DR ‹ › The United Nations has provided details on the latest discussions on the Western Sahara conflict, held on February 23 and 24 in Washington. «In close partnership with the United States, as penholder on Western Sahara in the Security Council, Staffan de Mistura, the Personal Envoy of the Secretary General for Western Sahara, co-chaired negotiations in Washington, D.C. That was 23-24 February. That was co-chaired with Ambassador Michael Waltz, the Permanent Representative of the US, with vital support from the Senior Adviser for Arab and African Affairs to the United States President, Massad Boulos. This was the third co-chaired inter-ministerial meeting on Western Sahara since January», the spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General said during Wednesday's press briefing. «The negotiations saw in-depth discussions, taking as a basis Morocco's autonomy proposal, as per Security Council resolution 2797 (2025). This is encouraging, and significant work will still be required, including on the key issue of self-determination for the people of Western Sahara, to reach a mutually acceptable solution to the conflict», Stéphane Dujarric added. The spokesperson also addressed the envoy's silence in the media. «I will say this because Staffan is a good friend, but I think Staffan is like me and is never shy of microphones or lenses. That being said, I think given the sensitivity of where the discussions are, he's decided not to speak publicly. As soon as he feels he can, I know that he will». The previous day, Dujarric had already noted that «in order to give these negotiations the best chance for success, Mr. de Mistura plans to remain mum for the time being». Unlike previous rounds of discussions on Western Sahara, this appears to be the first time the UN has taken a more discreet, secondary role in the process.
