Patrick Costello (Dublin South Central, Green Party)
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27. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the actions that Ireland is taking in its role on the United Nations Security Council in relation to Western Sahara. [48633/22]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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As per the UN designation, Ireland recognises Western Sahara as a non-self-governing territory. Ireland’s consistent position, over many years, has been to support the right of the Saharawi people to decide their future through self-determination, and there is an ongoing UN process, led by Staffan de Mistura as the Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary General, to provide good offices in the search for a peaceful solution to the conflict over Western Sahara.

We do not have a view on an outcome of a decision on the future of the territory – be it independence, integration, autonomy, or some other solution – so long as it is decided peacefully and in a genuine exercise of self-determination.

At the UN Security Council, Ireland engaged on the issue of Western Sahara, particularly in the context of the UN Mission for a Referendum in Western Sahara, MINURSO. In October 2021, in resolution 2602, the United Nations Security Council urged the constructive resumption of the political process and reaffirmed its commitment to assist the parties to achieve a just, lasting, and mutually acceptable political solution, based on compromise, which will provide for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara.

In April 2022, we reiterated our longstanding position and urged the parties to the conflict to recommit to a ceasefire. Ireland has consistently called on all parties to respect the terms of the ceasefire agreement of 1991, to fulfil their obligations under international law, including ensuring full respect for human rights, and to refrain from any actions that could lead to escalation of tensions.

The MINURSO mandate is due for renewal at the end of this month and officials in my department are fully engaged with this process.