UNSC to Hold Informational Meeting on Western Sahara on April 14
The United Nations Security Council is scheduled to conduct an informational meeting and closed consultations on April 14 to discuss the latest developments in Western Sahara, which has been under Moroccan occupation since 1975.
Expected speakers at this meeting include Alexander Ivanko, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Western Sahara and head of the United Nations Mission for the Organization of a Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO), as well as Staffan de Mistura, the UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy.
It is important to note that on October 31, 2024, the Security Council adopted Resolution 2756, extending MINURSO’s mandate for an additional year.
The primary objective of the UN Council is to achieve a fair, lasting, and mutually acceptable solution that allows for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara.
The human rights situation in Western Sahara remains a significant concern for members of the UN Security Council. In his most recent report on MINURSO, published on October 1, 2024, covering developments from the previous year, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed his “concern” over the “persistent” lack of access by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) to Western Sahara.
He lamented, “The OHCHR has been unable to access Western Sahara for the ninth consecutive year despite multiple official requests and notwithstanding Resolution 2703 (2023), in which the Security Council urges enhanced cooperation, particularly by facilitating such visits.”
