§ Mrs. GillanTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the recommendations that United Nations Special Envoy James Baker has recently made regarding the future of western Sahara. [2714]
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§ Mr. BradshawWe supported UN Security Council Resolution 1359 which was passed unanimously on 29 June 2001 and which extended the mandate of the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) until 30 November 2001. This resolution reiterated full support for the ongoing efforts of MINURSO to implement the Settlement Plan and agreements by the parties to hold a free, fair and impartial referendum for the self-determination of the people of the western Sahara. It also reaffirmed our commitment to achieve a just and lasting solution to the question of western Sahara. We fully support the efforts of the UN Secretary-General to invite all the parties to meet directly or through proximity talks, under the auspices of his Personal Envoy James Baker, to discuss the draft Framework Agreement and to negotiate any specific changes they would like to see in this proposal, as well as to discuss any other proposal for a political solution, to arrive at a mutually acceptable agreement.