Later this month, the UN Security Council will decide on the renewal of the mandate of MINURSO, the UN peace mission in Western Sahara.

In view thereof, and given the urgency created by Kosmos Energy's plans to commence oil drilling in Western Sahara, WSRW has asked the Security Council Presidency, Nigeria, for an answer to the following questions.

1) Will the UN issue a statement on the plans to drill for oil in Western Sahara’s coastal waters, as it did in 2002?
2) Will the MINURSO mandate include human rights monitoring? Can a mandate for the monitoring of resource exploitation also be proposed?
3) Will the UN explore the option of administering a Trust Fund for the Saharawi people, in which to reserve all profits from resource exploitation until the UN-sponsored process for self-determination is completed?

Copies of the letter have been sent to all other Security Council Members, the office of the UN Secretary General, UN Envoy for Western Sahara, Mr Christopher Ross, and Special Representative for Western Sahara, Mr Wolfgang Weisbrod Weber.

A full version of the letter can be read here.