De Mistura Briefs UN Security Council on Latest Developments in Western Sahara
New York, NY – The UN Security Council held its second closed-door session on the situation in Western Sahara on Wednesday, October 16, 2024, under the monthly presidency of Switzerland. The session was marked by two key briefings: one from Staffan de Mistura, the UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy for Western Sahara, and another from Alexander Ivanko, Head of the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO).
While details of the closed session remain confidential, the briefings are expected to have focused on recent developments in the decades-long dispute over the Western Sahara region. The territory, considered a “non-self-governing territory” by the UN, has been the subject of a political stalemate since the 1970s.
De Mistura’s role as Personal Envoy is particularly crucial. He has been tasked with facilitating a mutually acceptable political solution between Morocco, which controls most of Western Sahara and considers it part of its sovereign territory, and the Polisario Front, a Sahrawi independence movement that seeks self-determination for the region.
The Security Council’s engagement with the Western Sahara issue comes at a time of heightened international attention on the region. The African Union has also been increasingly vocal in calling for a peaceful resolution to the conflict.
The outcome of the closed-door session and the impact of De Mistura’s briefing on the Security Council’s future actions remain to be seen. However, the continued engagement of the international community is considered essential for finding a lasting and peaceful solution to the Western Sahara issue.
