Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the Government's policy is on the potential renewal of the mandate of the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara; and if he will make representations at the UN Security Council to expand the mandate of that mission to include a requirement to monitor and report on human rights abuses in Western Sahara.

​We support the renewal of the mandate of the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) and UK officials are discussing the UN Security Council Resolution that does this with Security Council partners. Previous Resolutions have stressed the importance of improving the human rights situation in Western Sahara and the Tindouf camps. We will continue to support efforts to ensure that MINURSO is able to fulfil the mandate given to it by the UN Security Council.