Sahara: Support for Morocco’s Autonomy Plan & Territorial Integrity Reaffirmed at UN

Côte d’Ivoire, Qatar, and El Salvador, among others, have reiterated at the UN their firm support to Morocco’s territorial integrity and the autonomy plan offered by the North African Kingdom for a lasting and peaceful resolution to the Sahara regional conflict.

Addressing the UN fourth committee convening in New York, the representative of Côte d’Ivoire said that the United Nations remains the appropriate framework for resolving the issue of the Moroccan Sahara, noting that the UN-led political process is based on a realistic and sustainable approach, making reference to the Moroccan autonomy plan.

He voiced support for the Secretary General’s Personal Envoy for the Sahara Staffan de Mistura, citing in this regard the informal bilateral consultations held in New York by the UN Sahara Envoy with the representative of Morocco, Algeria, Mauritania and the Polisario.

Resolving regional differences depends on the goodwill of States in the region as it is crucial to the security of the Sahel, underlined the permanent representative of Côte d’Ivoire to the UN, Tiémoko Moriko.

The autonomy plan presented by Morocco is in line with the UN Charter and international law, affirmed the Ivory Coast ambassador, stressing that the Moroccan proposed plan deserves to be welcomed and commended by the international community.

For his part, Jassim Abdelaziz J. A. Al-Thani of Qatar reiterated his country’s steadfast support for Morocco’s territorial integrity and sovereignty over its Sahara, stressing the need to settle disputes peacefully through dialogue and negotiation.

Expressing support for the Secretary-General’s efforts to reach a lasting political solution within the framework of the United Nations-led political process, he recalled that Security Council resolution 2654 (2022) guarantees Morocco’s sovereignty over the Territory.

He also welcomed the efforts engaged by of the Secretary General’s Special Representative Staffan De Mistra, saying Morocco’s realistic autonomy initiative offers a pragmatic lasting solution to the Sahara issue.

The Permanent Representative of El Salvador to the UN, Egriselda Aracely González López, on his part welcomed the Autonomy initiative presented by Morocco, noting that the Security Council deems it as a “viable solution” in its resolutions adopted since 2007.

The diplomat also welcomed the efforts made by the Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary-General for the Sahara, Staffan de Mistura, aimed at facilitating the political process carried out under the exclusive aegis of the UN Secretary-General. He recalled in this connection De Mistura’s visit to the Sahara at the end of last September, as part of preparations for the Security Council’s meeting on the Sahara scheduled for the end of this October.