On 11 November, MINURSO celebrated Poland's Independence Day by raising its flag at the Mission headquarters in Laayoune next to the UN flag. The 11^th of November marks the restoration of Poland’s independence in 1918 after over a century of territorial division and foreign rule.

Poland is one of the 51 States signatories of the UN Charter and by 1946 and it joined the UN peacekeeping operations in 1973 sending its first blue helmets to the UNEF II (United Nations Emergency Force II). Since then, Polish military troops have participated in UN peacekeeping operations around the world, including in MINURSO at its inception in 1991 and at the present time.

The national flag shows two horizontal stripes: the upper white and the lower red, and the official emblem represents a white eagle with golden beak and talons. The flag that features Poland's white eagle set against a red shield on the white field is, according to Polish flag tradition, used by Polish ships at sea, diplomatic missions and other official institutions abroad.

Dziȩkujȩ Polsko!