Kerry Kennedy to lead human rights delegation

FLORENCE, ITALY – Kerry Kennedy, President of the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights (RFK Center), will lead a human rights delegation with distinguished international human rights advocates to Moroccan-controlled Western Sahara and to Sahrawi refugee camps in Algeria from August 24 to 31. The objective of the visit is to assess the human rights situation on the ground. Marialina Marcucci, president of the Florence based European section of the Foundation, will visit the territories too.

Since 1975 there is an ongoing conflict between the Kingdom of Morocco and the Polisario Front, a national movement committed to self-determination for the Sahrawi people. Because of the conflict, the Sahrawi people were divided in two, those living under Moroccan control and those living in refugee camps in Algeria. In 1991, the United Nations established a peacekeeping mission to oversee a cease-fire between the two parties and to conduct a referendum. After 21 years of its creation, the UN Mission for the Referendum of Western Sahara –MINURSO, has not been able to realize the referendum and does not have a human rights mandate, in spite of the concerns raised by the international community about human rights violations.

“Our delegation will seek to assess the human rights situation on the ground by speaking to human rights defenders, government authorities, and ordinary families split apart by this conflict,” said Kerry Kennedy. “We hope to raise attention to this issue and support the establishment of a human rights mandate for the UN Mission.”

Members of the delegation include: Mary Lawlor, Director, Front Line Defenders; Margarette May Macaulay, Judge of the Inter American Court of Human Rights; Eric Sottas, former Secretary-General, World Organization Against Torture; Maria del Río, Board of Trustees of the Jose Saramago Foundation; and Marialina Marcucci, President of the RFK Center – Europe. RFK Partners for Human Rights Director Santiago A. Canton, Advocacy Director Marselha Gonçalves Margerin, and Advocacy Associate Stephanie Postar will accompany the delegation. The RFK Center will prepare a report, including observations from delegation members, after the trip concludes.

The RFK Center has met with representatives of all parties to the conflict in Washington, D.C. and appreciates the cooperation received.