The United Nations Security Council on Saturday adopted Resolution 2797 (2025), renewing the mandate of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) for one year until October 31, 2026.
The 15-member Council voted 11 in favour, with three abstentions from China, Pakistan, and Russia. Algeria did not participate.
The resolution references Morocco’s 2007 Autonomy Proposal as the basis for negotiations, which envisions Western Sahara as self-governing under Moroccan sovereignty. Council members expressed support for the Secretary-General and his Personal Envoy in facilitating discussions, urging all parties to engage without preconditions to achieve a “just, lasting, and mutually acceptable solution.”
Historic Vote, Divergent Positions
The United States, which drafted the resolution, called the vote historic, emphasizing that it creates momentum for “a long, long overdue peace in Western Sahara.” U.S. officials underscored the importance of using Morocco’s autonomy plan as “the only basis for a just and lasting solution.”
Several Council members abstained, citing concerns over balance and adherence to UN decolonization principles. Algeria criticized the resolution for prioritizing Moroccan territorial ambitions while overlooking the aspirations of the Frente POLISARIO, the Sahrawi liberation movement. Russia and China abstained, noting that the text did not fully reflect all Council members’ concerns. Pakistan expressed that the resolution insufficiently addressed the Sahrawi people’s right to self-determination.
Supporters Emphasize Negotiation and Feasibility
Several countries, including France, the United Kingdom, Panama, Slovenia, Denmark, Greece, and Sierra Leone, welcomed the resolution and highlighted Morocco’s autonomy plan as a credible, flexible, and structured basis for negotiations. Delegates stressed that the resolution does not prejudge the outcome and called for good-faith engagement between Morocco, Frente POLISARIO, and neighbouring states under UN supervision.
Denmark clarified that supporting the autonomy plan does not equate to recognizing Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara. Other supporters emphasized that the goal remains a mutually acceptable political solution, respecting the principle of self-determination.
MINURSO’s Continuing Role
Established in 1991 following a UN-Organization of African Unity settlement, MINURSO’s original mandate included organizing a referendum on Western Sahara’s future — which has yet to occur. The mission continues to oversee ceasefire agreements and facilitate dialogue. The Security Council requested a strategic review within six months to assess MINURSO’s future role, based on the progress of negotiations.
While the resolution reflects broad international support for restarting negotiations, it also exposes the complex geopolitical divides surrounding Western Sahara, highlighting the ongoing tension between territorial claims, Sahrawi self-determination, and regional diplomacy.
U.S. and Ukrainian negotiators have discussed an ambitious goal of reaching a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine by March, though the timeline...
At least 31 killed, scores wounded in suicide attack on religious site in Islamabad....
Lebanese Army Commander Gen. Rodolphe Haykal met with senior U.S. officials in Washington, D.C., this week to discuss strengthening military and secur...
Escalating clashes in South Kivu’s highlands are sending a rising flow of wounded to Fizi’s small general hospital, where staff warn they are runn...
Storm Leonardo has swept across the Iberian Peninsula, causing widespread flooding, landslides and transport disruption in Portugal and Spain, leaving...
U.S. and Ukrainian negotiators have discussed an ambitious goal of reaching a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine by March, though the timeline is widely viewed as unrealistic due to deep disagreements over territory, according to multiple sources familiar with the talks.
At least 31 killed, scores wounded in suicide attack on religious site in Islamabad.
Lebanese Army Commander Gen. Rodolphe Haykal met with senior U.S. officials in Washington, D.C., this week to discuss strengthening military and security cooperation, regional developments and the challenges facing Lebanon, the Lebanese army said on Friday.
Storm Leonardo has swept across the Iberian Peninsula, causing widespread flooding, landslides and transport disruption in Portugal and Spain, leaving at least one person dead and forcing thousands to evacuate as authorities issued urgent warnings.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has deployed one of its largest ballistic missiles at a newly unveiled underground base on Wednesday (3 February), just two days ahead of mediated nuclear talks with the United States in Muscat, Oman.
Winter weather has brought air travel in the German capital to a complete halt, stranding thousands of passengers as severe icing conditions make runways and aircraft unsafe for operation and force authorities to shut down one of Europe’s key transport hubs.
Storm Leonardo has swept across the Iberian Peninsula, causing widespread flooding, landslides and transport disruption in Portugal and Spain, leaving at least one person dead and forcing thousands to evacuate as authorities issued urgent warnings.
Israeli tank shelling and airstrikes killed 24 Palestinians including seven children in Gaza on Wednesday (4 February), health officials said, the latest violence to undermine the nearly four-month-old ceasefire.
An attacker opened fire at the gates of a Shi'ite Muslim mosque in Islamabad on Friday before detonating a suicide bomb that killed at least 31 people in the deadliest assault of its kind in the capital in more than ten years.
U.S. and Ukrainian negotiators have discussed an ambitious goal of reaching a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine by March, though the timeline is widely viewed as unrealistic due to deep disagreements over territory, according to multiple sources familiar with the talks.
At least 31 killed, scores wounded in suicide attack on religious site in Islamabad.
Lebanese Army Commander Gen. Rodolphe Haykal met with senior U.S. officials in Washington, D.C., this week to discuss strengthening military and security cooperation, regional developments and the challenges facing Lebanon, the Lebanese army said on Friday.
Storm Leonardo has swept across the Iberian Peninsula, causing widespread flooding, landslides and transport disruption in Portugal and Spain, leaving at least one person dead and forcing thousands to evacuate as authorities issued urgent warnings.
Escalating clashes in South Kivu’s highlands are sending a rising flow of wounded to Fizi’s small general hospital, where staff warn they are running out of space and supplies as the conflict expands across remote areas.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment