Security Council resolution 2351 (2017) [on extension of the mandate of the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) until 30 Apr. 2018]
Symbol: S/RES/2351 (2017)
Date: 2017-04-28
Status: adopted
Agenda: S/72 [45] UN MISSION FOR THE REFERENDUM IN WESTERN SAHARA
S/72 [44] WESTERN SAHARA QUESTION
Subjects: UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara|UN. Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General for Western Sahara|PEACEKEEPING OPERATIONS|WESTERN SAHARA|NEGOTIATION|PEACE AGREEMENTS|WESTERN SAHARA QUESTION
Votes in favour: 15
Votes against: 0
Abstentions: 0
Voting record:
country: BOLIVIA (PLURINATIONAL STATE OF)
vote: yes
country: CHINA
vote: yes
country: EGYPT
vote: yes
country: ETHIOPIA
vote: yes
country: FRANCE
vote: yes
country: ITALY
vote: yes
country: JAPAN
vote: yes
country: KAZAKHSTAN
vote: yes
country: RUSSIAN FEDERATION
vote: yes
country: SENEGAL
vote: yes
country: SWEDEN
vote: yes
country: UKRAINE
vote: yes
country: UNITED KINGDOM
vote: yes
country: UNITED STATES
vote: yes
country: URUGUAY
vote: yes

               United Nations                                                                     S/RES/2351 (2017)
               Security Council                                                 Distr.: General
                                                                                28 April 2017




               Resolution 2351 (2017)
               Adopted by the Security Council at its 7933rd meeting, on
               28 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 progres s 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 eff ectively 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,




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                    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,
                    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 impleme nting 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 confidencebuilding 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 facilitatin g 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,


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                 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 agree ments reached
           with MINURSO with regard to the ceasefire and calls on the parties to adhere fully
           to those agreements;
                 3.  Recognizes that the recent crisis in the buffer strip 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;
                 4.  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;
                 5.   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;
                6.    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;
                 7.   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;
                  8.   Calls upon the parties to resume negotiations 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 a chieving 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



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               consistent with the principles and purposes of the Charter of the United Nati ons, and
               noting the role and responsibilities of the parties in this respect;
                    9.    Invites Member States to lend appropriate assistance to these talks;
                     10. 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, further requests the
               Secretary-General to provide a report on the situation in Western Sahara well before
               the end of the mandate period;
                     11. 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;
                    12. Encourages the parties to resume cooperation with the Office o f the
               United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to review and, where possible,
               expand confidence-building measures;
                     13. Urges Member States to provide new and additional voluntary
               contributions to fund food programmes to ensure that the humanitarian n eeds of
               refugees are adequately addressed and avoid reductions in food rations;
                     14. 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 predeployment awareness training, and other action to ensure full
               accountability in cases of such conduct involving their personnel;
                    15. 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;
                    16.   Decides to remain seized of the matter.




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