Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09USUNNEWYORK463
2009-05-07 00:52:00
UNCLASSIFIED
USUN New York
Cable title:  

UNSC UNANIMOUSLY EXTENDS MINURSO FOR ANOTHER YEAR

Tags:  PREL PBTS UNSC MO AG WI 
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VZCZCXYZ0000
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUCNDT #0463 1270052
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 070052Z MAY 09
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6471
INFO RUCNMGH/MAGHREB COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 000463 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PBTS UNSC MO AG WI
SUBJECT: UNSC UNANIMOUSLY EXTENDS MINURSO FOR ANOTHER YEAR

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 000463

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PBTS UNSC MO AG WI
SUBJECT: UNSC UNANIMOUSLY EXTENDS MINURSO FOR ANOTHER YEAR


1. The Security Council on April 30 unanimously adopted
Resolution 1871 to extend the mandate of the UN Mission for
the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) until April 30,

2010. Ambassador Rice gave the first explanation of vote
(EOV),reiterating U.S. support for Personal Envoy Chris Ross
and his proposals for informal talks with the parties. She
also underlined that the conflict in Western Sahara had
prevented regional cooperation and contributed to poor
relations between Morocco and Algeria. The French PermRep
said France welcomes the resolution's reiteration of support
for the Manhassat process and for UNSC Resolution 1813
(2008),which he said constituted the "roadmap" for the
negotiations. He expressed hope that the parties would
return to negotiations with "realism and a spirit of
compromise," said that the Morooccan autonomy proposal could
serve as a contructive proposal, and said he endorsed the
progress made on humanitarian issues as a way to promote
trust and confidence between the parties.


2. The Russian PermRep said that "on the whole, the Russian
position on Western Sahara remains unchanged," and that
Russia supports a fair, lasting, and mutually acceptable
resolution to the conflict. He expressed hope that the
consensus resolution will "breathe new life" into the
moribund process. The UK PermRep said the unanimous adoption
sends an important signal to the parties and underlined the
importance of expanding the Secretary-General's
recommendation to improve the humanitarian and human-rights
situation. The Costa Rican PermRep said was not satisfied
with the text, but voted for it because of the importance of
giving unanimous support to the process. He said full
respect for human rights is an essential prerequisite for
confidence building, not an obstacle "as some seem to think."
Uganda's intervention echoed that of Costa Rica and added
that MINURSO is the only contemporary peacekeeping mission
without a human-rights component in the mandate. Austria and
Mexico recalled their support for human rights and underlined
the importance of unity in the Council.

Rice