The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted on 10 December 1948 and is commemorated annually as International Human Rights Day. On this occasion, ADALA UK takes this opportunity to draw attention to the ongoing and grave human rights situation in the occupied territory of Western Sahara, where the Moroccan occupation continues to violate international law and fundamental human rights.

For more than 50 years, the Moroccan occupation has had a profound and far-reaching impact on the Sahrawi people, regardless of age or gender. ADALA UK affirms that the prolonged occupation has resulted in systematic violations of the civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights of the Sahrawi population, both in the occupied territories and among Sahrawi refugees.

The occupation has a direct and destructive effect on the daily lives of Sahrawi civilians living under Moroccan control, as well as on Sahrawi refugees. Human rights violations are carried out on a regular basis, including arbitrary restrictions on movement, extensive surveillance, harassment, arrests and imprisonment. The Moroccan military wall that divides Western Sahara severely limits freedom of movement and separates Sahrawi families, preventing them from freely entering or leaving the occupied territories or accessing the Sahrawi refugee camps.

ADALA UK further notes that the construction of settlements for Moroccan settlers, alongside the marginalisation of the indigenous Sahrawi population, represents a serious breach of international humanitarian and human rights law. These practices contribute to forced displacement, social and economic exclusion, and the erosion of the Sahrawi people’s cultural identity.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights guarantees fundamental civil and political rights, including the right to life, liberty, privacy, and freedom of expression, as well as economic, social and cultural rights such as the right to health and adequate housing. Despite these protections, the Moroccan authorities continue to deny the Sahrawi people their most fundamental right: the right to self-determination, as recognised by the United Nations and international law, and for which a United Nations mission remains deployed in the territory.

In addition, ADALA UK highlights the systematic violations of freedom of expression, cultural rights, and the right to health, as well as the denial of the right to adequate housing, as Sahrawis are prevented from accessing land to build homes. Sahrawi civilians are subjected to constant threats of forced displacement, political repression, poverty, arbitrary detention, and unfair trials.

International Human Rights Day serves as a vital reminder that declarations and international conventions are not sufficient on their own. Effective action by the international community is urgently needed to ensure respect for international law and the implementation of United Nations resolutions. Morocco has occupied Western Sahara since 1975 in clear violation of international legality and continues to breach international law without facing accountability or sanctions.

ADALA UK therefore calls upon the international community and the United Nations to uphold their responsibilities to protect human rights in Western Sahara, with particular emphasis on the inalienable right of the Sahrawi people to self-determination. ADALA UK further urges the Moroccan authorities to respect freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly, and to guarantee civil and political rights so that individuals can exercise their freedoms without fear of violence, arbitrary detention, or threats to their physical integrity and liberty.

ADALA UK reaffirms its commitment to justice, accountability and the defence of human rights, and stands in solidarity with the Sahrawi people in their pursuit of dignity, freedom and self-determination in accordance with international law.

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