In his recent briefing to the UN Security Council, Staffan de Mistura, the Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary-General, emphasized that the future of Western Sahara cannot be determined without the will of the Sahrawi people. He stated that imposing an autonomy proposal as a final solution is impossible without first securing the Sahrawis' right to free self-determination. De Mistura noted that discussing political proposals at the negotiating table does not imply prior acceptance, asserting that negotiations must be rooted in international law to achieve a fair settlement. Addressing the initiative for voluntary refugee visits, the envoy stressed that cooperating with the UNHCR on humanitarian grounds does not equate to a concession of political stances or the right to self-determination, warning against misusing humanitarian efforts for political leverage.