UN General Assembly
2014

advocates dialogue and consultation, which is the basis for Burkina Faso’s consistent action when the President of our country is sought after as a mediator or facilitator. Accordingly, I welcome the adoption on 31 July by the Assembly of resolution 68/303 on “Strengthening the role of mediation in the peaceful settlement of disputes, conflict prevention and resolution”. In that regard, my country, a member of the Group of Friends of Mediation, encourages the actions taken under the leadership of Finland and Turkey. With regard to Western Sahara, Burkina Faso welcomes the Moroccan initiative for advanced autonomy status in Western Sahara, which is a credible and realistic option for achieving a final solution acceptable to all. In the Middle East, we condemn the recent escalation of violence which has led to many casualties among civilian populations. Priority should be given to dialogue, and we hope that the unrestricted ceasefire that was signed between Palestinians and Israelis on 26 August 2014, under the auspices of the Arab Republic of Egypt, will lead to the establishment of a