United Nations (New York), 10 November 2026 (SPS) – The United Nations General Assembly held an open plenary meeting on Tuesday at its headquarters in New York to discuss the Russian Federation's use of its veto in the Security Council on 30 October, which blocked a US-sponsored draft resolution on Western Sahara.
The meeting was convened pursuant to General Assembly Resolution 76/262, which provides for an automatic debate within ten working days whenever a permanent member of the Security Council exercises its veto.
Russia vetoed the US-sponsored draft resolution (S/2026/868), while the Security Council also failed to adopt an alternative Russian draft aimed at technically extending the mandate of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO).
More than 30 countries delivered statements during Tuesday's session. Due to the large number of participants, the President of the General Assembly announced that the debate would resume on Wednesday, with 55 countries and several regional groups registered to take the floor.
Among the participants were Security Council permanent members Russia, the United States, France, the United Kingdom and China, as well as the European Union and Nordic countries.
African, Latin American and Asian countries, including Algeria, Namibia, South Africa, Timor-Leste and Malaysia, were also among those scheduled to address the meeting, reflecting the broad international interest in the question of Western Sahara.
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