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STORY: UN / WESTERN SAHARA
TRT: 03:54
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: RUSSIAN / ENGLISH / FRENCH / NATS
DATELINE: 31 OCTOBER 2025, NEW YORK CITY / FILE
FILE - NEW YORK CITY
1. Wide shot, exterior, United Nations
31 OCTOBER 2025, NEW YORK CITY
2. Wide shot, Security Council
3. SOUNDBITE (Russian) Vasily Nebenzya, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Russian Federation:
“Will those in favour of the draft resolution contained in document S/2025/692, please raise their hand… Those against? Abstentions?”
4. Various shots, delegates voting
5. SOUNDBITE (Russian) Vasily Nebenzya, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Russian Federation:
“We have 11 votes in favour, 0 votes against, and 3 abstentions. 1 member of the Council did not participate in the voting. The draft resolution has been adopted as resolution 2797 of 2025.”
6. Wide shot, Security Council
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Mike Waltz, Representative to the United Nations, United States:
“We urge all parties to use the coming weeks to come to the table and engage in serious discussions using Morocco’s credible and realistic Autonomy Proposal as the only basis for a just and lasting solution to the dispute.”
8. Wide shot, Security Council
9. SOUNDBITE (French) Amar Bendjama, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Algeria:
“By this absence, and in full responsibility, Algeria wished to illustrate the distance that we put between and a text that does not faithfully reflect, does not sufficiently reflect the UN doctrine with regard to decolonization.”
10. Wide shot, Security Council
11. Wide shot, ambassadors walking to stakeout
12. SOUNDBITE (English) Marthinus van Schalkwyk, Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations, South Africa:
“The issue of Western Sahara is both a peace and security matter and a matter of decolonization. Therefore, it can only be resolved through direct talks between Morocco and the Polisario front. It cannot be resolved through a non-inclusive peace process with preconditions for negotiations, such as using Morocco's proposal as the only framework to negotiate a mutually acceptable solution.”
13. Close up, camera operator
14. SOUNDBITE (English) Marthinus van Schalkwyk, Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations, South Africa:
“Through MINURSO, the United Nations must take urgent steps towards holding this long-promised referendum on self-determination, so that the Sahrawi people can determine their own destiny.”
15. Wide shot, ambassadors at stakeout
16. SOUNDBITE (English) Sidi Omar, Representative, Frente Polisario:
“Today's resolution does not imply any recognition of Morocco sovereignty over Western Sahara, in other words, and in plain English, it does not imply recognition of Morocco's illegal military occupation of Western Sahara.”
17. Wide shot, ambassadors at stakeout
18. SOUNDBITE (English) Sidi Omar, Representative, Frente Polisario:
“The message is very clear: today by the Security Council that the way forward is a solution that's mutually acceptable to both the Frente Polisario and Morocco, the occupying state, and which necessarily provides for the self determination of the people of Western Sahara. So, the story is not over. Will never be over, until the Saharawi people have been able to exercise it freely and democratically their right to self-determination and independence.”
19. Pan right, ambassadors leaving stakeout
The Security Council adopted today (31 Oct) a draft resolution renewing the mandate of the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) for one year, until 31 October 2026.
The draft text was authored by the US, the penholder on the file.
Addressing the Council after the vote, Mike Waltz, US Representative to the United Nations, urged “all parties to use the coming weeks to come to the table and engage in serious discussions using Morocco’s credible and realistic Autonomy Proposal as the only basis for a just and lasting solution to the dispute.”
Algeria did not participate at the vote and “By this absence, and in full responsibility,” Algerian Ambassador Amar Bendjama explained, “Algeria wished to illustrate the distance that we put between and a text that does not faithfully reflect, does not sufficiently reflect the UN doctrine with regard to decolonization.”
Briefing the media after the Council, Marthinus van Schalkwyk, Deputy Permanent Representative of South Africa to the United Nations said, “The issue of Western Sahara is both a peace and security matter and a matter of decolonization. Therefore, it can only be resolved through direct talks between Morocco and the Polisario front. It cannot be resolved through a non-inclusive peace process with preconditions for negotiations, such as using Morocco's proposal as the only framework to negotiate a mutually acceptable solution.”
He also said, “Through MINURSO, the United Nations must take urgent steps towards holding this long-promised referendum on self-determination, so that the Sahrawi people can determine their own destiny.”
Also addressing the press, Sidi Omar, Frente Polisario Representative stated, “Today's resolution does not imply any recognition of Morocco sovereignty over Western Sahara, in other words, and in plain English, it does not imply recognition of Morocco's illegal military occupation of Western Sahara.”
He also said, “The message is very clear: today by the Security Council that the way forward is a solution that's mutually acceptable to both the Frente Polisario and Morocco, the occupying state, and which necessarily provides for the self determination of the people of Western Sahara. So, the story is not over. Will never be over, until the Saharawi people have been able to exercise it freely and democratically their right to self-determination and independence.”
