A/HRC/20/26/Add.2 and building codes to this effect, although they do not seem to be effectively implemented. With the exception of the Rabat mediatheque, not a single building visited during the visit was designed or equipped to be accessible for wheelchairs or for persons with other forms of disabilities. It is therefore commendable that women with disabilities have established a handicraft centre and a shop in Marrakesh with the support of INDH. 68. There is no legislation mandating access to information and communications for persons with disabilities. The Independent Expert was informed about efforts to standardize sign language on television, and welcomes the recent introduction of a news bulletin with sign language on a national television channel. She encourages the Government to pursue its efforts, in partnership with civil society organizations. V. Cultural rights in Western Sahara 69. Pursuant to Security Council resolution 1979 (2011)34 and the report of the Secretary-General on the situation concerning Western Sahara (S/2011/249),35 the Independent Expert visited Dakhla in Western Sahara. She appreciates the Government’s role in facilitating access for the visit. The Independent Expert holds an independent position and this visit should not be interpreted as expressing any political view concerning the present or future status of the non-self-governed territory of Western Sahara. 70. The Independent Expert learned that a number of cultural festivals are organized to promote and preserve Saharo-Hassani art and culture. Four public libraries have been opened, including a library for children. To preserve tangible cultural heritage, information on the area with stones engraved with ancient runes was compiled and work undertaken to preserve manuscripts. A cultural club, a mediatheque, a museum, an institute of Hassani music and a centre for preserving Hassani culture have been established. Although the Hassani culture is primarily oral, the centre has collected 400 manuscripts of Hassani poetry. 71. The national educational delegation has set up units as part of the Club of Hassani Educational Research. The units rely on volunteers who, based on the traditional Hassani practice of education, deliver religious education in the desert. With regard to the existing education system, a concern was raised that Saharawis do not learn about their own culture and history, given that they are taught only the official history of Morocco. The Independent Expert recalls that this is not in keeping with article 29 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and article 5 of the UNESCO Declaration on Cultural Diversity. 72. The Independent Expert is also concerned about important obstacles to the enjoyment of the right to participate in cultural life in Western Sahara. In particular, land mines jeopardize Saharawis’ traditional desert-linked nomadic style of living and prevent local communities from organizing their leisure activities. In addition, victims of land mines find it difficult to obtain police reports for compensation. The Independent Expert was furthermore informed that international non-governmental organizations are not 34 35 In the resolution, the Security Council welcomed the commitment of Morocco to ensure unqualified and unimpeded access to all special procedures of the Human Rights Council. In the report, the Secretary-General referred to a letter from the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Morocco, in which the latter reported on new or strengthened human rights institutions that would be “more open” to dialogue and interaction with mechanisms of the Human Rights Council. The Minister also indicated that Morocco was “further open to the 33 mechanisms of the United Nations body” and that the new arrangements fully covered the human rights dimensions of the dispute over Western Sahara. 17