United Nations Security Council Resolution 1495

UN Security Council
Resolution 1495
UN Security Council ; Resolution 1495
	Boujdour in Western Sahara
Date	31 July 2003
Meeting no.	4,801
Code	S/RES/1495 (Document)
Subject	The situation concerning Western Sahara
Voting summary	15 voted for; None voted against; None abstained;
Result	Adopted
Security Council composition
Permanent members	China ; France ; Russia ; United Kingdom ; United States ;
Non-permanent members	Angola ; Bulgaria ; Chile ; Cameroon ; Germany ; Guinea ; Mexico ; Pakistan ; Spain ; Syria ;

Last updated January 21, 2022

United Nations Security Council resolution 1495, adopted unanimously on 31 July 2003, after recalling all previous resolutions on the situation in Western Sahara, particularly Resolution 1429 (2002), the Council extended the mandate of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) until 31 October 2003 and supported the Baker Plan put forth by James Baker III, who was at that time the Special Representative for Western Sahara of the Secretary-General Kofi Annan, as a replacement of the 1991 Settlement Plan.^[1] The resolution, adopted after significant changes to the original draft,^[2] was welcomed by the Polisario Front, which supported the Baker Plan, but not by Morocco, which resisted it.^[3]

Resolution

Observations

The Security Council was concerned at the lack of progress towards a political solution to the dispute between Morocco and the Polisario Front, which remained a potential source of instability to the Maghreb region.^[4] It reaffirmed its commitment to assist the parties in achieving a durable solution which will provide for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara. The parties were commended for their respect of the ceasefire and MINURSO's efforts were also praised.

Acts

Acting under Chapter VI of the United Nations Charter, the Council supported the Baker Plan as the "optimum political solution" to the dispute and called upon both parties to work towards the acceptance and implementation of the plan.^[5] Furthermore, the parties and states in the region were asked to co-operate with the Secretary-General and his Personal Envoy.^[4]

The resolution called upon the Polisario Front to release all remaining prisoners of war under international humanitarian law and for both parties to co-operate with the International Committee of the Red Cross to resolve the issue of persons unaccounted for since the start of the conflict.^[4] The parties were urged to implement confidence-building measures with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and for the international community to support the UNHCR and World Food Programme in overcoming the deteriorating food situation among refugees.

Finally, the Secretary-General was asked to provide an assessment of the situation before 31 October 2003.

Related Research Articles

The United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara is the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Western Sahara, established in 1991 under United Nations Security Council Resolution 690 as part of the Settlement Plan, which had paved way for a cease-fire in the conflict between Morocco and the Polisario Front over the contested territory of Western Sahara.

The Settlement Plan was an agreement between the ethnically Saharawi Polisario Front and Morocco on the organization of a referendum, which would constitute an expression of self-determination for the people of Western Sahara, leading either to full independence, or integration with the Kingdom of Morocco. It resulted in a cease-fire which remains effective to this day, and the establishment of the MINURSO peace force to oversee it and to organize the referendum. The referendum never occurred.

United Nations Security Council Resolution 1675, adopted unanimously on April 28, 2006, after recalling all previous resolutions on the situation in Western Sahara, including resolutions 1495 (2003), 1541 (2004) and 1634 (2005), the Council extended the mandate of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) until October 31, 2006.

The Manhasset negotiations were a series of talks that took place in four rounds in 2007–2008 at Manhasset, New York between the Moroccan government and the representatives of the Saharawi liberation movement, the Polisario Front to resolve the Western Sahara conflict. They were considered the first direct negotiations in seven years between the two parties. Also present at the negotiations were the neighboring countries of Algeria and Mauritania.

United Nations Security Council resolution 1301, adopted on 31 May 2000, after recalling all previous resolutions on the question of the Western Sahara, in particular resolutions 1108 (1997) and 1292 (2000), the Council extended the mandate of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) until 31 July 2000.

United Nations Security Council resolution 1309, adopted unanimously on 25 July 2000, after recalling all previous resolutions on the question of the Western Sahara, in particular resolutions 1108 (1997), 1292 (2000), 1301 (2000) and 1308 (2000), the Council extended the mandate of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) until 31 October 2000.

United Nations Security Council resolution 1324, adopted unanimously on 30 October 2000, after recalling all previous resolutions on the question of the Western Sahara, in particular resolutions 1108 (1997), 1292 (2000), 1301 (2000), 1308 (2000) and 1309 (2000), the Council extended the mandate of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) until 28 February 2001.

United Nations Security Council resolution 1394, adopted unanimously on 27 February 2002, after reaffirming all previous resolutions on Western Sahara and its commitment to achieve a lasting solution to the dispute, the Council extended the mandate of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) until 30 April 2002.

United Nations Security Council resolution 1406, adopted unanimously on 30 April 2002, after recalling all previous resolutions on the situation on Western Sahara, particularly Resolution 1394 (2002), the council extended the mandate of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) until 31 July 2002.

United Nations Security Council resolution 1429, adopted unanimously on 30 July 2002, after recalling all previous resolutions on the situation in Western Sahara, particularly resolutions 1359 (2001) and 1394 (2001), the Council extended the mandate of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) for six months until 31 January 2003.

United Nations Security Council resolution 1463, adopted unanimously on 30 January 2003, after recalling all previous resolutions on the situation in Western Sahara, particularly Resolution 1429 (2002), the Council extended the mandate of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) for two months until 31 March 2003.

United Nations Security Council resolution 1469, adopted unanimously on 25 March 2003, after recalling all previous resolutions on the situation in Western Sahara, particularly Resolution 1429 (2002), the Council extended the mandate of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) for two months until 31 May 2003.

United Nations Security Council resolution 1485, adopted unanimously on 30 May 2003, after recalling all previous resolutions on the situation in Western Sahara, particularly Resolution 1429 (2002), the Council extended the mandate of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) for two months until 31 July 2003.

United Nations Security Council resolution 1513, adopted unanimously on 28 October 2003, after recalling all previous resolutions on the situation in Western Sahara, particularly Resolution 1495 (2003), the Council extended the mandate of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) until 31 January 2004.

United Nations Security Council resolution 1523, adopted unanimously on 30 January 2004, after recalling all previous resolutions on the situation in Western Sahara, particularly Resolution 1495 (2003), the Council extended the mandate of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) until 30 April 2004.

United Nations Security Council Resolution 1541 United Nations Security Council resolution

United Nations Security Council resolution 1541, adopted unanimously on 29 April 2004, after recalling all previous resolutions on the situation in Western Sahara, particularly Resolution 1495 (2003), the Council extended the mandate of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) until 31 October 2004 with a view to reducing its size.

United Nations Security Council resolution 1570, adopted unanimously on 28 October 2004, after recalling all previous resolutions on the situation in Western Sahara, particularly resolutions 1495 (2003) and 1541 (2004), the Council extended the mandate of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) until 30 April 2005.

United Nations Security Council resolution 1598, adopted unanimously on 28 April 2005, after recalling all previous resolutions on the situation in Western Sahara, including resolutions 1495 (2003), 1541 (2004) and 1570 (2004), the Council extended the mandate of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) until 31 October 2005.

United Nations Security Council Resolution 1634, adopted unanimously on 28 October 2005, after recalling all previous resolutions on the situation in Western Sahara, including resolutions 1495 (2003), 1541 (2004) and 1598 (2005), the Council extended the mandate of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) until 30 April 2006.

United Nations Security Council Resolution 1979, adopted unanimously on April 27, 2011, after reaffirming all previous resolutions on the Western Sahara including 1754 (2007), 1783 (2007), 1813 (2008), 1871 (2009) and 1920 (2010), the Council discussed prospects for a settlement of the dispute and extended the mandate of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) until April 30, 2012.

References

↑ "Security Council extends mandate of Western Sahara mission, calls on parties to work towards acceptance of Special Envoy's peace plan". United Nations. 31 July 2003.
↑ Bamford, David (31 July 2003). "UN agrees Sahara peace deal". BBC News.
↑ "Morocco Rejects Latest UN Peace Plan for Western Sahara". AllAfrica.com. 1 August 2003.
1 2 3 McCormack, T.; McDonald, Avril (2006). Yearbook of International Humanitarian Law – 2003, Volume 6; Volume 2003. Cambridge University Press. pp. 281–282. ISBN 978-90-6704-203-1.
↑ Souare, Issaka K. (2007). Western Sahara: is there light at the end of the tunnel?. Institute for Security Studies (South Africa). p. 5.

External links

Works related to United Nations Security Council Resolution 1495 at Wikisource
Text of the Resolution at undocs.org

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[un-1] "Security Council extends mandate of Western Sahara mission, calls on parties to work towards acceptance of Special Envoy's peace plan". United Nations. 31 July 2003.

[2] Bamford, David (31 July 2003). "UN agrees Sahara peace deal". BBC News.

[3] "Morocco Rejects Latest UN Peace Plan for Western Sahara". AllAfrica.com. 1 August 2003.

[ihl-4] 1 2 3 McCormack, T.; McDonald, Avril (2006). Yearbook of International Humanitarian Law – 2003, Volume 6; Volume 2003. Cambridge University Press. pp. 281–282. ISBN 978-90-6704-203-1.

[5] Souare, Issaka K. (2007). Western Sahara: is there light at the end of the tunnel?. Institute for Security Studies (South Africa). p. 5.

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