Statement attributable to the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General on Western Sahara

The Secretary-General is pleased that the parties have agreed to the proposal made by his Personal Envoy, Mr. Christopher Ross, that the next set of informal talks on Western Sahara be held on 10-11 February. The meeting will take place in Westchester County and will be based on the guidance provided by Security Council resolution 1871 (2009) and earlier resolutions. He encourages the parties to make further progress and urges focused and productive discussions.