The Global Observatory issued a warning on 26 October regarding a draft resolution concerning the mandate of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO). Officials from the organization expressed concerns about the text, which was submitted by the United States. This draft resolution outlines the operational framework for MINURSO in the region. The Global Observatory released its advisory following the submission of the document by the United States to the United Nations Security Council. The proposed resolution addresses the ongoing mission mandate in Western Sahara. Representatives from the Global Observatory stated that the specific language contained within the draft warrants careful review. The United Nations Security Council is currently evaluating the proposal submitted by the United States.
Risks to Political Framework
The Global Observatory claims the draft resolution submitted by the United States risks steering the United Nations Security Council toward a pre-determined political framework that favors the Moroccan plan. Representatives from the organization suggest that such a shift could alter the established trajectory for resolving the status of the territory.
United Nations Security Council Resolution 690, adopted in 1991, established the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) to assist in organizing a referendum for the Sahrawi people to exercise their right to self-determination. This mandate was designed to provide a mechanism for the population to decide their future through a formal vote. The Global Observatory notes that the new proposal from the United States moves away from the parameters set by the initial 1991 resolution.
Western Sahara remains on the United Nations list of Non-Self-Governing Territories. This status requires the United Nations to oversee the process of decolonization for the region. The Global Observatory argues that the current draft resolution submitted to the United Nations Security Council ignores this classification by promoting a specific outcome rather than a neutral referendum process. Officials from the organization maintain that the inclusion of language favoring a particular political framework undermines the standing of the territory under international supervision. The United Nations Security Council continues to evaluate the proposed language as part of its deliberations on the extension of the MINURSO mandate.
