Take Action for Human Rights Monitoring in Western Sahara
Recent tragic events in Western Sahara demonstrate the urgent need for human rights monitoring. MINURSO, the UN mission in Western Sahara, is the only contemporary UN peacekeeping mission in the world without a mandate to monitor human rights. In April the UN will address the renewal of MINURSO's mandate - we must ACT NOW to make sure that this time human rights monitoring is included!
Please write to the following before the end of February: (in order of priority)
• Your representative to the UN • Your Foreign Minister; for the UK this is Alistair Burt MP (If writing on behalf of an organisation. Individuals please write to your MP asking her/him to write on your behalf) • The Current President of the Security Council - Brazil - (Please request that your letter is circulated to all members of the Security Council) • UN Secretary General • UN High Commissioner for Human Rights • All Security Council members
Contact details below. Letters or faxes are best, but if you don’t have time please email. For most impact we will ask to write again in April.
Key points:
• The recent violence in Western Sahara and the lack of transparency surrounding the events demonstrates an urgent need for human rights monitoring in Western Sahara. • MINURSO remains the only contemporary peace-keeping mission without a mandate to monitor human rights. • The UN is failing in its responsibility to protect the victims of this conflict. • Human rights monitoring by MINURSO is essential to prevent further violence and instability. • Ask: What steps will they take to ensure that human rights monitoring is included in the MINURSO mandate?
UK Mission to the UN 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: +1(212) 745 9316 Email: uk@un.int
US Mission to the UN 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: +1(212) 415 4053 Email via online form: http://archive.usun.state.gov/Issues/Contact2.html
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 Fax:+1(212) 421.6889 Email: france@franceonu.org
China (President of the Security Council - March) 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 Fax: +1(212) 634 7626 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: +1(212)628-0252 E-mail: rusun@un.int
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: +1(212) 751 90 19 Tel: +1(212) 751 90 15 bihun@mfa.gov.ba
Brazil (President of the Security Council - February) 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: +1(212)3715716 Email: delbrasonu@delbrasonu.org
Columbia (April’s President) H.E. Mr. Nestor Osorio Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Permanent Representative of Colombia to the United Nations 140 East 57th Street, New York NY. 10022 Direct line: +1(212) 355-7223 nosorio@colombiaun.org General contact details Tel: +1(212) 355-7776 Fax: +1(212) 371-2813 colombia@colombiaun.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: +1(212) 689 5769 Tel: +1(212) 686-9720 gabon@un.int
Germany Ambassador Peter Wittig Permanent Representative of Germany to the United Nations The Permanent Mission of Germany to the United Nations 871 United Nations Plaza New York, NY 10017 Telephone +1 (212) 940 04 00 Telefax + 1(212) 940 04 02 E-mail: info@new-york-un.diplo.de
India H.E. Ambassador Hardeep Singh Puri Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations 235 East, 43rd Street, New York 10017. TEL: +1 212-490-9660 FAX:+1 212-490-9656 EMAIL: India@un.int, & ind_general@indiaun.net
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: +1(212) 838-2819 Email: ambassador@lebanonun.org
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 Telephone : +1(212)-953-9130 Fax +1(212) 697 1970 Email via online form: http://www.nigeriaunmission.org/index.php?option=com_contact&view=contact&id=2&Itemid=53
Portugal José Filipe Moraes Cabral Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Permanent Representative of Portugal to the United Nations 866 Second Avenue, 9th floor New York, NY 10017 Telefone: +1 212 759 9444 Fax:+1 212 355 1124 E-mail: portugal@un.int Assistant’s details Paula Caroça Phone: +1 212 759 9444 Ext. 902 Fax: +1 212 588 0217 pcaroca@missionofportugal.org
South Africa H. E. Ambassador Baso Sangqu Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Permanent Representative of South Africa to the United Nations 333 East 38th Street New York NY10016 Tel: +1(212) 213 5583 Fax: +1(212) 692 2498
Spain – Group of Friends 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 Tel.: +1(212) 661 1050 / 51 / 52 / 53 / 54 Fax: +1(212) 949 7247 Email via online form: http://www.spainun.org/pages/directorio.cfm
UN Secretary General The Honourable Ban Ki-Moon Secretary General 760 United Nations Plaza United Nations New York, NY 10017 Salutation: Secretary General
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Ms. Navanathem Pillay High Commissioner for Human Rights Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) Palais des Nations CH-1211 Geneva 10 Switzerland InfoDesk@ohchr.org Fax: +41 22 917 9011 Tel (41) 22 928 9555 Salutation: Ms Pillay
Africa's last colonySince 1975, three quarters of the Western Sahara territory has been illegally occupied by Morocco. The original population lives divided between those suffering human rights abuses under the Moroccan occupation and those living in exile in Algerian refugee camps. For more than 40 years, the Saharawi await the fulfilment of their legitimate right to self-determination.
Since 1975, three quarters of the Western Sahara territory has been illegally occupied by Morocco. The original population lives divided between those suffering human rights abuses under the Moroccan occupation and those living in exile in Algerian refugee camps. For more than 40 years, the Saharawi await the fulfilment of their legitimate right to self-determination.
