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The United Nations Security Council held a session on Friday in which the United States vetoed a Russian resolution that sought to extend the mandate of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) for an additional year. The Russian proposal would have kept the mission in place until October 2027 without altering its functions or structure. It received only three votes in favour, one against (the United States) and eleven abstentions, falling short of the nine votes required for adoption. The Russian proposal was presented by Permanent Representative Vasili Nebenzia after he exercised his veto against a United States‑backed resolution that had previously been blocked by Russia. Nebenzia said the alternative was a “technical extension” that would allow MINURSO to continue operating while maintaining its mandate unchanged. He criticised the U.S. proposal as promoting a unilateral solution that did not involve sufficient consultation with all parties, arguing that such an approach would hinder a negotiated settlement. Nebenzia also stressed that Western Sahara should remain on the United Nations’ decolonisation agenda and questioned the removal of the referendum reference from the mission’s official name, which he said was a historic element of its mandate. The U.S. representative, Mike Waltz, defended his country’s position, stating that MINURSO has not achieved the objective for which it was created. “After 50 years, the people of Western Sahara deserve more than another extension of something that cannot work. We need to try something new,” Waltz said. He argued that prolonging the mission without substantive changes would be insufficient. The double veto left both proposals unapproved, underscoring the divergent views of the United States and Russia on the role of the United Nations in resolving the Western Sahara conflict, which remains without a definitive political solution. Article source: El Nuevo Diario | Image credit: El Nuevo Diario
The United Nations Security Council held a session on Friday in which the United States vetoed a Russian resolution that sought to extend the mandate of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) for an additional year. The Russian proposal would have kept the mission in place until October 2027 without altering its functions or structure. It received only three votes in favour, one against (the United States) and eleven abstentions, falling short of the nine votes required for adoption. The Russian proposal was presented by Permanent Representative Vasili Nebenzia after he exercised his veto against a United States‑backed resolution that had previously been blocked by Russia. Nebenzia said the alternative was a “technical extension” that would allow MINURSO to continue operating while maintaining its mandate unchanged. He criticised the U.S. proposal as promoting a unilateral solution that did not involve sufficient consultation with all parties, arguing that such an approach would hinder a negotiated settlement. Nebenzia also stressed that Western Sahara should remain on the United Nations’ decolonisation agenda and questioned the removal of the referendum reference from the mission’s official name, which he said was a historic element of its mandate. The U.S. representative, Mike Waltz, defended his country’s position, stating that MINURSO has not achieved the objective for which it was created. “After 50 years, the people of Western Sahara deserve more than another extension of something that cannot work. We need to try something new,” Waltz said. He argued that prolonging the mission without substantive changes would be insufficient. The double veto left both proposals unapproved, underscoring the divergent views of the United States and Russia on the role of the United Nations in resolving the Western Sahara conflict, which remains without a definitive political solution.
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