« Mr. Van Walsum’s status has not changed. He is still the personal Envoy of the UN Secretary General and participates in the reflection process concerning the next steps of negotiations process”, declared the assistant spokeswoman of the UN Secretary General, Marie Okabe, during a news conference in New York.

Concerning a question about the last developments of this issue, Mrs. Okabe has indicated that the UN is giving “more time and reflection” before a future round of talks. 

« After the last report of the UN Secretary General and the final report presented to the Security Council, we are giving more time and reflection to the process before a fifth round of negotiations”, she said, before adding that “the date and time of the next round will be announced once it  isdetermined”.

In his last report to the Security Council, Mr. Van Walsum, affirmed that the independence option is neither realistic nor achievable and that the Polisario should give up thinking about it.

In its 1813 Resolution, the Security Council has reinforced Mr. Van Walsum in this realistic vision and  has renewed its confidence in him in supporting the commitment of the Secretary General and his Personal Envoy to work for a solution to the Sahara issue, through intense and substantial negotiations, characterized by realism and compromise spirit.

Since June 2007, delegations from Morocco, the Polisario, Algeria and Mauritania have participated in Manhasset, near New York, in four rounds of negotiations under the auspices of the United Nations, pursuant to the Security Council Resolutions 1754 of April 30th, and 1783 of October 31st, 2007.

At the end of the 4th round, the parties undertook to carry out negotiations up to a date to be commonly determined.

Source : MAP
- News concerning the Western Sahara issue/Corcas -