UN Security Council Warned Against Imposing Western Sahara Settlement Without Self-Determination
NEW YORK, October 27, 2026 – The Global Monitoring Center (GMC) has urged the United Nations Security Council to uphold international law and protect the Sahrawi people’s right to self-determination amid concerns over a proposed resolution on Western Sahara.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the organization expressed serious concern over an initial US-drafted resolution concerning the mandate of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO).
The center warned that the proposal could favor Morocco’s autonomy plan as the primary framework for resolving the longstanding territorial dispute, potentially limiting the Sahrawi people’s ability to determine their political future freely.
According to the organization, any settlement that imposes a predetermined political outcome would undermine the fundamental principles of self-determination and decolonization established under international law.
The GMC recalled that Western Sahara remains on the United Nations list of Non-Self-Governing Territories. It also highlighted Security Council Resolution 690, adopted in 1991, which established MINURSO to support a referendum on the territory’s future.
The organization called on Security Council members to carefully review the proposed resolution and ensure that any political process respects international legal principles.
It further warned that excluding a genuine mechanism for self-determination could weaken confidence in the UN-led peace process and increase regional tensions.
The statement comes as the Security Council prepares to consider MINURSO’s mandate amid continuing disagreements over Western Sahara’s political status.
