Morocco is set to celebrate its first Unity Day on 31 October 2026, a national holiday instituted by King Mohammed VI following the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 2797 a year earlier.
Last year’s resolution 2797, marked a diplomatic turning point. It called on the parties to negotiate on the basis of Morocco’s 2007 autonomy initiative under Moroccan sovereignty.
The new resolution reinforces that framework, describing genuine autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty as the most feasible solution and the exclusive basis for talks, while moving away from the long-stalled referendum approach associated with the UN mission MINURSO.
In the southern cities of Laâyoune and Dakhla, streets have been decorated with Moroccan flags and festive lighting ahead of the celebrations.
Local authorities have organized street beautification works, public illuminations and community events to mark the day.
Similar preparations are underway across the southern provinces and in other parts of the kingdom, reflecting the national character of the new holiday.
Unity Day was established by royal decision in November 2025 as an annual occasion to reaffirm national and territorial unity.
The holiday stands as a symbolic affirmation of territorial integrity and a marker of a new phase in the political process, in which autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty is positioned as the only framework for any future settlement.
