Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 22 April to Question 42840 on Western Sahara: Human Rights, what discussions he has had with the Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary General on Western Sahara on the adequacy of the number investigations undertaken by the Moroccan National Human Rights Council following allegations of human rights abuses in Western Sahara since 2015.

The UK is committed to the promotion and protection of human rights worldwide, including in Morocco and Western Sahara, and consistently urges all states to uphold international law and international human rights standards, avoiding any action that may endanger human life. The UK engages regularly with Staffan de Mistura, Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary General for Western Sahara, most recently at senior official level on 1 April. The Minister for Africa last met with him in September 2024.