VOTING INSTRUCTIONS: MINURSO MANDATE RENEWAL

UNCLAS STATE 150711 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV UNSC MO AG WI SUBJECT: VOTING INSTRUCTIONS: MINURSO MANDATE RENEWAL ¶1. (U) ACTION REQUEST: USUN is instructed to vote in favor of and to co-sponsor the MINURSO mandate renewal resolution during UNSC voting on 31 October, 2007. The text of the resolution is listed in paragraph 2. If there are substantive changes to the text, USUN is instructed to consult with Washington for additional guidance. USUN is authorized to draw from the talking points in paragraph 3 as required for an explanation of vote and any press statement on MINURSO following voting in the UN Security Council. ¶2. (U) The complete text of the UNSCR is below: Begin Text: The Security Council, PP1 Recalling all its previous resolutions on Western Sahara, PP2 Reaffirming its strong support for the efforts of the Secretary-General and his Personal Envoy, PP3 Reaffirming its commitment to assist the parties to achieve a just, lasting and mutually acceptable political solution, which will provide for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara in the context of arrangements consistent with the principles and purposes of the Charter of the United Nations, and noting the role and responsibilities of the parties in this respect, PP4 Reiterating its call upon the parties and States of the region to continue to cooperate fully with the United Nations and with each other to end the current impasse and to achieve progress towards a political solution, PP5 Taking note of the Moroccan proposal presented on 11 April 2007 to the Secretary-General and welcoming serious and credible Moroccan efforts to move the process forward towards resolution; also taking note of the Polisario Front proposal presented 10 April 2007 to the Secretary-General, SIPDIS PP6 Taking note of the two rounds of negotiations held under auspices of the Secretary-General; welcoming the progress made by the parties to enter into direct negotiations with each other, PP7 Taking note that both sides have agreed to continue the process of negotiations through United Nations sponsored talks, PP8 Having considered the report of the Secretary-General of 19 October 2007 (S/2007/619), SIPDIS OP1 Reaffirms the need for full respect of the military agreements reached with MINURSO with regard to the ceasefire; OP 2 Calls upon the parties to continue to show political will and work in an atmosphere propitious for dialogue in order to engage in substantive negotiations, thus ensuring implementation of resolution 1754 and the success of negotiations; OP3 Calls upon the parties to continue negotiations under the auspices of the Secretary-General without preconditions and in good faith, taking into account the efforts made since 2006 and developments of the last months, with a view to achieving a just, lasting and mutually acceptable political solution, which will provide for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara in the context of arrangements consistent with the principles and purposes of the Charter of the United Nations, and noting the role and responsibilities of the parties in this respect; OP4 Invites Member States to lend appropriate assistance to such talks; OP5 Requests the Secretary-General to provide a report by 31 January 2008 on the status and progress of these negotiations under his auspices, and expresses its intention to meet to receive and discuss this report; OP6 Requests the Secretary-General to provide a report on the situation in Western Sahara well before the end of the mandate period; OP7 Calls on Member States to consider voluntary contributions to fund Confidence Building Measures that allow for increased contact between separated family members, especially family unification visits, as well as for other confidence building measures that may be agreed between the parties; OP8 Decides to extend the mandate of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) until 30 April 2008; OP9 Requests the Secretary-General to continue to take the necessary measures to ensure full compliance in MINURSO with the United Nations' zero-tolerance policy on sexual exploitation and abuse and to keep the Council informed, and urges troop-contributing countries to take appropriate preventive action including pre-deployment awareness training, and other action to ensure full accountability in cases of such conduct involving their personnel; OP10 Decides to remain seized of the matter. End Text: ¶3. (U) USUN is instructed to draw from the following talking points during the 31 October, 2007 UN Security Council vote on MINURSO and press statement. Begin Talking Points: -- We are pleased that Morocco and the Polisario have met for two rounds of negotiations under the auspices of the United Nations. We welcome this development and urge both parties to commit to full discussion of the substantive issues during the next round of talks. -- We believe that meaningful autonomy is a promising and realistic way forward. Morocco's proposal is a serious and credible initiative that provides the realistic basis for negotiations. -- We support a renewal of the MINURSO mandate at this time; however, the USG wants to see progress towards a political solution of this conflict before the next renewal. -- We hope to hear soon that the parties have agreed to a date and venue for the third round of talks. -- The United States remains convinced that the Western Sahara conflict continues to impede regional integration and development in the Maghreb. Unresolved, this humanitarian crisis leaves the Sahrawi people with a bleak future. End Talking Points: ¶4. (U) Please contact LTC James Thomas, IO/PSC at 202-736-7737 for any additional questions or concerns. RICE