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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