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8246th Security Council Meeting: Situation Concerning Western Sahara
The Security Council today extended the mandate of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) until 31 October 2018, calling for a “realistic, practicable and enduring” political solution to end the decades‑old conflict.
By a vote of 12 in favour to 0 against, with 3 abstentions (China, Ethiopia, Russian Federation), the Council adopted resolution 2414 (2018), calling on parties to resume negotiations under the auspices of the Secretary‑General without preconditions and in good faith, and on neighbouring States to “increase their engagement in the negotiating process”. Emphasizing the importance of a “renewed commitment” by the parties to advance the political process in preparation for a fifth round of negotiations, the Council called on parties to work in an atmosphere “propitious for dialogue”.
In that context, the Council affirmed its full support for the Secretary‑General and Personal Envoy to relaunch negotiations with “a new dynamic and a new spirit” with the aim of reaching a mutually acceptable political solution that would provide for the self‑determination of the people of Western Sahara.
The Council requested the Secretary‑General to brief on a regular basis — and at any time during the mandate period — on the status and progress of the negotiations, as well as on challenges to MINURSO’s operations and steps taken to address them.
The Council also called for the Polisario Front’s immediate withdrawal from the buffer strip in Guerguerat, expressing concern over its planned relocation of administrative functions to Bir Lahlou, and calling on it to refrain from any such destabilizing actions.
After the vote, the representatives of China, Ethiopia and the Russian Federation said various suggestions to make the resolution more balanced had not been taken into consideration by the penholder. “We were ready to engage in real negotiation to reach the desired consensus on the draft, but were not given the chance to do so,” Ethiopia’s delegate stressed.
Echoing that point, Sweden’s representative said that if some suggestions had been considered, the Council might have reached consensus. He also pointed out that new elements added to the text lacked sufficient balance and failed to fully reflect the situation on the ground.
Also speaking today were the representatives of the United States, France, United Kingdom, Kuwait, Equatorial Guinea, Kazakhstan, Bolivia, Côte d’Ivoire, Netherlands, Poland and Peru.
The meeting began at 3:06 p.m. and ended at 3:48 p.m.
