Agadir – Chile and El Salvador reaffirmed their positions on the Western Sahara dispute before the United Nations General Assembly’s Fourth Committee in New York on Friday, with both countries expressing support for Morocco’s autonomy Plan.
Chile reiterated its support for Morocco’s sovereignty over its entire territory, including the Sahara region, while El Salvador backed Morocco’s efforts to reach a political settlement based on pragmatism and realism.
The Chilean representative told the Fourth Committee that Chile “supports the sovereignty of the Kingdom of Morocco over its entire territory, including the Sahara region.”
The representative also said Chile considers the autonomy proposal Morocco presented in 2007 a “just, lasting and mutually accepted” political solution, in line with relevant UN Security Council resolutions.
Chile had already formalized this position in a joint statement issued following a September 21 meeting between Chilean Foreign Minister Francisco Pérez Mackenna and Morocco’s Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita in New York.
In the statement, Chile said it supports Morocco’s sovereignty over its entire territory, including Western Sahara, and endorsed Morocco’s 2007 autonomy proposal as a political solution. Chile also said it would promote economic and trade cooperation opportunities in Morocco’s Sahara region.
The September agreement also included the signing of terms of reference to launch negotiations toward a free trade agreement between Chile and Morocco. The two countries are marking 65 years of diplomatic relations in 2026.
El Salvador backs pragmatic political solution
Separately, El Salvador reaffirmed its support for Morocco’s efforts to reach a “realistic, political, pragmatic and lasting solution” to the regional dispute over the Sahara.
Speaking before the Fourth Committee, El Salvador’s representative described Morocco’s autonomy initiative as “a fundamental element” in efforts to resolve the dispute.
The Salvadoran diplomat also welcomed the work of the UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy for the Sahara in facilitating the political process under UN auspices.
The positions from Chile and El Salvador come as the UN continues its efforts to advance a political settlement of the decades-old dispute.
The UN Security Council’s Resolution 2797, adopted in October 2025, called on the parties to engage in negotiations without preconditions, using Morocco’s autonomy proposal as a basis for discussions aimed at reaching a just, lasting and mutually acceptable political solution.
