MINURSO was thrilled to welcome Dr. Dorothy Morgos, Senior Staff Counsellor from the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), who visited the Mission from 25 November to 2 December as part of the implementation of MINURSO’s pilot Integrative Organizational Mental Health Initiative. Throughout her deployment, the Senior Counsellor engaged with the Mission Leadership, held dedicated consultations with all military and civilian staff -  including female Military Observers in Laayoune and at the Team Sites, personnel at the Mission’s Logistic Base and at the Tindouf Liaison Office - and delivered various workshops, two of which on Equipping First Responders On Mental Health, addressed to the Bangladesh Medical Unit. Dr. Morgos also provided individual confidential counselling in English and Arabic. The overall feedback from the Mission was very positive with visible impact among UN personnel who are eager to continue supporting the organizational approach to mental health.

MINURSO launched its pilot Mental Health Initiative in September 2023, in partnership with the UNDSS Critical Incidents Stress Management Section at UNHQ, to increase psychosocial and welfare support for all Mission personnel through a combination of tele-counselling and in-person support, relying on UN resources available in the region. The pilot Initiative aims at furthering the UN System-wide Mental Health and Well-Being Strategy at the Mission level.

While this pilot project is ad-interim, MINURSO is working towards identifying a sustainable solution to continue providing psychosocial counselling and welfare support for all its personnel in the longer term.