The United Nations Security Council is set to vote on renewing the mandate of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO), as the conflict and human rights violations in the region continue to escalate. The draft resolution, which will extend MINURSO’s mandate for an additional year until October 31, 2024, is expected to be voted on Monday.
In preparation for the negotiations on MINURSO’s mandate renewal, Security Council members held consultations with Staffan de Mistura, the Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General for Western Sahara, and Alexander Ivanko, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Western Sahara and head of MINURSO. These consultations took place on October 16.
The United States, responsible for addressing the Sahrawi issue, presented an initial draft resolution on October 20 and subsequently conducted negotiations. Mozambique and Russia proposed some amendments, including the inclusion of new language emphasizing the importance of enabling the Sahrawi people to exercise their right to self-determination through a referendum.
The Security Council’s vote takes place amid an ongoing war between the Polisario Front and Morocco, which began after the Moroccan occupying army violated the ceasefire agreement in November 2020. The vote also comes at a time when human rights violations against the Sahrawi people are escalating.
A few days before the vote, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres presented his report on Western Sahara to the Security Council. In his report, he expressed deep concern over the worsening situation in the occupied territories and called for urgent action to prevent further escalation.
For Guterres, the continued hostilities and absence of a ceasefire between Morocco and the Polisario Front represent a significant setback in the search for a political solution to this long-standing conflict. He stressed the urgency of negotiating a political resolution, nearly five decades after the conflict began.
In terms of human rights, Guterres highlighted the lack of access for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) to the occupied Sahrawi territories. Despite multiple requests and Security Council Resolution 2654 (2022), which encourages enhanced cooperation and facilitates visits, the OHCHR has been unable to visit this non-self-governing territory for eight consecutive years.
As the Security Council prepares to vote on the renewal of MINURSO’s mandate, the international community will closely monitor the outcome and its potential impact on the conflict and human rights situation in Western Sahara. The resolution’s passage could provide renewed hope for progress and encourage further efforts towards a lasting and just resolution for the Sahrawi people.
