A referendum due on Monday to vote for an independent Kurdistan could have “potentially destabilising impact”, the United Nations Security Council said on Thursday.

The 15-member council warned that the vote could jeopardise efforts to ensure the safe return of over 3 million refugees and displaced persons to the region in the north of Iraq, as Kurdish forces have a critical role in ongoing operations against the Islamic State group.

The Kurds make up the fourth-largest ethnic group in West Asia and have long wanted to have a separate state of their own.

The Security Council urged the Kurdistan Regional Government, which called for the referendum, to settle its issues with the Iraqi government through constitutional methods, dialogue and compromise. The council also expressed “full support for United Nations efforts to facilitate dialogue between Iraqi stakeholders”.

Earlier this week, UN Secretary-General António Guterres had also said all outstanding issues between the two parties should be resolved through structured dialogue and constructive compromise.

Kurdish President Masoud Barzani said his side will go ahead with the September 25 referendum, despite the Iraqi Supreme Court ruling earlier this week to suspend it.