PSC/PR/COMM(DCLVIII) Page 3 (ii) underlines the imperative for the Kingdom of Morocco and the SADR, in their capacity as Member States of the Union, to immediately engage in direct and serious talks, without preconditions and in compliance with Article 4 of the Constitutive Act; (iii) decides to strengthen the mandate of Former President Joaquim Chissano of Mozambique, to be appointed as AU High Representative for Western Sahara with the mandate to facilitate the direct talks between the two Member States and to mobilize African and UN efforts required to this effect. Council requests the Chairperson of the Commission to take necessary steps to enable the AU High Representative to immediately undertake his mandate; (iv) also decides to reactivate the Ad hoc Committee of Heads of State and Government on the conflict in Western Sahara, established pursuant to resolution AHG/Res.92(XV), adopted at the 15th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the OAU, held in Khartoum, Sudan, from 18 to 22 July 1978. Council requests the Chairperson of the Commission to undertake the necessary consultations for the finalization of the composition and the operationalization of the Ad hoc Committee; (v) calls on all AU Member States, in the spirit of pan-Africanism and in line with the provisions of the Constitutive Act, to mobilize and provide political, diplomatic and other forms of support to the two Member States and to the AU High Representative for Western Sahara in order to facilitate their direct talks; (vi) further requests the AU Commission to immediately take the necessary steps for the re-opening of the AU Office in Laayoune, Western Sahara, including provision of the requisite human and financial resources and logistical facilities; (vii) appeals to the UN and the larger international community to lend their full support to African efforts aimed at overcoming the current impasse in the peace process in Western Sahara; (viii) further decides to regularly review the situation in Western Sahara, on the basis of updates and recommendations provided by the Chairperson of the Commission and the AU High Representative for Western Sahara; (ix) also decides to undertake a field mission of the Council to Western Sahara in the course of 2017. 11. Looks forward to the renewal of the mandate of the MINURSO at the expiration of its current mandate, on 30 April 2017, as decided by the UN Security Council in resolution 2285 (2016) of 29 April 2016. Council urges the UN Security Council to take the necessary steps to restore full functionality of MINURSO in order for it to effectively oversee the cease-fire agreement and to avoid recurrence of violations. Council further requests the UN Security Council to provide the Mission with a human rights mandate, taking into account the need to ensure sustained, independent and impartial monitoring of human rights in both the Territory and the refugee camps.

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