UN Calls Western Sahara Talks “Encouraging,” Reaffirms Sahrawi People’s Right to Self-Determination
The United Nations described the discussions on Western Sahara held on 23–24 February in Washington as “encouraging,” while emphasizing that significant efforts remain necessary to reach a lasting solution to the conflict and ensure the Sahrawi people’s right to self-determination.
At a press briefing in New York, UN Secretary-General spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric noted that the exchanges took place “in close cooperation with the United States” and were conducted within the framework of Security Council Resolution 2797. “The negotiations involved in-depth discussions, in accordance with Security Council Resolution 2797,” Dujarric added.
While describing the resumption of contacts as “encouraging,” Dujarric stressed that “much work remains to be done,” particularly regarding the key issue of the Sahrawi people’s self-determination, in order to reach a mutually acceptable solution to the conflict.
The discussions were co-chaired by the UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy for Western Sahara, Staffan de Mistura, alongside the US Ambassador to the UN, Michael Waltz, and the US Special Envoy for Africa, Massad Boulos.
This cycle marks the third round of talks since the start of the year. A previous meeting was held in early February in Madrid, with the participation of the two conflict parties, the Polisario Front and Morocco, as well as the two observer countries, Algeria and Mauritania.
