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 to this day, and the establishment of the MINURSO peace force to oversee it and to organize the referendum. The referendum never occurred.
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.
United Nations Security Council resolution 809, adopted unanimously on 2 March 1993, after recalling resolutions 621 (1988), 658 (1990), 690 (1991) and 725 (1991), in addition to noting a report by the Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali on the situation in Western Sahara, the Council expressed concern at delays in implementing the Settlement Plan and invited the Secretary-General and his Special Representative to intensify efforts with the Government of Morocco and Polisario Front to address issues of contention, particularly with regards to voter eligibility.
United Nations Security Council resolution 907, adopted unanimously on 29 March 1994, after recalling resolutions 621 (1988), 658 (1990), 690 (1991), 725 (1991) and 809 (1993), the council discussed the Settlement Plan for the Western Sahara.
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 1042, adopted unanimously on 31 January 1996, after reaffirming all previous resolutions on the Western Sahara, the Council discussed the Settlement Plan for Western Sahara and extended the mandate of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) until 31 May 1996.
United Nations Security Council resolution 1056, adopted unanimously on 29 May 1996, after reaffirming all previous resolutions on the Western Sahara, the Council discussed the Settlement Plan for Western Sahara, including the suspension of the voter identification process, and extended the mandate of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) until 30 November 1996.
United Nations Security Council resolution 1084, adopted unanimously on 27 November 1996, after reaffirming all previous resolutions on the Western Sahara, the Council discussed the implementation of the Settlement Plan for Western Sahara and extended the mandate of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) until 31 May 1997.
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 1131, adopted unanimously on 29 September 1997, after recalling 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 20 October 1997.
In United Nations Security Council resolution 1133, adopted unanimously on 20 October 1997, after reaffirming all previous resolutions on the Western Sahara, but recalling Resolution 1131 (1997), the Council extended the mandate of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) until 20 April 1998.
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 1215, adopted unanimously on 17 December 1998, after reaffirming all previous resolutions on the question of the Western Sahara, in particular Resolution 1204 (1998), the Council extended the mandate of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) until 31 January 1999 to allow for further consultations between parties.
United Nations Security Council resolution 1228, adopted unanimously on 11 February 1999, after reaffirming all previous resolutions on the question of the Western Sahara, particularly resolutions 1204 (1998) and 1215 (1998), the Council extended the mandate of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) until 31 March 1999 to allow time for consultations on issues relating to a proposed referendum.
United Nations Security Council resolution 1235, adopted unanimously on 30 April 1999, after reaffirming all previous resolutions on the question of the Western Sahara, the Council extended the mandate of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) for a further two weeks until 14 May 1999.
United Nations Security Council resolution 1238 extended the mandate of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) until 14 September 1999. It was adopted unanimously on 14 May 1999, after reaffirming all previous resolutions on the question of the Western Sahara.
United Nations Security Council resolution 1394, adopted unanimously on 27 February 2002, after reaffirming all previous resolutions on Western Sahara and its commitment to achieve a lasting solution to the dispute, the Council extended the mandate of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) until 30 April 2002.
