Greece took over the rotating presidency of the UN Security Council on Thursday, in the month when the Council must decide whether to renew the mandate of the UN mission in the Sahara, MINURSO, which expires on 31 October, according to the United Nations.
It will be the first renewal since the Council adopted Resolution 2797 on 31 October 2025. That resolution referred to Morocco's 2007 autonomy proposal as a basis for future negotiations and extended MINURSO's mandate for one year.
The presidency now sits with a country that openly backs the Moroccan plan. After talks in Athens with Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita on 7 September, Greek Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis said the autonomy proposal "constitutes a serious and credible contribution to the ongoing United Nations process."
Athens also considers that the proposal "could be the most feasible solution" for a definitive settlement of the regional dispute, according to the Moroccan Foreign Ministry, and supports the UN Secretary-General's Personal Envoy, Staffan de Mistura, in conducting negotiations on that basis.
As a non-permanent member of the Council for 2025-2026, Greece was among the 11 members that voted for Resolution 2797 last year. China, Russia and Pakistan abstained, while Algeria did not take part in the vote.
Greece's Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Aglaia Balta, chairs the Council this month and is presenting its October program of work to reporters on Thursday.
The Sahara issue is among the files on the Council's agenda during the Greek presidency, along with Haiti and Colombia. The Council will also deal with the war in Ukraine and the situation in the Middle East this month.
This is Greece's second and last presidency of its two-year term, which ends on 31 December 2026. It also coincides with the Council's process to choose the next UN Secretary-General.
Ahead of the Council's decision, the UN General Assembly's Fourth Committee, which deals with decolonization issues, will hold its hearings of petitioners at UN headquarters in New York from 5 to 9 October, according to the UN schedule.
The United States, the penholder on the Sahara file, drafted last year's resolution, which also asked the Secretary-General for a strategic review of MINURSO's mandate within six months, according to Security Council Report.
During the Athens talks, Bourita and Gerapetritis also discussed cooperation in infrastructure, renewable energy, maritime transport and agrifood. Greece described Morocco as a gateway to sub-Saharan markets and pointed to opportunities linked to the 2030 FIFA World Cup.
The Secretary-General's report on the situation in the Sahara, requested under Resolution 2797, is also expected to be issued this month, according to the Council's monthly forecast.
It should be noted that the Council's decision is due before MINURSO's mandate expires on 31 October, with the exact date of the vote set in the program of work of the Greek presidency.
