The Security Council today voted to extend by an additional year the mandate of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO), emphasizing the need to reach a political solution based on compromise and the importance of aligning MINURSO’s strategic focus and UN resources toward that end.
Authorizing the Mission’s continued operations until 31 October 2025, the 15-member organ adopted resolution 2756 (2024) (to be issued as document S/RES/2756) with 12 votes in favour, zero against and two abstentions (Russian Federation and Mozambique). One State, however, did not participate in the vote.
Through the text, the Council called upon the parties to negotiate under the Secretary-General’s auspices without preconditions and in good faith, encouraging the continuation of consultations between his Personal Envoy and Morocco, Frente Popular para la Liberación de Saguía el-Hamra y de Río de Oro (Frente POLISARIO), Algeria and Mauritania to build on progress achieved. It reaffirmed its commitment to assist the parties to achieve a just, lasting and mutually acceptable political solution, based on compromise which will provide for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara.
By other terms, it called on the Secretary-General to apply to MINURSO the comprehensive and integrated UN peacekeeping performance policy framework set out in resolution 2436 (2018) and for the safe and regular resupply of MINURSO team sites to ensure the sustainability of the Mission’s presence.
It also strongly urged enhancing cooperation with the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), including through facilitating visits to the region, and strongly urged Member States to provide new and additional contributions to fund food programmes to ensure the refugees’ humanitarian needs are adequately met.
Algeria’s speaker says its positions were ‘deliberately ignored’
Algeria’s representative, whose country had earlier proposed two amendments to the resolution, said his delegation did not participate in the vote because of “the attitude of the penholder”. His country’s views and positions, despite having been “well-founded” in consonance with the Council’s processes, were “deliberately ignored”. He regretted that the penholder did not demonstrate objectivity or impartiality, but circulated a text that did not “at all” contain elements of prior agreements. “The vote on this resolution changes nothing on the fundamental crux of this issue,” he said. Algeria believes that the right to the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara belongs only to the Saharawi people, and as such will “strive to speak out” on all matters thereon.
Members reject two amendments to resolution
Presenting the proposed amendments before the vote, both of which were not adopted, he said his delegation “has been forced to submit to you these two amendments quite simply because the penholder decided to impose its own draft resolution, and to put it in blue yesterday at 5:30 p.m.”. The Council risks being accused of double standards to the detriment of the people of Western Sahara. “It is the legitimacy of the Council on the subject of human rights that is in question here,” he added. By denying the people of Western Sahara the legal protection that is guaranteed for them under international law, “we will have lost a great deal of his Council’s legitimacy,” he said.
On the first amendment to insert a new paragraph after preambular paragraph 19, the Council voted six in favour (Algeria, China, Guyana, Mozambique, Slovenia, Switzerland) to zero against, with nine abstaining (Ecuador, Japan, France, Malta, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, Sierra Leone, United Kingdom, United States).
Similarly, the second amendment which sought to insert a new paragraph after operative paragraph 13, saw five members (Algeria, China, Guyana, Mozambique, Slovenia) voting in favour, none against and 10 abstaining.
Mozambique’s delegate, who voted in favour of the amendments, said he did so because they were consistent with previous Council decisions and valid on their own merit, because they relate to human rights. “The resolution in its current form, without the Algerian amendments will not assist the parties in achieving a just, lasting and mutually acceptable political solution,” he said. On the contrary, it entrenches the trend of a gradual departure from the Mission’s original mandate.
The representative of the Russian Federation, who abstained on the both the United States-prepared draft resolution and on Algeria’s proposed amendments, stressed: “The resolution, in our opinion, does not reflect the real situation on the ground and is hardly going to help facilitate achieve a mutually acceptable solution to the conflict.” A series of proposals and suggested additions to the texts made by his Government and other delegations were ignored. “Our request to clearly delineate in the text of the document the two sides of the conflict, Morocco and the Polisario Front, was also not given necessary attention,” he said, adding: “American penholders have once again forced us to think seriously about whether they are able to act as an impartial participant in the discussions on the subject of Western Sahara.”
Delegates support MINURSO’s critical role in maintaining regional stability
Several members saw renewing MINURSO’s mandate as key to the region’s well-being. “We think this is critical to maintaining stability in the area,” Ecuador’s delegate said. Recalling that his country was part of the Security Council in April 1991 when the Mission was established, he hoped that by the next time Ecuador takes up membership, both parties would act towards each other with political will, good faith and the support of the international community.
Adding to that, the speaker for Sierra Leone urged all parties to the conflict to return to a ceasefire without delay and resume round-table engagements. Further, MINURSO’s operational activities should be continually expanded through increased ground patrols and the resumption of full demining operations east of the Berm for the first time since 2019. Highlighting the international momentum for the Moroccan Autonomy Initiative, he urged an exploration of “this option”.
Also calling for a cessation of hostilities and a return to a ceasefire, France’s speaker said: “the low-intensity hostilities should not make us forget the risks that this conflict poses to the stability of the region and to the local populations.” He welcomed the resumption of refuelling operations at its observation sites east of the Berm, underscoring the importance of respecting MINURSO’s freedom of movement. He added that his delegation did not vote on Algeria’s proposed amendment because it believes that the mandate in its current form is adapted to the situation in Western Sahara.
The representative of the United States said it is more urgent than ever to reach a political solution for Western Sahara and that Council members should lend all possible support for a solution that is just, lasting and mutually acceptable. “The people of Western Sahara and the region are counting on us,” he said. “Today is an important step, which now should be reflected in urgent action consistent with the resolution we just adopted.”
“This resolution reaffirms the Council's commitment to assisting the parties in achieving a just, lasting and mutually acceptable political solution based on compromise,” added the United Kingdom’s representative. Slovenia’s representative echoed that sentiment, noting that he also voted in favour of the amendments presented by Algeria because “we believe that as a cross-cutting matter, UN Missions are strengthened by having human rights responsibilities”. This benefits the local population and contributes to a more sustainable peace.
Rounding out the meeting, Switzerland’s speaker, in her capacity as Council President for October, said it is “absolutely critical” to support a consensus that “can allow this mandate to be discharged”. Her delegation voted on the amendment stating that OHCHR didn’t get to the region for the ninth consecutive year, she said, adding that her country is “strongly attached to the protection of human rights in all contexts,” including Western Sahara. Because the Mission’s mandate provides strong support to the work of the Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy and Special Representative for a fair, mutually acceptable political solution, her delegation abstained on the second amendment to ensure continuity for the Mission’s work.
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https://press.un.org/en/2024/sc15882.doc.htm
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