Explanatory statement of the Algerian position in the Security Council following the vote on Resolution No. 2797 relating to the renewal of the mandate of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara, adopted on October 31, 2025.

Mr. President,

Algeria, as a neighboring country to the parties involved in Western Sahara, engaged in good faith and in a constructive spirit in the negotiations on the text submitted to us.

I would like to take this opportunity to express our appreciation to the United States, The owner of the pen, which—unlike last year—spared no effort to improve the text and seek a compromise between the parties involved.

A compromise that could have united all members of the Council.

Indeed—and we acknowledge this publicly—significant improvements have been made to the initial draft:

• First, by reiterating the fundamental parameters for a just and lasting solution to the conflict in Western Sahara;

• Second, by reaffirming the inalienable right of the people of Western Sahara to self-determination.

• Finally, by engaging both parties - the Kingdom of Morocco and the Polisario Front - in good faith negotiations without preconditions, under the auspices of the United Nations.

Unfortunately, the text finally presented to us still suffers from serious shortcomings.

It fails to reflect the legitimate expectations and aspirations of the people of Western Sahara, represented by the Polisario Front.

This people, who have been resisting for over fifty years, seeks nothing more than to have, and to have alone, a say in their own destiny.

What is missing from this text, then?

Quite simply, a clear, unequivocal, and unwavering reaffirmation of the United Nations’ commitment to organizing the long-awaited referendum on self-determination.

This referendum, and this alone, constitute the cornerstone of the mandate of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO), established by the Security Council in 1991.

Any attempt to dilute, divert, or reinterpret this mandate not only violates international legitimacy, but also undermines the credibility of the Council itself.

Mr. President,

Let us not forget that the question of Western Sahara is, first and foremost, a question of decolonization.

It is not—and must not become—a question of territorial integrity or a bilateral dispute.

It is a question that has been on the United Nations list of Non-Self-Governing Territories since 1963, and whose people are waiting for the fulfillment of the official promise made to them by this very same organization.

In this context, Algeria reaffirms that its role is not that of a party to the conflict, but rather that of a neighboring country and observer committed to peace, supporting—without exception—the right of peoples to self-determination in accordance with the Charter and its resolutions of the General Assembly and the Security Council.

Therefore, we call on the Council to return to the basics:

To ensure that the mission’s fundamental objective – organizing a free and fair referendum – is not emptied of its meaning, nor replaced by a process separate from international legitimacy.

Algeria remains convinced that only a political solution that is in accordance with international law and freely chosen by the people of Western Sahara can achieve a just, lasting and mutually acceptable peace in the region.

Mr. President,

Algeria will continue to support the efforts of the Secretary-General and his Personal Envoy, Mr. Staffan de Mistura, to facilitate the resumption of direct negotiations between the two parties in accordance with the relevant Security Council resolutions and the principles enshrined in the Charter.

We hope that one day the Council will be able to adopt a resolution that fully respects the principles upon which the United Nations was founded—truth, justice, and respect for the self-determination of peoples.

Thank you, Mr. President.