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MINURSO Fact sheet

United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara
Location:
Western Sahara
Headquarters:
Laayoune
Established: April 1991
Local time:
6 December 2024 - 06:28 +01

Preparing for a choice

The United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) was established by Security Council resolution 690 of 29 April 1991 in accordance with settlement proposals accepted on 30 August 1988 by Morocco and the Frente Popular para la Liberación de Saguia el-Hamra y de Río de Oro (Frente POLISARIO). 

 

The settlement plan, as approved by the Security Council, provided for a transitional period for the preparation of a referendum in which the people of Western Sahara would choose between independence and integration with Morocco. The Special Representative of the Secretary-General was to have sole and exclusive responsibility over matters relating to the referendum and was to be assisted in his tasks by an integrated group of civilian, military and civilian police personnel, to be known as the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara.

 

On 29 April 2016, the Security Council adopted resolution 2285, calling upon the parties to the conflict to continue to show political will in order to enter into a more intensive and substantive phase of negotiations.

Strength

*Military personnel include contingent troops, experts on mission and staff officers.

Contributing countries

The top ten troop contributing countries to the mission are listed below. You can view a full list of countries contributing to all missions on the troop and police contributors page

To download the data in as a spreadsheet (CSV format), click anywhere on the chart first, then click on 'download' and select 'crosstabs'.

Fatalities
Funding

Method of financing: MINURSO is funded through a separate account approved on an annual basis by the General Assembly.

Approved budget: (07/2021–06/2022): $60,908,900 (A/RES/75/305)

 

 

UN documents

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