Settlement Plan

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This article is part of the series: History of Western Sahara Western Sahara
Historical background
Western Sahara War History of Morocco Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic Spanish Sahara Spanish Morocco Colonial wars in Morocco Moroccan Army of Liberation Ifni War ICJ Advisory Opinion UN in Spanish Sahara Madrid Accords Green March Berm (Western Sahara) Human rights in Western Sahara
Disputed regions
Saguia el-Hamra Río de Oro Southern Provinces
Politics
Legal status of Western Sahara Politics of Morocco Politics of the SADR Former members of the Polisario Front CORCAS Moroccan Initiative for Western Sahara
Rebellions
Moroccan Army of Liberation Harakat Tahrir Polisario Front Zemla Uprising Independence Uprising
UN involvement
UN Security Council Resolution 1495 UN Security Council Resolution 1754 UN visiting mission MINURSO Settlement Plan Free Zone Houston Agreement Baker Plan Manhasset negotiations
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The Settlement Plan was an agreement between the Polisario Front and Morocco on the organization of a referendum, which would constitute an expression of self-determination for the people of Western Sahara, leading either to full independence, or integration with the kingdom of Morocco. It resulted in a cease-fire which remains effective to this day, and the establishment of the MINURSO peace force to oversee it and to organize the referendum.

It was based on an earlier peace proposal by the Organization of African Unity (OAU), but this time organized by the United Nations. Originally introduced in the late 1980s, the plan was signed in 1991. The referendum was then supposed take place in 1992, but this never happened, as both parties did not agree over who should be allowed to vote. In 1997, the UN's Houston Agreement attempted to clear the path for the referendum to be held in 1998. Other solutions were sought by the UN secretary special envoy James Baker in 2001 (Baker plan I, accepted by Morocco but rejected by Algeria and the Polisario Front), and in 2003 Baker Plan II rejected by Morocco and accepted by Algeria, the Polisario Front and the United Nations Security Council. Also, James A. Baker III has resigned his post as U.N. Envoy to Western Sahara.