UN General Assembly examines Russian veto on MINURSO
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Libération (Maroc) and L'Information
The United Nations General Assembly meets on Tuesday 10 November to examine the veto cast by Russia on 30 October against the US draft resolution renewing the MINURSO mandate in the Sahara, which was backed by eleven Security Council members. The session is purely procedural and does not reconsider that decision, according to Libération (Morocco).
The meeting, which is purely procedural, concerns the use of the veto and not the substance of the Moroccan Sahara issue. It does not reconsider the Security Council’s decision and results in neither a resolution nor a new decision by the General Assembly. The discussions will be the subject of a factual report, with no decision or recommendation, sent to the president of the Security Council.
The debate stems from resolution 76/262, adopted on 26 April 2022 on the initiative of Liechtenstein, which requires it to be convened within ten working days of a veto so that the state concerned can explain its reasons. Since 2022, this mechanism has been triggered 15 times, notably on Ukraine, Syria, Iran, Mali, North Korea, Sudan and Gaza.
This debate follows the vote of 30 October, when Russia vetoed the US resolution on the Sahara; the MINURSO mandate expired the next day.
