and Morocco, has consistently refused to implement effective human rights monitoring in the territory. A paltry effort to introduce language on human rights in 2011 was little more than window dressing. The continued failure to enforce international law prolongs instability in the region, and the danger of radicalisation of the discontented can only be countered by action to demonstrate that human rights abuse is dealt with.

Previously, leaked text recommending human rights monitoring was cut from the secretary general's final report, but we hope its inclusion this year, following February's recommendation by UN special rapporteur on torture, Juan E Méndez, that "the entire region would benefit from a robust regional inter-governmental human rights monitoring mechanism", signals that the UN is finally taking its responsibility to Western Sahara seriously. Tom O'Bryan Western Sahara Action Forum, John Gurr Western Sahara Campaign UK, Mark Williams MP All Party Parliamentary Group on Western Sahara, Don Pepper Strategic Conflict Resolution Group

(2013-04-12/guardian)