Russia manages to introduce a key amendment that rebalances the draft and prevents an openly pro-Moroccan resolution

“Don’t Forget Western Sahara” Platform

Just hours before the UN Security Council vote on the renewal of MINURSO’s mandate, diplomatic sources confirmed that Council members reached an agreement late last night on the final wording of the resolution, though without achieving full consensus on all political points.
The lack of unanimity continues to threaten the holding of the voting session, which is scheduled for Thursday, October 30 at 10:00 a.m. New York time.

According to diplomatic leaks, the United States, as the penholder of the draft, accepted to make several amendments in response to objections raised by several members — primarily Russia, which demanded a more balanced language consistent with international law.

The most significant change appears in the central operative paragraph, now worded as follows:

“The Council invites the parties to engage in negotiations without preconditions, based on autonomy, with the aim of reaching a final, mutually acceptable political solution that guarantees the people of Western Sahara the right to self-determination.”

This amendment, pushed by the Russian Federation, succeeded in breaking the deadlock in the discussions and, according to diplomatic sources in New York, prevented the Security Council from aligning itself openly with Morocco’s position.
With this revision, Moscow is said to have placed the Council “at an equal distance from both parties – the Polisario Front and the Moroccan occupying state”, thereby restoring a degree of legal and political balance to the text.

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Russia: guardian of neutrality and international law

Throughout the negotiations, the Russian delegation defended the Council’s duty to remain neutral and to uphold international legality, stressing that the solution to the conflict must result from a consensus between the parties and be reached through negotiations under UN auspices, not through unilateral actions.
Moscow recalled that any attempt to impose a unilateral framework – such as Morocco’s autonomy plan – runs counter to the UN Charter and would have negative consequences for regional peace and security, while undermining the Council’s own credibility in the peaceful settlement of disputes.

Thanks to this position, Russia has emerged as the only member of the Council capable of credibly mediating between both parties, while safeguarding the Council’s role as guarantor of international law, at a time when the approach promoted by Washington appeared aimed at legitimizing the Moroccan occupation.

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The final text: technical extension, ambiguous language, and political undertones

The final version of the draft resolution, which extends MINURSO’s mandate until April 2026, maintains a diplomatic tone of balance, but includes nuances that reflect the struggle between different blocs within the Council.

In its preamble, the text:

• Reaffirms the need to respect the ceasefire and avoid actions that could endanger the political process;
• Expresses concern about the insufficient humanitarian funding for Sahrawi refugees and encourages donor states to increase their support;
• Reiterates the issue of registering and identifying refugees, a reference historically introduced by the United States and Morocco.

In the operative paragraphs, the resolution:

• Requests the Secretary-General to present a strategic review of MINURSO before the end of its mandate;
• Reaffirms the Council’s commitment to supporting a just, lasting, and mutually acceptable political solution, consistent with the principles of the UN Charter, including the principle of self-determination.

Regarding political recommendations, the resolution explicitly mentions Morocco’s 2007 proposal, but — thanks to Russian pressure — does so without granting it primacy, while also reintroducing the reference to the right of the Sahrawi people to self-determination, a clause that had been removed from the original U.S. draft.

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A divided Council and an uncertain vote

Despite the agreement on the final wording, the atmosphere within the Council remains uncertain.
Diplomatic sources indicate that even Washington cannot be sure of the outcome of the vote, and that the Council’s official agenda makes no reference to a session specifically dedicated to Western Sahara or MINURSO, either for Thursday, October 30, or Friday, October 31.

This situation highlights the persistent fracture within the Security Council, where France and the United States continue to openly support Morocco’s position, while Russia and several non-permanent members insist on restoring the debate to its original framework of decolonization and self-determination.

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A fragile balance within the Council

The resolution now up for vote represents a fragile balance between diplomatic compromise and political pressure.
While it retains the reference to “the right to self-determination”, the phrasing remains ambiguous, open to contradictory interpretations: on one hand, it reaffirms a legal principle; on the other, it subordinates it to Morocco’s “autonomy” framework.

Nevertheless, Russia’s intervention has prevented the Council from adopting an openly biased resolution, restoring a minimum degree of coherence with international law, and reinforcing the requirement that any negotiation must take place without preconditions and under UN auspices.

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A decisive vote

The Security Council vote is scheduled for Thursday, October 30, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. (New York time).
The outcome of this session will be crucial in assessing Morocco’s diplomatic isolation, U.S. influence within the Council, and Russia’s ability to assert itself as an impartial mediator.

Whatever the result, this episode once again confirms that the future of Western Sahara depends on respect for international law and on the recognition of the Sahrawi people as the legitimate subject of the decolonization process — not on political formulas crafted to suit the occupying power.