§ Jeremy CorbynTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action has been taken by United Kingdom representatives at the United Nations to ensure the people of the Western Sahara have the opportunity to vote on their future in a referendum; and if he will make a statement. [56587]
§ Mr. BradshawUnited Kingdom representatives in New York have worked in the United Nations Security Council and through informal contacts and groupings to find a resolution to the dispute over Western Sahara.
During discussions on this matter, the UK's position remained consistent. The UK was impartial in this dispute and fully supported the position of the Secretary-General and his personal envoy, James Baker, to find a just and lasting solution to the situation in Western Sahara. The UK sought a just and durable outcome that allowed the people of the Western Sahara the right to self-determination. The UK wished to see both sides become flexibly engaged in the search for a long term solution, which at this point seemed stalled by their mutually exclusive objectives.