UN to renew MINURSO mandate on 31 October
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Libe
The UN Security Council is to examine the annual report on the Sahara and the renewal of MINURSO’s mandate, which expires on 31 October 2026. The October consultations will draw on briefings by Alexander Ivanko and Staffan de Mistura, amid discussions on Resolution 2797, according to Libération.
The UN Security Council is to examine in October the renewal of the mandate of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in the Sahara (MINURSO), which expires on 31 October 2026. The closed-door consultations will concern the UN secretary-general’s annual report, according to Libe.
The discussions will draw on briefings by Alexander Ivanko, the secretary-general’s special representative for the Sahara and head of MINURSO, as well as Staffan de Mistura, his personal envoy for the issue. They will take place as Council members must also assess the state of the political process and implementation of Resolution 2797, adopted on 31 October 2025.
This sequence extends diplomatic efforts undertaken since the beginning of the month. The UN report on the negotiations was published on 1 October, before Guterres placed Morocco’s autonomy plan at the heart of the negotiations on 4 October. Staffan de Mistura then discussed guarantees and self-determination on 10 October, while Antonio Guterres called for consultation of the Sahrawi people on 12 October.
Update of 23 October 2026: The United States is proposing to extend MINURSO’s mandate while fundamentally changing the role of the UN mission in the Sahara. Read: Washington wants to change MINURSO’s mandate in the Sahara.
