United Nations Security Council Resolution 1215 – Western Sahara
Resolution 1215 (1998)
The Security Council,
Recalling all its previous resolutions on the question of the Western Sahara, and reaffirming in particular resolution 1204 (1998) of 30 October 1998,
Welcoming the report of the Secretary-General of 11 December 1998(S/1998/1160) and the observations and recommendations contained therein,
Noting the stated position of the Government of Morocco, and welcoming theformal acceptance by the POLISARIO Front to implement the package of measurescontained in paragraph 2 of the report of the Secretary-General, in order tomove forward with the implementation of the Settlement Plan,
- Decides to extend the mandate of the United Nations Mission for theReferendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) until 31 January 1999 to allow forfurther consultations in the hope that those consultations will lead toagreement on the various protocols without undermining the integrity of theSecretary-General’s proposed package or calling into question its main elements;
2. Notes, in this regard, that the implementation of the Secretary-General’s proposal to launch simultaneously the identification and appealsprocesses could clearly demonstrate the willingness of the parties to acceleratethe referendum process, in accordance with the wishes they have publiclyexpressed in recent months;
3. Calls upon the parties and the interested States to sign as soon aspossible the proposed refugee repatriation protocol with the Office of theUnited Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), urges the Government ofMorocco to formalize the presence of the UNHCR in the Territory, and requestsboth parties to take concrete action to enable the UNHCR to carry out thenecessary preparatory work for the repatriation of Saharan refugees eligible tovote, and their immediate families, according to the Settlement Plan;
4. Urges the Government of Morocco promptly to sign a status-of-forcesagreement with the Secretary-General as an indispensable condition for the fulland timely deployment of MINURSO-formed military units and recalls that pendingthe conclusion of such agreement, the model status-of-forces agreement dated9 October 1990 (A/45/594), as provided for in General Assembly resolution52/12 B, should apply provisionally;
5. Notes that the contracts of the majority of the IdentificationCommission staff will expire by the end of December 1998, and that futureextensions will depend on the prospects for resuming the identification work inthe immediate future and on the decisions the Security Council will takeconcerning the mandate of MINURSO;
6. Requests the Secretary-General to report to the Council by22 January 1999 on the implementation of this resolution and on the progress inthe implementation of the Settlement Plan and the agreements reached between theparties, and further requests him to keep the Council regularly informed of allsignificant developments including, as appropriate, a reassessment by thePersonal Envoy of the Secretary-General of the continuing viability of themandate of MINURSO;
7. Decides to remain seized of the matter.
Adopted by the Security Council at its 3956th meeting,on 17 December 1998.
