Speaking Tuesday at the 45th session of the UNHCR Standing Committee, held on June 23-25, Moroccan Ambassador in Geneva UN office, Omar Hilale, said: "we will continue to seek international protection for these populations, a protection that should hold the host country accountable for violating human rights," reported by several international NGOs, such as Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, France-Libertés.

   Hilale recalled, in this regard, that HRW had underlined that Algeria discharges itself from its international responsibilities in these camps, located on its territory, in favor of the Polisario. This, he said, goes against the international humanitarian law, because the Polisario is not accountable at the international level.

   He said that the north African country shares the view of the HCR and other donor countries, which keep on calling for taking a census and registering the populations held against their will in the Tindouf camps, southwestern Algeria.

   The Kingdom is still waiting for the High Commissioner’s report on the reasons hindering a census of these population and will be grateful for any piece of information and explanation that the UN body would provide either to Morocco or to the international community on the obstructionist attitude of the host country, Algeria, he added.

   Hilale, who hailed the decline in the total number of refugees in the world in 2008, said that the international community held a permanent responsibility towards the refugees and it is called for making more efforts, through the HCR, to find for them sustainable solutions.

   Morocco, he said, remains aware of the complexity of the task of protection in the world. It considers, however, that the status quo is not and can neither be a solution nor an alternative.

Source: MAP
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