MINURSO Mandate Renewal: Explanation of Vote, Resolution 2602 (2021)

Kenya voted for Resolution 2602 (2021) for two reasons:

To reaffirm Kenya's support for the work of The United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO); and secondly and more significantly;

To join in expressing full support for Mr. Staffan de Mistura, Secretary-General's Personal Envoy to Western Sahara to reinvigorate the stalled process in the search for a sustainable political solution to the longstanding question of Western Sahara.

Support for the new Personal Envoy is critical if he has to hit the ground running. For Kenya, this responds to the appeal made by the Heads of State and Government of the AU Peace and Security Council on 9th March 2021 to the Secretary-General to expedite the appointment of a new Personal Envoy.

Our engagements on the text of this resolution was informed by our conviction that the plight of the people of Western Sahara must be brought back to the centre of this Council's discourse on this file.

In this regard, we wanted to achieve three things in our negotiations: to make sure it was stronger on self-determination which is the ultimate goal; to have a sharper focus on human rights abuses; and, to have a strategic assessment of MINURSO operations. We are glad that these issues were included in the resolution although the language would have been stronger.

Going forward and building on these three issues, we look to engage closely with the all members for the Security Council to:

Review the approaches that have been employed for years with little or no positive results and shift assertively towards the original destination of self-determination through a referendum which unfortunately continues to be obscured and frustrated. There is need to inject a sense of urgency for the Saharawi people to exercise this inalienable right envisaged in the original mandate;

Speak strongly to the real issues and challenges faced by the people of Western Sahara including the deteriorating human rights situation. We wish in particular to see MINURSO's mandate include reporting on human rights violations against the people of Western Sahara; and thirdly,

Based on the assessment report of MINURSO's operations which will come within six months of the mandate extension, undertake a review of the MINURSO mandate to make it more fit for purpose in responding to the changing environment and facilitating the political process.

Finally, as a country that won its independence from colonial rule, Kenya firmly upholds Africa's support for Western Sahara's claim to self-determination which is reflected in its membership of the African Union. We urge all countries to support this just course for the people of Western Sahara

I Thank you