S/PV.3516 Security Council

The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. The Security Council is meeting in accordance with the understanding reached in its prior consultations. Members of the Council have before them the report of the Secretary-General on the situation concerning Western Sahara (S/1995/240). Following consultations among members of the Security Council, I have been authorized to make the following statement on behalf of the Council: “The Security Council notes the report of the Secretary-General dated 30 March 1995 (S/1995/240). It welcomes progress achieved so far in the identification and registration process, in particular the acceleration in the rate of identification, and emphasizes the need to continue that acceleration. It endorses the Secretary-General’s goal of achieving a rate of at least 25,000 per month. However, the Council regrets that progress was not sufficient to enable the Secretary-General to recommend 1 June 1995 as the date for the commencement of the transitional period. “The Security Council also notes with concern the delays resulting from the failure to ensure the continuous presence at the identification centres of the “The Security Council expresses its concern about the slow progress on the other aspects which are relevant to the fulfilment of the Settlement Plan and must be implemented before the referendum can take place. It calls upon both parties to cooperate fully with the Secretary-General, with his Deputy Special Representative, with the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO), and to coordinate such cooperation to ensure prompt and full implementation of all aspects of the Settlement Plan. “The Security Council hopes to see continuous and rapid progress by the time of the Secretary- General’s next report, in May 1995, which would enable it to consider favourably the possible extension of MINURSO’s mandate.” This statement will be issued as a document of the Security Council under the symbol S/PRST/1995/17. The Security Council has thus concluded the present stage of its consideration of the item on its agenda.