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The United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara is the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Western Sahara, established in 1991 under United Nations Security Council Resolution 690 as part of the Settlement Plan, which had paved way for a cease-fire in the conflict between Morocco and the Polisario Front over the contested territory of Western Sahara.
The Settlement Plan was an agreement between the ethnically Saharawi Polisario Front and Morocco on the organization of a referendum, which would constitute an expression of self-determination for the people of Western Sahara, leading either to full independence, or integration with the Kingdom of Morocco. It resulted in a cease-fire which remains effective until 2020, and the establishment of the MINURSO peace force to oversee it and to organize the referendum. The referendum never occurred.
United Nations Security Council resolution 1495, adopted unanimously on 31 July 2003, after recalling all previous resolutions on the situation in Western Sahara, particularly Resolution 1429 (2002), the Council extended the mandate of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) until 31 October 2003 and supported the Baker Plan put forth by James Baker III, who was at that time the Special Representative for Western Sahara of the Secretary-General Kofi Annan, as a replacement of the 1991 Settlement Plan. The resolution, adopted after significant changes to the original draft, was welcomed by the Polisario Front, which supported the Baker Plan, but not by Morocco, which resisted it.
A special representative of the Secretary-General is a highly respected expert who has been appointed by the Secretary-General of the United Nations to represent them in meetings with heads of state on critical human rights issues. The representatives can carry out country visits to investigate alleged violations of human rights and act as negotiators on behalf of the United Nations.
The Manhasset negotiations were a series of talks that took place in four rounds in 2007–2008 at Manhasset, New York between the Moroccan government and the representatives of the Saharawi liberation movement, the Polisario Front to resolve the Western Sahara conflict. They were considered the first direct negotiations in seven years between the two parties. Also present at the negotiations were the neighboring countries of Algeria and Mauritania.
Julian Harston, son of Colonel Clive Harston, King's African Rifles, is an independent consultant on International Peace and Security matters. He retired as an Assistant Secretary-General in the United Nations. His last post was as the Representative of the Secretary-General in Belgrade, Serbia. Prior to this until March 2009 he was the Special Representative of the Secretary-General heading MINURSO Western Sahara.
William Lacy Swing was a diplomat and former United States Ambassador, and United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Under Secretary General. He was the Director-General of the International Organization for Migration until António Vitorino's appointment in 2018.
Hany Abdel-Aziz, was the Special Representative for Western Sahara of the United Nations and the Head of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) between 2009 and 2012.
Kim Bolduc is the Deputy Special Representative of United Nations Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO). She served previously as the head of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) and the Deputy Special Representative for the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH). In tandem, she will be also the United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator. She has previously held other positions with the United Nations.
United Nations Security Council resolution 1002, adopted unanimously on 30 June 1995, after recalling resolutions 621 (1988), 658 (1990), 690 (1991), 725 (1991), 809 (1993), 907 (1994), 973 (1995) and 995 (1995), the Council discussed the implementation of the Settlement Plan in Western Sahara and extended the mandate of United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) until 30 September 1995.
United Nations Security Council resolution 1017, adopted unanimously on 22 September 1995, after recalling resolutions 621 (1988), 658 (1990), 690 (1991), 725 (1991), 809 (1993), 907 (1994), 973 (1995), 995 (1995) and 1002 (1995), the Council discussed the implementation of the Settlement Plan in Western Sahara and extended the mandate of United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) until 31 January 1996.
United Nations Security Council resolution 1033, adopted unanimously on 19 December 1995, after reaffirming all previous resolutions on the Western Sahara, the Council discussed the referendum for self-determination of the people of Western Sahara and the completion of the identification process.
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1920, adopted unanimously on April 30, 2010, after reaffirming all previous resolutions on the Western Sahara including 1754 (2007), 1783 (2007), 1813 (2008) and 1871 (2009), the Council discussed prospects for a settlement of the dispute and extended the mandate of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) until April 30, 2011.
United Nations Security Council resolution 1148, adopted unanimously on 26 January 1998, after recalling all previous resolutions on the Western Sahara, particularly Resolution 1133 (1997), the Council approved the deployment of an engineering unit to support the deployment of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO).
United Nations Security Council resolution 1185, adopted unanimously on 20 July 1998, after reaffirming all previous resolutions on the Western Sahara, the Council extended the mandate of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) until 21 September 1998 so that it could proceed with voter identification tasks.
United Nations Security Council resolution 1301, adopted on 31 May 2000, after recalling all previous resolutions on the question of the Western Sahara, in particular resolutions 1108 (1997) and 1292 (2000), the Council extended the mandate of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) until 31 July 2000.
United Nations Security Council resolution 1485, adopted unanimously on 30 May 2003, after recalling all previous resolutions on the situation in Western Sahara, particularly Resolution 1429 (2002), the Council extended the mandate of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) for two months until 31 July 2003.
Wolfgang Weisbrod-Weber was the United Nations Secretary-General's Special Representative and Head of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) on 15 June 2012.
Abdul Hafiz is a retired lieutenant general of the Bangladesh Army. He was Chief of General Staff, Bangladesh Army. He served as the Force Commander in UN peacekeeping mission in Western Sahara and Côte d'Ivoire. He is currently a Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser of the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus in matters related to defense and national integrity development.
The COVID-19 pandemic was confirmed to have reached Western Sahara in April 2020. The released data from the Moroccan government excludes cases in territory controlled by the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic.
References
- ↑ "Special Representative for Western Sahara and Head of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) | United Nations Secretary-General". www.un.org. Retrieved 2018-12-04.
- ↑ Stewart, Daniel. "The UN Security Council held on Monday a closed-door meeting on Western Sahara". MSN. Retrieved 2022-10-21.
- ↑ "Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Western Sahara and Head of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara | United Nations Secretary-General". UN. Retrieved 2022-10-21.
- ↑ Ohaegbulam, Festus Ugboaja (2006). U.S. Policy In Postcolonial Africa: Four Case Studies in Conflict Resolution. New York: Peter Lang Publishing. pp. 124–125. ISBN 978-0-8204-7091-7.
- ↑ Francesco Bastagli (21 September 2010). "Justice Undone". The New Republic . Retrieved 5 December 2012.
