The UN General Assembly has once again reaffirmed the centrality of the UN-led political process seeking to find a lasting, pragmatic, and an agreed upon political solution to end the regional dispute over Western Sahara.
On Wednesday, the assembly adopted a resolution calling on all parties to fully cooperate with the UN Secretary General to achieve a political solution to the regional dispute based on resolutions adopted since 2007.
It also commends all efforts aiming to contribute to finding a political solution to the dispute, and invites all parties to fully cooperate with each other to reach a mutually acceptable political solution.
Most notably, the resolution maintained the same language adopted over the past two decades, omitting any mention of the Algerian-backed referendum.
It also expressed satisfaction with the parties’ commitment to demonstrating political will to work in an atmosphere conducive to dialogue.
The text further supports the resolutions adopted by the Security Council since 2007, reaffirming the preeminence of the Moroccan Autonomy Plan.
Morocco’s initiative has been recognized as a serious and credible political solution by over 100 countries, with a growing list of nations describing it as the most realistic and only viable path towards a lasting political solution in the Sahara.
Read also: The ‘Western Sahara’ Terminology Debate: Should Moroccans Take Offense?
This pro-Morocco momentum has continued to deepen despite persistent lobbying attempts by the Algerian regime, which hosts, finances, arms, and supports Polisario’s independence claims in southern Morocco.
For decades, the Algerian regime has declined to fully engage with the UN-led political process aiming to convene all parties to the dispute to discuss and agree on a path that could lead to a realistic and pragmatic solution.
In recent years and months, the UN has repeatedly documented and decried Algeria’s reluctance to shoulder its role in the Sahara dispute.
A case in point is the latest report by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, which documented Algeria’s latest maneuvers to shirk its responsibility when it comes to the UN-led political process.
“On 27 February 2024, my Personal Envoy met with the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Algeria, Ahmed Attaf, in Algiers, Algeria. On 16 April, he met again with Mr. Attaf on the margins of the Minister’s working visit to New York on Security Council matters,” the UN chief recalled in his report.
The Algerian FM signaled Algeria’s focus on “ensuring Western Sahara’s people the right to self-determination,” the UN chief added, further quoting the top Algerian diplomat as insisting that his country does not consider itself to be a party to the Sahara conflict.
