The Fourth Committee of the UN General Assembly adopted on Wednesday a resolution reaffirming its support for the political process conducted under the exclusive auspices of the UN for the settlement of the regional dispute over the Moroccan Sahara.
The resolution calls on all parties to cooperate fully with the UN Secretary-General and his envoy to achieve a political solution to this dispute based on the resolutions that have been adopted by the Security Council since 2007.
It thus supports the political process based on the 19 resolutions of the Security Council since 2007, to achieve a "just, lasting, and mutually acceptable political solution" to the Moroccan Sahara.
The text praises the efforts made in this direction and calls on all parties to cooperate fully with the Secretary-General, and with each other, to achieve a "mutually acceptable political solution".
This resolution, like its predecessors and those adopted by the Security Council over the past two decades, makes no mention of the referendum, which has been adopted by the UN Secretary-General, the General Assembly, and the UN Security Council.
The UN General Assembly also welcomes in this resolution the commitment of parties to continue to show political will and to work in an atmosphere conducive to dialogue, thus ensuring the implementation of Security Council resolutions since 2007.
Notably, the only new development in the political process since 2006 is the presentation by Morocco on April 11, 2007, of the autonomy initiative.
In this regard, the resolution expresses the support of the General Assembly to the resolutions of the Security Council since 2007.
The text also supports the recommendations of resolutions 2440, 2468, 2494, 2548, and 2602 as well as resolution 2654, adopted in October 2022, which determine the parameters of the solution to the regional dispute over the Moroccan Sahara.
Resolutions 2440, 2468, 2494, 2548, 2602, and 2654 enshrined the roundtable process and defined, once and for all, its four participants, namely Morocco, Algeria, Mauritania, and the Polisario.
Indeed, resolutions 2440, 2468, 2494, 2548, 2602, and 2654 mention Algeria, as well as Morocco, on five occasions, thus reaffirming the role of Algeria as the main party in this regional dispute.
These Security Council resolutions also commend the measures and initiatives taken by Morocco for the promotion and protection of human rights in its southern provinces, and the role played by the National Human Rights Council Commissions in Laayoune and Dakhla, as well as Morocco's interaction with the mechanisms of the UN Human Rights Council.
Omar Hilale, Morocco’s permanent representative to the UN, reiterated on Thursday Morocco’s commitment to a political process, conducted exclusively under the auspices of the United Nations, that hinges on Morocco’s autonomy initiative and is within the context of Morocco’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
He added that Staffan de Mistura visited Morocco three times and that during his recent visit on 4-8 September, he headed to Laayoune and Dakhla and met with officials there.
Hilale said that nearly 30 countries and regional organizations have established consulates general in the cities of Laayoune and Dakhla, reinforcing their unwavering support for the Saharan region’s integral connection to Morocco.