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Rabat – As the Security Council prepares to vote on the Western Sahara resolution on Friday, the draft — now “in blue,” marking its final stage before adoption — acknowledges Morocco’s Autonomy Plan as a genuine and credible political solution to the regional dispute.
The US-penned draft reiterates previous resolutions’ appeals, urging all parties – including Algeria – to engage in the UN-led political process and talks to contribute to finding a political solution to the dispute.
The UN Security Council draft resolution obtained by Morocco World News (MWN), specifically calls on the parties “to engage in these discussions without preconditions, taking as basis Morocco’s Autonomy Proposal, with a view to achieving a final and mutually acceptable political solution that provides for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara.”
This marks a new setback for Algeria. For years, Algeria’s regime has been refusing to shoulder its responsibility in the dispute and has rejected its role as a main party.
Despite hosting, arming, funding, and supporting the Polisario separatist group – Algeria describes itself as a self-declared observer rather than a main party, defying UN resolutions that repeatedly urged it to contribute to the UN-led political process.
In a key section, the draft resolution said that it takes note of the wide support expressed by many UN member states for Morocco’s Autonomy Plan and affirms that genuine autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty could constitute the most feasible solution to the dispute.
Morocco’s Western Sahara position has been reinforced by consistent and growing international support. Many countries joined or reitrated their support for the autonomy initiative. The number of countries that back the autonomy initiative has reached over 120 countries to date.
The Council’s draft resolution further welcomes the commitment of its members to facilitate progress and strengthen diplomatic engagement.
The new development comes amid lobbying and pressure from Algeria’s regime, which has been attempting, in failed efforts, to influence its allies – mainly Russia – within the UN Security Council to amend and change the text.
Despite rejecting its role, Algeria’s regime has been requesting meetings before the vote to pressure its allies to change the text.
Renewal timing
Contrary to previous reports, the draft resolution shows that the Council will renew the peacekeeping mission’s mandate for one year, as in previous years. The new mandate will run until October 31, 2026, reaffirming the mission’s importance in maintaining stability and monitoring the ceasefire.
The UN Security Council had previously adopted shorter, six-month renewals — from April 2018 to October 2018, and again from October 2019 to April 2019 — deviating from the standard one-year term.
The resolution also stresses the importance of avoiding any act that could jeopardize the political process and underlines the need to respect the ceasefire in full. This comes in response to Polisario’s terrorist threats, seeking to undermine not only Morocco’s stability but the whole region. The separatist group has been breaching the ceasefire for years, especially in November 2020 when it declared a “war” against Morocco.
The threats came after Morocco’s peaceful intervention to end weeks of blockade that Polisario members launched in Guerguerat.
The resolution would also request the Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to brief the Security Council on a regular basis, at any time he deems appropriate during the mandate period. It further asks him, within six months of this mandate’s renewal, to provide a strategic review regarding MINURSO, taking into account the outcome of the negotiations.
The text recalls and reaffirms all previous UN resolutions on Western Sahara, as well as reaffirms the Council’s full support for the UN Secretary-General and his Personal Envoy, Staffan de Mistura, in their ongoing efforts to advance the political process.
The resolution also highlights the importance of continuing consultations with all concerned parties — Morocco, the Polisario Front, Algeria, and Mauritania — to build on progress made and to pursue compromise-based negotiations in line with the principles and purposes of the UN Charter. It also reiterates the UN Security Council’s commitment to assisting the parties in reaching a mutually acceptable political solution grounded in compromise and consistent with the principle of self-determination.
The text also stresses the readiness of the United States, penholder of the resolution, to host negotiations aimed at advancing the Personal Envoy’s mission to achieve a lasting political settlement for Western Sahara and the broader region.
