SC/7704
26 March 2003
Security Council Extends Western Sahara Mission Until 31 May, Unanimously Adopting Resolution 1469 (2003)
NEW YORK, 25 March (UN Headquarters) -- The Security Council this afternoon extended the mandate of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) until 31 May.
Unanimously adopting resolution 1469 (2003), the Council also requested the Secretary-General to provide a report on the situation by 19 May, as proposed by his letter to the Council President of 19 March (document S/2003/341).
The letter states that, just prior to the Council's adoption of resolution 1463 on 30 January, the Secretary-General's Personal Envoy, James A. Baker III, undertook his latest round of consultations with the parties and neighbouring countries during his visit to the region between 14 and 17 January, where he presented and explained to them a proposal for a political solution to the conflict in Western Sahara providing for self-determination. The proposal, entitled "Peace plan for self-determination for the people of Western Sahara", was also informally circulated to Council members in early March.
To date, not all the parties have provided their views on the proposal. In order to allow additional time for all the parties and neighbouring countries to submit their replies, and to give the Personal Envoy time to assess the parties' responses, the Secretary-General had proposed to defer the submission of his own report to the Council until 19 May. He had also proposed that the Council consider authorizing a technical extension of the mandate of MINURSO for a further period of two months, until 31 May.
The meeting began at 2 p.m. and adjourned at 2:03 p.m.
The full text of Council resolution 1469 (2003) reads, as follows:
"The Security Council,
"Reaffirming all its previous resolutions on Western Sahara, in particular resolution 1429 (2002) of 30 July 2002,
"1. Decides to extend the mandate of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western
"2. Requests the Secretary-General to provide a report on the situation by 19 May 2003 as proposed by the Secretary-General in his letter to the President of the Security Council of 19 March 2003 (S/2003/341);
"3. Decides to remain seized of the matter."
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