Resolution XXXX(2017)
Adopted
by the Security Council at its XXXXthmeeting, on
27 April
2017
The Security Council,
Recalling and reaffirming all
its previous resolutions on Western Sahara,
Reaffirming its
strong support for the efforts of the Secretary-General and his
Personal Envoy to implement resolutions 1754 (2007), 1783 (2007),
1813 (2008), 1871 (2009), 1920 (2010), 1979 (2011), 2044 (2012), 2099
(2013), 2152 (2014), 2218 (2015), and 2285 (2016),
Reaffirming its
commitment to assist the parties to achieve a just, lasting, and
mutually acceptable political solution, which will provide for the
self-determination of the people of Western Sahara in the context of
arrangements consistent with the principles and purposes of the
Charter of the United Nations, and noting the
role and responsibilities of the parties in this respect,
Reiterating its
call upon the parties and the neighbouring states to cooperate more
fully with the United Nations and with each other and to strengthen
their involvement to end the current impasse and to achieve progress
towards a political solution,
Recognizing that
achieving a political solution to this long-standing dispute and
enhanced cooperation between the Member States of the Maghreb Arab
Union would contribute to stability and security in the Sahel
region,
Welcoming the
efforts of the Secretary-General to keep all peacekeeping operations,
including the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western
Sahara (MINURSO), under close review and reiterating the need for the
Council to pursue a rigorous, strategic approach to peacekeeping
deployments, and effective management of resources,
Emphasizing the
need to regularly evaluate MINURSO’s performance such that
the mission retains the skills and flexibility needed to effectively
carry out its mandate,
Further
emphasizing that
hiring, retention and assignment processes of the United Nations for
MINURSO should allow for mission structures to quickly and
easily adapt to changing operational environments, and noting the
Secretary-General’s intention to reform these processes to
make the Organization more nimble,
Recognizing the
important role played by MINURSO on the ground and the need for it to
fully implement its mandate, including its role in supporting
the Personal Envoy to achieve a mutually acceptable political
solution,
Expressing
concern about
the violations of existing agreements, and calling
on the
parties to respect their relevant obligations,
Welcoming Morocco’s
positive response on 26 February 2017 to the Secretary General’s
call for both parties to withdraw from the buffer strip in
Guerguerat,
Expressing
deep concern that
elements of the Polisario Front remain in the buffer strip in
Guerguerat, including its obstruction of regular commercial
traffic,
Taking
note of
the Moroccan proposal presented on 11 April 2007 to the
Secretary-General and welcoming serious
and credible Moroccan efforts to move the process forward towards
resolution; also taking
note of
the Polisario Front proposal presented 10 April 2007 to the
Secretary-General,
Encouraging in
this context, the parties to demonstrate further political will
towards a solution including by expanding upon their discussion of
each other’s proposals and further
encouraging the
neighbouring countries to make contributions to the
political process,
Taking
note of
the four rounds of negotiations held under the auspices of the
Secretary-General and recognizing the
importance of the parties committing to continue the negotiations
process,
Encouraging the
parties to resume cooperation with the United Nations Office
of the High Commissioner for Refugees in implementing the January
2012 updated Plan of Action on Confidence-Building Measures,
including programmes focused on linking people who have been divided
for more than 40 years due to the conflict and further
encouraging the
parties to consider additional appropriate confidence-building
measures,
Stressing the
importance of improving the human rights situation in Western Sahara
and the Tindouf camps, and encouraging the
parties to work with the international community to develop and
implement independent and credible measures to ensure full respect
for human rights, bearing in mind their relevant obligations under
international law,
Encouraging the
parties to continue in their respective efforts to enhance the
promotion and protection of human rights in Western Sahara and the
Tindouf refugee camps, including the freedoms of expression and
association,
Welcoming in
this regard, the recent steps and initiatives taken by Morocco, and
the role played by the National Council on Human Rights Commissions
operating in Dakhla and Laayoune, and Morocco’s
interaction with Special Procedures of the United Nations Human
Rights Council,
Commending the
technical visit of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner
for Human Rights (OHCHR) to Western Sahara in April 2015, and to the
Tindouf refugee camps in July-August 2015, and strongly
encouraging enhancing cooperation with OHCHR, including through
facilitating further visits to the region,
Noting
with deep concern the continued hardships
faced by Sahrawi refugees and their dependency on external
humanitarian assistance,and further
noting insufficient
funding for those living in Tindouf refugee camps and the
risk of potential reductions in food assistance,
Reiterating
its request for
consideration of a refugee registration in the Tindouf refugee camps
and emphasizing efforts be
made in this regard,
Stressing the
importance of a commitment by the parties to continue the process of
negotiations through the United Nations-sponsored
talks and encouraging the
meaningful participation of women in these,
Recognizing that
the consolidation of the status quo is not acceptable, and noting
further that
progress in the negotiations is essential in order to improve the
quality of life of the people of Western Sahara in all its aspects,
Expressing
gratitude for
the efforts of the Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy for
Western Sahara, Ambassador Christopher Ross, throughout his
tenure, and affirming its
continued full support for the Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy
for Western Sahara in facilitating negotiations between the
parties, and calling
on the
parties and neighbouring states to cooperate fully with the
Personal Envoy,
Affirming full
support for the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for
Western Sahara and Head of MINURSO Kim Bolduc,
Having
considered the
report of the Secretary-General of 10 April 2017 (S/2017/307),
1.Decides to
extend the mandate of MINURSO until 30 April 2018;
2.Reaffirms the
need for full respect of the military agreements reached with MINURSO
with regard to the ceasefire and calls on the
parties to adhere fully to those agreements;
3. Expresses
deep concern with the continued presence of elements of
the Polisario Front in the buffer strip in Guerguerat and strongly
urges the Polisario Front to fully and unconditionally
withdraw from the buffer strip in Guerguerat immediately;
4.Requests the
Secretary-General to brief the Council within 30 days on
whether elements of the Polisario have withdrawn from the buffer
strip in Guerguerat and expresses its intention,
if there is no full and unconditional withdrawal, to
consider how best to facilitate achievement of this goal;
5.Recognizes that
the crisis in Guerguerat raises fundamental questions related to the
ceasefire and related agreements and encourages the
Secretary-General to explore ways that such questions can be
resolved;
6.Calls
upon all parties to cooperate fully with the operations of
MINURSO, including its free interaction with all interlocutors, and
to take the necessary steps to ensure the security of as well as
unhindered movement and immediate access for the United Nations
and associated personnel in carrying out their mandate, in conformity
with existing agreements;
7.Emphasizes the
importance of the parties’ commitment to continue the process of
preparation for a fifth round of negotiations, and recalls its
endorsement of the recommendation in the report of 14 April 2008
(S/2008/251)
that realism and a spirit of compromise by the parties are essential
to achieve progress in negotiations, and encourages the
neighbouring countries to make important contributions to this
process;
8.Calls
upon the parties to show political will and work in an
atmosphere propitious for dialogue in order to resume negotiations,
thus ensuring implementation of resolutions 1754 (2007), 1783 (2007),
1813 (2008), 1871 (2009), 1920 (2010), 1979 (2011), 2044 (2012), 2099
(2013), 2152 (2014), and 2218 (2015) and the success of
negotiations;
9.Affirms its
full support for the commitment of the Secretary-General and his
Personal Envoy towards a solution to the question of Western Sahara
in this context to relaunch the negotiating process with a
new dynamic and a new spirit leading to the resumption of a
political process with the aim of reaching a mutually acceptable
political solution, which will provide for the
self-determination of the people of Western Sahara in the context of
arrangements consistent with the principles and purposes of the
Charter of the United Nations;
10.Calls
upon the parties to resumenegotiations under the
auspices of the Secretary-General without preconditions and in good
faith, taking into account the efforts made since 2006 and subsequent
developments, with a view to achieving a just, lasting, and mutually
acceptable political solution, which will provide for the
self-determination of the people of Western Sahara in the context of
arrangements consistent with the principles and purposes of the
Charter of the United Nations, and noting the role and
responsibilities of the parties in this respect;
11.Invites Member
States to lend appropriate assistance to these talks;
12.Requests the
Secretary-General to brief the Security Council on a regular basis,
and at least twice a year, on the status and progress of these
negotiations under his auspices, on the implementation of this
resolution, challenges to MINURSO’s operations and steps taken to
address them, expresses its intention to meet to
receive and discuss his briefings and in this regard, and further
requests the Secretary-General to provide a report on the
situation in Western Sahara well before the end of the mandate
period;
13. Further requests the
Secretary-General to update the Security Council within six
months of the appointment of the new Personal Envoy on (i) ways
in which the Personal Envoy, working with the parties, is progressing
towards a mutually acceptable political solution, which
will provide for the self-determination of the people of Western
Sahara in the context of arrangements consistent with the
principles and purposes of the Charter of the United Nations, and
present a clear path forward; (ii) how MINURSO’s
performance measures are being developed and implemented(iii) how
structures and staffing can be reorganized to achieve mission goals
efficiently, and (iv) how new technologies are being considered to
reduce risk, improve force protection, and better implement the
mandate of MINURSO;
14.Encourages the
parties to resume cooperation with the Office of the United
Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to review and, where possible,
expand confidence-building measures;
15.Urges Member
States to provide new and additional voluntary
contributions to fund food programmes to ensure that the humanitarian
needs of refugees are adequately addressed and avoid reductions
in food rations;
16.Requests the
Secretary-General to continue to take the necessary measures to
ensure full compliance in MINURSO with the United Nations
zero-tolerance policy on sexual exploitation and abuse and to keep
the Council informed, and urges troop-contributing countries to take
appropriate preventive action including predeploymentawareness
training, and other action to ensure full accountability in cases of
such conduct involving their personnel;
17.Supports an
increase in the ratio of medical personnel within the current
uniformed authorization as requested in the most recent report
of the Secretary-General to address the severely overstretched
medical capacity of MINURSO.
18.Decides to
remain seized of the matter.
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