New York (United Nations), 1 November 2026 (SPS) – United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has stressed that the non-renewal of the mandate of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) does not extinguish the inalienable right of the Sahrawi people to self-determination.
In a statement delivered on Sunday by his spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric, Guterres clarified that MINURSO was established in 1991 to monitor the ceasefire and create conditions conducive to a political solution to the conflict in Western Sahara, while enabling the Sahrawi people to exercise their right to self-determination.
The Secretary-General emphasised that the non-renewal of the Mission’s mandate does not diminish the inalienable rights of the Sahrawi people, calling on all parties to respect and uphold those rights.
Guterres reiterated the United Nations’ commitment to supporting the parties in reaching a just, lasting and mutually acceptable political solution that guarantees the Sahrawi people’s right to self-determination. He also affirmed the Organisation’s readiness to continue its efforts towards a peaceful settlement of the conflict through his Personal Envoy for Western Sahara, Staffan de Mistura.
He further stressed that the end of MINURSO’s peacekeeping operations does not mean an end to the United Nations’ efforts to achieve a peaceful solution to the conflict.
