The UN Security Council Friday voted unanimously to extend the mandate of the UN mission in Western Sahara, known as MINURSO, for another year.
"The Security Council decides to extend the mandate of MINURSO until April 30, 2011," the resolution said, Xinhua reported.
The 15-nation Council called on the parties "to adhere fully to" the military agreements reached with the UN mission with respect to the ceasefire in the region and "welcomes the parties' commitment to continue the process of holding small, informal talks in preparation for a fifth round of negotiations," the resolution said.
The Security Council "calls upon the parties to continue negotiations under the auspices of the (UN) secretary-general without preconditions and in good faith," the resolution said.
The resolution also "requests the secretary-general to keep the Security Council informed on a regular basis on the status and progress of these negotiations under his auspices and express its intention to meet to receive and discuss his report."
The United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) was established by the Security Council resolution in April 1991 in accordance with settlement proposals accepted on Aug. 30, 1988 by Morocco and the POLISARIO Front.
The settlement plan, as approved by the Security Council, provided for a transitional period for the preparation of a referendum in which the people of Western Sahara would choose between independence and integration with Morocco.
In his April 12 report to the Security Council, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon recommended the mandate extension and welcomed both parties' commitment to the process of negotiations and their willingness to engage in the preparatory informal format. He noted, however, that two informal meetings held in August 2009 and February this year produced no movement on the core substantive issues, and more work is needed before a fifth round can be held.
In his report, Ban also recommended that the Security Council reiterate its call that both parties to the dispute, Morocco and Frente Polisario, negotiate in good faith and without any preconditions, under the auspices of the secretary-general's personal envoy Christopher Ross.
After the adoption of the new resolution, Mohammed Loulichki, Morocco's UN ambassador, told reporters here that "the resolution refers to the existing mandate," and "despite attempts to enlarge this mandate, the Council did not allow this path."
"We are not against the protection and promotion of human rights," he said, "but we are against the use of human rights to deviate the efforts of the United Nations."
The ambassador is referring to reports which said that some members were concerned with human rights situation on the ground.
Also speaking to reporters after the Security Council voted on the resolution, Ruhakana Rugunda, the Ugandan ambassador to the United Nations, said, "The primary mandate of MINURSO was to go to Western Sahara and organize a referendum so that the people of Western Sahara can determine their destiny, either to integrate with Morocco or to be independent."
"This was to be done within a period of two years, it is now 19 years and has not been achieved," he said. "We would like to see expeditious implementation of the mandate of MINURSO so the people can determine their destiny."
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