The United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) ceased operations on November 1, 2026, after 35 years, and entered a liquidation period, after its mandate expired on October 31 with the Security Council approving neither of the two draft resolutions.

The United States text received 11 votes in favor, 1 Russian veto and 3 abstentions, and the alternative Russian text, which extended the mission until October 31, 2027, received 3 votes in favor, 1 vote against from the United States and 11 abstentions. The US text removed the word referendum from the mission’s name and made the Moroccan autonomy proposal the sole basis for further negotiations. The Russian delegation said it could reverse the entire resolution process and called the vote a life-saving veto, Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita said the end of the mission does not mean the end of the ceasefire, and Oxfam warned that losing the monitoring role could undermine stability, with serious consequences for civilians.