New York (United Nations), November 11, 2026 (SPS) – South Africa has affirmed that Russia's veto of the US-sponsored draft resolution on Western Sahara on October 30 prevented an attempt to undermine international law and deprive the Sahrawi people of their inalienable right to self-determination.
Addressing the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday during the debate under the “veto initiative” (Resolution 76/262), South Africa's Deputy Permanent Representative expressed deep disappointment over the Security Council's collective failure to renew the mandate of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO).
He said the Russian veto had blocked a draft resolution that was markedly unbalanced and one-sided, warning that its adoption would have undermined decades of international understanding regarding MINURSO's role and the decolonization of Western Sahara.
The South African diplomat stressed that no Security Council member had the right to transfer Western Sahara's territory to another state or impose a solution on its people in violation of their inalienable right to self-determination. He also warned that adopting the US draft would have seriously undermined the 1975 advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice.
South Africa considered the use of the veto was necessary to prevent a violation of international law and preserve confidence in the multilateral system.
South Africa also regretted the Security Council's failure to approve a technical extension of MINURSO's mandate, which would have maintained the mission's presence and enabled it to continue its role in preserving stability, monitoring the ceasefire and supporting mine-clearance efforts.
With MINURSO's withdrawal underway, South Africa called on the United Nations to ensure an orderly and secure departure of the mission, while maintaining an international presence to prevent a security vacuum and support the Sahrawi people's exercise of their right to determine their own future.
Reaffirming its unwavering support for the Sahrawi people's struggle, South Africa recalled the UN Secretary-General's statement of November 1 that MINURSO's departure does not affect the inalienable rights of the people of Western Sahara.
It concluded by urging Security Council members to renew their commitment to peaceful solutions and diplomatic efforts, stressing that a successful peace process must be inclusive and free from preconditions or imposed outcomes.
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