The latest report by UN Secretary-General António Guterres, expected to be presented to the Security Council before the vote on MINURSO, encourages negotiations based on the Moroccan autonomy plan. However, it sets a fundamental condition: any proposal must be submitted to the Sahrawis, who are free to accept or reject it. The Security Council must decide by 31 October on the renewal of MINURSO's mandate. The annual report by the secretary-general, dated 1 October and registered under the reference S/2026/781, has not yet been made public. An advanced version is circulating among Council members, and it is this version that underlies the comments published in the past week by media outlets from the concerned countries, with often opposing interpretations. The first report since resolution 2797, it is also the last one by António Guterres, whose mandate ends on 31 December. The secretary-general says he is "encouraged" by the resumption of direct discussions between the parties, a first in nearly seven years, and recommends extending the mission for one year, until 31 October 2027. A proposal that the Sahrawis can reject. According to published accounts, the report provides that any proposal resulting from negotiations should be submitted to a significant consultation process, ensuring the Sahrawis the freedom to accept or reject it. The secretary-general sees this as a necessary condition for the exercise of their right to self-determination. His personal envoy, Staffan de Mistura, has reminded at several stages of the talks that any settlement must include such a consultation and be based on "solid international guarantees." The report invites the parties to explore a "true autonomy," considered the most feasible outcome in line with resolution 2797. However, this option is conditional on the Sahrawis' choice. "Participation in the process does not equate to prior acceptance of its potential outcome," wrote Amar Belani on 5 October, summarizing a consistent line from Algiers. Interviewed late September by France 24, Massad Boulos, Donald Trump's advisor on Arab and African affairs, acknowledged that no solution is imminent and indicated that Washington is still awaiting the Polisario's comments on the autonomy plan. Three rounds of discussions since January. The report details the three rounds of negotiations co-chaired by Staffan de Mistura and Mike Waltz, the US ambassador to the UN, in Washington on 18 and 19 January, in Madrid on 8 and 9 February, and again in Washington on 23 and 24 February. Morocco, Algeria, and Mauritania were represented by their foreign ministers, the Polisario Front by its head of external relations. Rabat presented an expanded version of its 2007 autonomy proposal, while the Polisario submitted its own proposals, derived from a document submitted to the secretary-general in October 2025. In Madrid, the delegations discussed a "transition council," resource sharing, amnesty, disarmament of combatants, and future electoral systems. A framework agreement for a potential transition period emerged, subsequently revised by Staffan de Mistura. According to the report, its adoption would open the way to negotiations on a detailed autonomy model and the consultation process. Sovereignty and self-determination were only directly addressed in the third round.