The UN Security Council is set to discuss the Sahara issue at three meetings in October, including a vote on the future of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Sahara (MINURSO), against the backdrop of a new political framework established by Resolution 2797, adopted in October 2025.
The meetings carry particular significance as MINURSO's current mandate expires on October 31. Resolution 2797 extended the mission's mandate for one year and called for negotiations based on Morocco's autonomy proposal, placing the initiative at the center of the UN-led political process.
The Security Council will begin its October agenda on the issue on October 7 with a closed meeting involving countries contributing troops to MINURSO. The session will provide an opportunity for participating states to discuss the mission's operating conditions and developments affecting its activities on the ground.
The meeting comes as the Council prepares to assess the mission's situation ahead of the expiration of its current mandate, amid the framework established by Resolution 2797, which linked MINURSO's future to the progress of negotiations and political developments surrounding the dispute.
On October 8, Security Council members will hold closed consultations on MINURSO, providing another opportunity to review the mission's operations and discuss the latest developments in the Sahara.
The most consequential meeting is scheduled for October 30, when the Council's provisional program, which remains subject to change, includes a session to adopt a resolution extending MINURSO's mandate, one day before its current authorization officially expires.
The vote will take place under the framework of Resolution 2797, which extended the mission's mandate until October 31, 2026, and supported negotiations led by UN Secretary-General's Personal Envoy Staffan de Mistura on the basis of Morocco's autonomy proposal.
The resolution also requested that the UN secretary-general conduct a strategic review of the mission's future mandate, taking into account the outcome of the negotiations.
The October meetings come after a series of diplomatic developments that have significantly reshaped the international context surrounding the Sahara issue, with Morocco securing support for its autonomy proposal from several major international partners.
The United States recognized Morocco's sovereignty over the territory in December 2020, followed by Spain's endorsement of the autonomy plan in 2022 and France's reaffirmation of its position in October 2024. In June 2025, the United Kingdom joined the list of supporters, describing Morocco's 2007 autonomy proposal as the most credible, viable, and pragmatic basis for a lasting resolution of the dispute.
Another significant development came on October 31, 2025, when the Security Council adopted Resolution 2797, establishing a framework for negotiations based on Morocco's autonomy proposal. The resolution called on the parties to engage in discussions without preconditions and recognized that genuine autonomy could represent a feasible outcome, while reaffirming the UN-led process and the need for a mutually acceptable political solution.
In January 2026, the European Union's 27 member states adopted a common position welcoming Resolution 2797 and recognizing that genuine autonomy could represent one of the most feasible solutions to the dispute. The EU also welcomed Morocco's willingness to engage with the parties to clarify how autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty would work in practice.
These diplomatic developments have coincided with Morocco's continued investment in its southern provinces, particularly in infrastructure projects designed to strengthen their economic integration and position them as a gateway to Africa. The Dakhla Atlantic Port, alongside investments in transport, renewable energy, and logistics, forms part of a broader development strategy that Morocco has pursued in the region.
With the Security Council preparing to review MINURSO's mandate and assess the progress of the political process, the October meetings will take place against a backdrop of growing international engagement with Morocco's autonomy proposal. The outcome of the deliberations will help determine the mission's next mandate and provide an indication of how the UN intends to advance negotiations toward a lasting political settlement.
