New York (United Nations), November 11, 2026 (SPS) – Algeria has affirmed that the end of the mandate of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) does not undermine the Sahrawi people's inalienable right to self-determination or relieve the Security Council of its responsibilities towards the Western Sahara conflict.
Addressing the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday, during the debate under the “veto initiative” following Russia's veto of the US-sponsored draft resolution on October 30, the Algerian representative described the Russian veto as a “blessing”, considering that the proposed text risked undermining established UN principles governing the settlement of the Western Sahara conflict and the decolonization process.
Algeria warned against imposing predetermined outcomes and approaches that disregard the foundations of the UN-led political process, stressing that diplomacy and respect for international legitimacy remain essential to achieving a just and lasting solution.
It also criticized the handling of the draft resolution, stressing that the role of the Security Council's penholder carries a responsibility to maintain impartiality and objectivity, rather than promote positions favouring one party.
The Algerian representative further described the failure to implement MINURSO's mandate over the past 35 years as a failure of the Security Council and the international community, emphasizing that the proposed US resolution sought to overlook the underlying causes of this failure.
Reaffirming the legal status of Western Sahara, Algeria stressed that the territory remains a decolonization issue and that the United Nations continues to bear responsibility until the Sahrawi people freely exercise their right to self-determination, in accordance with the UN Charter and General Assembly Resolution 1514.
Algeria also recalled the statement by UN Secretary-General António Guterres on November 1, affirming that MINURSO was established to serve the Sahrawi people and enable them to exercise their inalienable right to self-determination, and that the mission's departure does not extinguish those rights.
Concluding its statement, Algeria rejected any attempt to legitimize the colonial status quo or deviate from the UN decolonization doctrine, reaffirming that it would not support any initiative that undermines the established principles of a just, lasting and mutually acceptable solution guaranteeing the Sahrawi people's right to self-determination.
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