United Nations, July 22, 2011 (SPS) - The eigth round of informal negotiations between the Polisario Front and Morocco concluded Thursday, without major progress, according to a statement of the UN Secretary General’s Personal Envoy for Western Sahara, Ambassador Christopher Ross.
The UN envoy confirmed that both parties, Frente Polisario and Morocco, “started a discussion on ways to tackle the agreed topics for discussion, namely natural resources and demining, and requested the assistance of the UN to propose a framework for reflection for future exchanges.”
“In order to find a just, lasting and mutually acceptable political solution to the Western Sahara conflict, which will provide for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara in the context of arrangements consistent with the principles and purposes of the Charter of the United Nations, the parties continued to deepen their discussions on the two proposals, including the issue of the electoral corps and mechanisms for self-determination,” said the communiqué.
Mr. Ross pointed out that the two parties started discussions will be deepened during the coming months on the topics of governance such as education, environment and health, without prejudice to the final status of the territory of Western Sahara.”
Regarding the confidence-building measure, the parties and the neighbouring States reiterated their support for the proper implementation plan of action of 2004 and the family visits by road.
In this regard, he added that the two parties expressed “intention to participate in the workshop to be organized by the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Madeira, Portugal, in September and in the upcoming evaluation meeting with the UNHCR’s office in Geneva on October 2011.
The next round of the informal talks will take place after the UN General Assembly in September, the communiqué revealed. (SPS)