PRESS REPORTS ON POSSIBLE RESIGNATION OF PERSONAL ENVOY FOR WESTERN SAHARA INCORRECT

PRESS REPORTS ON POSSIBLE RESIGNATION OF PERSONAL ENVOY

FOR WESTERN SAHARA INCORRECT

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for Secretary-General Kofi Annan:

There have been recent press reports that James A. Baker, Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General for Western Sahara, has stated that he will resign if the Security Council does not give him a mandate to work on revising the draft framework agreement, which is option two of the four options presented by the Secretary-General in his February 2002 report (S/2002/178) to the Security Council.  This is incorrect.

Mr. Baker has consistently declined to recommend any one option to the Security Council.  As he stated during his briefing of the Council on 27 February 2002, he favours any option that will give him a clear mandate and which will have the support of the Security Council.  He is of the view that any option that the Security Council chooses should give the Secretary-General and his Personal Envoy sufficient authority to try and resolve the long-standing conflict over Western Sahara.

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