Thank you, Mr. President. The United States is pleased to see the Council reaffirm its support for the Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General, Staffan de Mistura, and for MINURSO, with the adoption of this resolution. The United States welcomes the Council’s support for MINURSO’s mandate. With this vote, the Council is affirming that it is fully behind the Personal Envoy in his efforts to advance an enduring and dignified resolution and facilitate a just, lasting, and mutually acceptable political solution for Western Sahara.
We regret the Council was not unanimous in support of renewing this mandate today, as unity greatly enhances UN efforts to achieve peace. We strongly support Personal Envoy de Mistura and his efforts to advance the political process, building on the progress of the former Personal Envoy and in line with relevant precedents. We call on all concerned to engage with the Personal Envoy in good faith and expand on their positions in order to advance a sustainable solution.
This political solution is vital to promoting a peaceful and prosperous future for the people of Western Sahara and the region. We continue to view Morocco’s autonomy plan as serious, credible, and realistic, and one potential approach to satisfying these aspirations. By renewing MINURSO’s mandate, the Council also affirms the important role served by the mission. MINURSO’s peacekeepers are tasked with monitoring and reporting on the situation on the ground, deescalating tensions, and when possible, conducting dangerous mine clearance operations.
We support these peacekeepers and call for the restoration of freedom of movement, as well as the resumption of safe and regular resupply of MINURSO team sites to ensure the sustainability of the Mission’s presence. We share the Council’s deep concern regarding the dire situation in the Tindouf refugee camps and urge donors to increase humanitarian contributions in response to this growing crisis.
In closing, I would reiterate that we as Council members share the privilege and the responsibility of encouraging constructive engagement, as reflected in the resolution we just adopted.
Thank you, Mr. President
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