Rabat – The Moroccan ambassador and permanent representative to the United Nations, Omar Hilale, addressed the Fourth Committee of the UN General Assembly on Wednesday. He said that as Morocco prepares to mark the 50th anniversary of the Green March, the Sahara has become a land of peace, integration, and shared development.
Hilale said that ever since 1975, when Morocco organized the Green March that led to the reintegration of the territory, the country has worked to extend development to the southern provinces, independent of the political negotiations on sovereignty.
He noted that the region now boasts infrastructure such as the Atlantic port in Dakhla, the high-speed road from Tiznit to Dakhla, renewable energy plants, hospitals, universities, and high-tech sectors.
The upcoming commemoration on November 6 marks a turning point that saw the Spanish colonial era ending and the beginning of a Sahara region under Moroccan sovereignty, he said. Hilale also expressed regret over statements by some UN member states that, in his view, are outdated and inconsistent with the Security Council’s efforts toward a political solution.
The ambassador defended Morocco’s autonomy plan as the only real way to exercise self-rule under Moroccan sovereignty. He noted that this plan already enjoys growing international recognition, and that it is consistent with international law and human rights standards.
He affirmed that disagreement over the Western Sahara dispute should not be used as a political tool or to obstruct the peace process. He called on parties to engage sincerely, rapidly, and fairly in negotiations under UN auspices. Hilale reiterated King Mohammed VI’s call for a final, consensual settlement that leaves “no one defeated, no one the victor.”
Morocco’s position regarding Western Sahara has recently gained international momentum. The United Kingdom formally announced alignment with Morocco’s autonomy proposal in June 2025. The UK described it as “the most credible, viable, and pragmatic” solution to the long-standing dispute.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump reaffirmed support for Moroccan sovereignty over the Sahara in August 2025, stating that Morocco’s autonomy plan is the only viable path forward.
In October 2025, Morocco and the European Union reached a new agricultural trade agreement that explicitly includes products from the Western Sahara region. Under the new deal, goods from the Sahara will carry labels indicating their subregions, “Laayoune-Sakia El Hamra” and “Dakhla-Oued Eddahab,” and enjoy the same preferential tariffs as Moroccan goods.
This was done to comply with a 2024 ruling of the European Court of Justice that had voided the earlier trade deal for failing to distinguish goods from contested territories.
