United Nations

Press Release Security Council

SC/6062
30 June 1995
SECURITY COUNCIL EXTENDS MANDATE OF MINURSO UNTIL 30 SEPTEMBER

By Resolution 1002, Adopted Unanimously, Secretary-General Requested to Persuade Parties to Resume Participation in Settlement Plan the Security Council this afternoon extended the mandate of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) until 30 September. As it unanimously adopted resolution 1002 (1995) the Council endorsed the Secretary-General's "benchmarks" contained in his report of 19 May and there commendations of the six-member mission it sent to the region concerning the identification process and other aspects of the Settlement Plan. The Council expressed its concern that, given the complexity of the tasks to be performed and the continuing interruptions caused by the two parties to the Settlement Plan, the Plan had been further delayed. It requested the Secretary-General to report by 10 September on the progress achieved in meeting the benchmarks and carrying out the mission's recommendations. On the basis of that report, the Council expected to be able to confirm 15 November as the start of the transitional period, to allow the referendum to take place early in 1996. The Council also decided that, on the basis of the Secretary-General's report and in light of the progress achieved towards holding the referendum and implementing the Settlement Plan, it would consider the possible extension of the MINURSO's mandate after 30 September. According to the benchmarks, in early July the Secretary-General would forward to the parties the final text of the code of conduct governing the parties during the referendum; in August, he would inform the Council of progress made by independent jurists on the release of political prisoners; and in September, he would rule on the confinement of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Saguia el-Hamra and Rio de Oro (POLSARIO) troops. By that time he would have received confirmation from the Government of Morocco on the arrangements for the reduction of its troops in the Territory. The mission recommended that the two parties abandon insistence on reciprocity in the number and operation of the identification centres; that additional identification teams be set up in temporary fixed centres; that the highest number possible of identifications per day take place; and that reports on the progress of identification be made to the Council every two weeks. In today's resolution, the Council also stressed the need for the parties to refrain from any actions that hindered the implementation of the Settlement Plan and called upon them to reconsider their recent relevant decisions with a view to establishing confidence. In that regard, the Council requested the Secretary-General to make every effort to persuade the two parties to resume their participation in the implementation of the Settlement Plan. The Council requested the Secretary-General to keep it fully informed on further developments in the implementation of the Settlement Plan for the Western Sahara, in particular any significant delays that would call into question his ability to set the start of the transitional period on 15 November.
Report of Security Council Mission to Western Sahara
In its report to the Security Council, the mission to Western Sahara observes that continuing suspicion and lack of trust between the Governmentof Morocco and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Saguia el-Hamra and Rio de Oro (POLISARIO) has made it nearly impossible for the United Nation Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) to meet its objectives (S/1995/498). Technical problems that could have been resolved,had there been goodwill, had been politicized and blown out of proportion.The parties' cooperation must be combined with making the necessary resources available to MINURSO if the timetable calling for a referendum in January 1996 is to be maintained. The MINURSO -- which is known by its French acronym -- was established by resolution 658 (1990). That text approved plans for a settlement of theWestern Sahara question. It provides for the United Nations to supervise a cease-fire between Morocco and the POLISARIO and to organize and conduct referendum in which the people of the Territory would choose between independence and integration with Morocco. By its resolution 995 (1995), the Council decided to send a mission to the region, with a view to accelerating the implementation of the settlement plan. The six-member mission, which left New York on 3 June,spent six days in the area. It met with government officials in Morocco,Algeria and Mauritania. In Tindouf, the mission met with the leadership of the POLISARIO, MINURSO officials and observers of the Organization of African Unity (OAU). According to the mission, the time necessary to complete the identification process and other aspects of the settlement plan has been underestimated, and there is a real risk that the process will have to be extended beyond the scheduled dates. The missio n strongly recommends that both parties abandon their insistence on reciprocity in the number and operation of identification centres and refrain from their habit of blaming their lack of cooperation on the other side. The mission also agreed that since mo ving identification teams and their equipment around the desert was impractical, additional identification teams should be mobilized in temporary fixed centres. In that context, the mission states that there should be no limit to the number of persons to b e identified on any given day and urges that the highest possible number of identifications per day be permitted to take place. It also recommends that MINURSO speed up the substantive review of undecided cases and the compiling of preliminary voter eligib ility lists.In that respect, the mission further recommends measures that will ensure full confidentiality in dealing with the review cases. The MINURSO should maximize security arrangements concerning information about the identification. The mission call s on the Government of Morocco to conduct preliminary vetting of the 100,000 applicants currently not residing in the Territory prior to the examination of the Identification Commission in order tenable MINURSO to maintain its timetable for completing the identification process. The report goes on to say that MINURSO should commence without delay the identification operation for applicants living in Mauritania with a view to completing that operation as soon as possible. Reports on the progress of identific ation should be made to the Council every two weeks, and should the identification operation be interrupted or slowed down, this should be reported to the Council immediately. The mission calls on the two parties not to inhibit access to the identification centres and to take all necessary steps to facilitate a free and fair process. It recommends speeding up the administrative decision-making process to enable MINURSO to have the resources required to expedite its work. It is important that communiques iss ued by MINURSO be transmitted over radio by both parties, the mission states. The Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General, in consultation with the two parties and the observer countries, should establish a date in the near future for the re duction and confinement of troops so that the Secretary-General can rule on the matter in early September. The mission also recommends that Deputy Special Representative consult with the two parties on the exchange of prisoners of war and the release of po litical detainees, in order that those issues could be removed from the timetable and linked closely to the commencement of the transition period.He should also give immediate attention to problems associated with the registration of refugees called for in the settlement plan, including the time required for this process and the resources made available to date.The United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) should ensure that the commencement of voluntary repatriation of refugees not be delayed. Th e Council will also have before it a report of the Secretary-General issued on 19 May (S/1995/404) in which he recommends that the mandate of MINURSO be extended for a period of four months. He informs the Council that by the end of September he will asses s progress achieved during that period and make further recommendations on the fulfilment of the United Nations mandate in Western Sahara. (On May 26, the Council decided to extend the mandate until 30 June and to consider the further extension of the mand ate following receipt of the report of the mission to the region.For details on that action, see Press Release SC/6045 of 26 May.) The Secretary-General states that while the cease-fire has been observed since 6 September 1991, the widely differing positio ns and preoccupations of the parties led to prolonged consultations in the search for compromises on other aspects of the plan and the timetable. While the complexity and sensitivity of the identification process were not foreseen and it took 10 months to process less than one third of the persons to be identified in the population centres of the Territory and the camps near Tindouf, many barriers that seemed insurmountable have been overcome. According to the report, "potential voters are prepared to trave l and to wait for hours in uncomfortable conditions. Parents and children,siblings, family members and friends are meeting for the first time after 18 years of conflict". However, the process cannot be brought to a successful conclusion without the full co operation of the parties. The MINURSO can address the technical difficulties as they develop but it cannot force the parties to continue with the process if they choose not to do so. If MINURSO is permitted to proceed rapidly with identification, the refer endum can take place early next year, says the Secretary-General.Before confirming the date for the start of the transitional period, progress must be achieved on other important aspects of the settlement plan, which requires the following steps:

According to the report, such benchmarks would enable the Council to assess the parties' willingness to press ahead with the implementation of the plan. Equally important will be sufficient progress in the identification and registration to permit the ref erendum to be held in early 1996. The report states that both parties may have lost some of the incentive to cooperate unreservedly in the implementation of some elements of the settlement plan due to the cessation of hostilities and the delinking of the c oming into effect of the cease-fire from the start of the transitional period. They have continued to respect the cease-fire, but the identification of applicants has progressed slowly. Also before the Council is a letter dated 26 June from the Prime Mini ster and the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation for Morocco to the President of the Security Council (S/1995/514) in which they state that the decision by "the other party" to suspend participation in the identification operation and the threats o f resumed hostilities have dashedall hopes raised by the mission and the efforts of the Council. According to the letter, that decision confirms that the other party was planning to withdraw from the process for settling the Saharan question. The Ministers also state that the other party, having concluded that the identification process would show that it represented a small minority of the Sahara population, decided to claim to the OAU that the United Nations was incapable of ensuring the objectivity and n eutrality of the operation. They go on to say that Morocco can no longer agree to let a minority impose its dictates on a United Nations operation, to halt and resume the process when it feels like it. Accordingly, Morocco calls upon the Council to take al l necessary steps to ensure resumption of the process with a view to holding the referendum on schedule. It also expects that the United Nations will take the necessary steps to ensure that the Saharans living in Tindouf may enter the Territory to particip ate in the referendum.
SC/6062/Add. 6 July 1995

SECURITY COUNCIL EXTENDS MANDATE OF MINURSO UNTIL 30 SEPTEMBER

ADDENDUM
This summary of a Security Council document, which was not available at the time of the meeting, should be added after the second paragraph on page 5 of Press Release SC/6062 of 30 June:
"Also before the Council is a letter dated 23 June (S/1995/524) from the Secretary-General of the POLISARIO addressed to the President of the Council. The letter protests the trial and conviction by a military court of eight Western Saharan civilians "who were taking part in a peacefulrally for Western Saharan independence". The letter also condemns a statement, which it says was made by Morocco to the Council mission, that it intended to have 100,000 Moroccan settlers par ticipate in the voter-identification operation. The letter cites these incidents as the reason for POLISARIO suspending its participation in the identification process. It calls for the restoration of credibility to the process by the fo llowing measures: the immediate release of all political prisoners arrested since the deployment of MINURSO, including the eight sentenced recently; an end to the campaign of repression against the Western Saharan people; and strict monitoring of t he northern border of the Territory to ensure that no foreigners were moved into Western Sahara.".

Text of Draft Resolution


The Council also has before it a draft resolution (S/1995/523) sponsored by Argentina, Botswana, Czech Republic, Honduras, Italy, France, Russian Federation, United Kingdom and United States, the text which reads as follows:
"The Security Council,
"Reaffirming its resolutions
621 (1988) of 20 September 1988,
658 (1990) of 27 June 1990,
690 (1991) of 29 April 1991,
725 (1991) of 31 December 1991,
809 (1993) of 2 March 1993,
907 (1994) of 29 March 1994,
973 (1995) of 13 January 1995 and
995 (1995) of 26 May 1995,
"Recalling the Secretary-General's report of 19 May 1995 (S/1995/404),
"Welcoming the work of the mission of the Council undertaken from 3 to 9 June 1995 under the terms of reference set out in the note of the President of the Council of 30 May 1995 (S/1995/431),
"Having considered the report of 21 June 1995 (S/1995/498) of the mission of the Security Council,
"Committed to reaching a just and lasting solution of the question of Western Sahara, "Concerned that the parties' continuing suspicion and lack of trust have contributed to delays in the implementation of the Settlement Plan (S/21360 and S/22464 and Corr. 1),
"Noting that, for progress to be achieved, the two parties must have a vision of the post-referendum period,
"Taking note of the letter dated 23 June 1995 from the Secretary-General of the Polisario Front to the President of the Security Council, (annexed to document S/1995/524)
"Taking note of the letter dated 26 June 1995 from the Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of the Kingdom of Morocco to the President of the Security Council (S/1995/514),
"Urging the parties to cooperate fully with the Secretary-General and the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) to ensure prompt and full implementation of the Settlement Plan,
"Noting that, in his report of 19 May 1995, the Secretary-General has outlined benchmarks for assessing progress on certain aspects of the Settlement Plan, including the code of conduct, the release of political prisoners, the confinement of Polisario troo ps and arrangements for the reduction of Moroccan troops in the Territory in conformity with the Settlement Plan,
"Noting also that the mission of the Council has provided recommendations for moving forward on the identification process and other aspects of the Settlement Plan and stressing the need for the identification process to be carried out in accordance with t he relevant provisions set out therein, in particular in paragraphs 72 and 73 of the Settlement Plan, as well as in the relevant resolutions of the Security Council,
"1. Welcomes the report of the Secretary-General on the situation concerning Western Sahara of 19 May 1995 and the report of the mission of the Security Council to Western Sahara of 21 June 1995;
"2. Reiterates its commitment to holding, without further delay, a free,fair and impartial referendum for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara in accordance with the Settlement Plan which has been accepted by the two parties stated above;
"3. Expresses its concern that, given the complexity of the tasks to be performed and the continuing interruptions caused by the two parties,implementation of the Settlement Plan has been further delayed;
"4. Calls upon the two parties to work with the Secretary-General and MINURSO in a spirit of genuine cooperation to implement the Settlement Plan in accordance with the relevant Council resolutions;
"5. Stresses the need for the parties to refrain from any actions that hinder the implementation of the Settlement Plan, calls upon them to reconsider recent relevant decisions with a view to establishing confidence, and in this regard requests the Secreta ry-General to make every effort to persuade the two parties to resume their participation in the implementation of the Settlement Plan;
"6. Endorses the Secretary-General's benchmarks described in paragraph 38 of his report of 19 May 1995;
"7. Endorses also the recommendations of the mission of the Council concerning the identification process and other aspects of the Settlement Plan, described in paragraphs 41 to 53 of its report of 21 June 1995;
"8. Requests the Secretary-General to report by 10 September 1995 on the progress achieved in accordance with paragraphs 5 and 6 above;
"9. Expects to be able, on the basis of the report requested in paragraph 7 above, to confirm 15 November 1995 as the start of the transitional period, to allow the referendum to take place early in 1996;
"10. Decides to extend the mandate of MINURSO until 30 September 1995 as recommended by the Secretary-General in his report of 19 May 1995;
"11. Decides also to consider the possible extension of the mandate of MINURSO after 30 September 1995 on the basis of the Secretary-General's report requested in paragraph 7 above and in the light of progress achieved in accordance with paragraphs 5 and 6 above towards the holding of the referendum and the implementation of the Settlement Plan;
"12. Requests the Secretary-General, in addition to the reports called for in paragraph 48 of the report of the Security Council mission, to keep the Council fully informed of further developments in the implementation of the Settlement Plan for the Wester n Sahara during this period, in particular of any significant delays in the pace of the identification process or other developments that would call into question the Secretary-General's ability to set the start of the transitional period on 15 November 19 95;
"13. Decides to remain seized of the matter."

Statement
The President of the Council, DETLEV GRAF ZU RANTZAU (Germany) drew attention to the report of the Security Council mission to Western Sahara(S/1995/498) and to the text of a draft resolution submitted by Argentina,Botswana, Czech Republic, France, Germany , Honduras, Italy, Russian Federation, United Kingdom and United States (S/1995/523). He also called attention to a letter dated 27 June from the Permanent Representative of Morocco to the President of the Council, transmitting a letter dated 26 June from the Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Morocco (S/1995/514); and a letter dated 29 June from the Permanent Representative of Honduras to the President of the Council which contains in its annex a letter dated 23 June from the Secretary-Gene ral of the POLISARIO (S/1995/524). The PRESIDENT put the draft resolution to a vote. The draft resolution was adopted unanimously as resolution 1002 (1995).
Western Sahara Homepage Summary S.C.