Oxfam welcomes the decision of the UN Security Council to renew the mandate of MINURSO for a further 6 months instead of the usual one-year extension, compelling the parties to take real and substantive action in a timely matter.

In response to the UN Security Council's six month renewal of the mandate of the UN mission that has been monitoring a ceasefire in Western Sahara since 1991 and its outline of steps for a return to negotiations, Oxfam says MINURSO must re-affirm and implement its full mandate.

The Western Sahara harbors one of the longest standing but yet unknown humanitarian disasters in recent history. Today, marking 40 years since the start, the UN Security Council is about to discuss the stalemate.