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.
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.
The Western Sahara Autonomy Proposal is an initiative proposed by Morocco in 2006 as a possible solution to the Western Sahara conflict. In 2006, the Moroccan Royal Advisory Council for Saharan Affairs (CORCAS) proposed a plan for the autonomy of Western Sahara and made visits to a number of countries to explain the proposal. The Spanish approach to regional autonomy has been named as a possible model for Western Saharan autonomy, mentioning specifically the cases of the Canary Islands, the Basque Country, Andalusia or Catalonia. The plan was presented to the UN Security Council in April 2007 and received the backing of the United States and France. This initiative constituted the main ground for the Moroccan proposal at Manhasset negotiations.
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 621, adopted unanimously on 20 September 1988, after hearing a joint report by the Secretary-General and Organisation of African Unity (OAU), the Council noted an agreement between Morocco and the Frente Polisario on 30 August 1988 to the joint proposals by the Secretary-General and OAU.
United Nations Security Council resolution 690, adopted unanimously on 29 April 1991, after recalling resolutions 621 (1988) and 658 (1990) and noting a report by the Secretary-General on the situation in Western Sahara, the Council approved the report and decided to establish the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) in accordance with the Secretary-General's recommendations. The Mission was to implement the Settlement Plan for a referendum of self-determination for the people of Western Sahara.
United Nations Security Council resolution 725, adopted unanimously on 31 December 1991, after recalling resolutions 621 (1988), 658 (1990) and 690 (1991) and noting a report by the Secretary-General on the situation in Western Sahara, the council welcomed the report, supporting his efforts and those of the Organisation of African Unity in the region.
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 973, adopted unanimously on 13 January 1995, after recalling resolutions 621 (1988), 658 (1990), 690 (1991), 725 (1991), 809 (1993) and 907 (1994), the Council discussed the Settlement Plan for the Western Sahara and extended the mandate of United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) until 31 May 1995.
United Nations Security Council resolution 995, adopted unanimously on 26 May 1995, after recalling resolutions 621 (1988), 658 (1990), 690 (1991), 725 (1991), 809 (1993), 907 (1994) and 973 (1995), the Council dispatched a mission to the Western Sahara and extended the mandate of United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) until 30 June 1995.
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 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 1198, adopted unanimously on 18 September 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 31 October 1998.
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 1342, adopted unanimously on 27 February 2001, after recalling all previous resolutions on Western Sahara, in particular resolutions 1108 (1997), 1292 (2000), 1301 (2000), 1309 (2000) and 1324 (2000), the Council extended the mandate of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) until 30 April 2001.
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.
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1979, adopted unanimously on April 27, 2011, after reaffirming all previous resolutions on the Western Sahara including 1754 (2007), 1783 (2007), 1813 (2008), 1871 (2009) and 1920 (2010), 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, 2012.
