Morocco’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Omar Hilale, said that the Moroccan Sahara issue should no longer remain on the agenda of the UN Committee of 24, stressing that the matter falls exclusively under the jurisdiction of the UN Security Council.
Speaking during the regional seminar of the UN Committee of 24, held from May 25 to 27 in Managua, Nicaragua, Hilale said maintaining the Moroccan Sahara issue within the committee’s agenda has become “outdated” and constitutes “a violation of Article 12 of the United Nations Charter,” which grants priority to the Security Council over subsidiary bodies of the General Assembly in issues related to international peace and security.
Hilale stressed that the diplomatic momentum surrounding the Moroccan Sahara has entered a new phase since the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 2797, which reaffirmed the Moroccan Autonomy Initiative under Moroccan sovereignty as “the only serious and credible basis” for reaching a final political solution.
According to the Moroccan diplomat, the resolution, facilitated by the UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy with support from the United States, also reaffirmed the responsibility of the four parties involved in the political process: Morocco, Algeria, Mauritania, and the Polisario Front.
“The time of maneuvering, outdated ideological rhetoric, and approaches that have kept this regional dispute frozen for decades is over,” Hilale said, calling particularly on Algeria and the Polisario Front to engage constructively in the UN-led political process.
Hilale added that Morocco had “matched words with action” by presenting a detailed proposal on its autonomy plan immediately after the adoption of Resolution 2797, paving the way for discussions held in Washington and Madrid.
He reiterated that the Moroccan Sahara file is handled within the framework of the Security Council’s mandate on peace and security, rather than through what he described as “obsolete ideological narratives” linked to decolonization debates.
The ambassador also highlighted what he described as an unprecedented international dynamic in support of Morocco’s Autonomy Initiative since its presentation in 2007, noting that 130 UN member states now back the plan as the only realistic and sustainable solution to the dispute over the Moroccan Sahara.
Hilale warned that this diplomatic momentum cannot continue if the other parties persist in delaying the political process or avoiding their responsibilities. He said they now face a “historic choice” between contributing to the settlement of a dispute that has lasted for more than half a century or maintaining a status quo that threatens regional stability and prolongs the suffering of populations in the Tindouf camps.
Beyond the political dimension, Hilale pointed to the major transformation taking place in Morocco’s southern provinces under the development model launched by Mohammed VI. He cited modern infrastructure projects, renewable energy investments, the blue economy, education, and healthcare as evidence of sustained development and improved living conditions in the region.
In his concluding remarks, Hilale recalled King Mohammed VI’s policy of extending “an outstretched hand” toward all parties. He quoted the monarch as saying after the adoption of Resolution 2797 that Morocco remains committed to reaching “a solution with no winners or losers” that preserves the dignity of all parties and avoids fueling tensions.
Hilale said the King’s message reflects Morocco’s approach to its territorial integrity issue: “with responsibility, seriousness, and the conviction that a fair and lasting political solution is within reach, provided the other parties demonstrate the courage to embrace it.”
