Morocco’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation, and Moroccans Living Abroad, Nasser Bourita, held discussions with the Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary-General for the Moroccan Sahara, Staffan De Mistura, on Sunday in New York. The meeting took place on the sidelines of the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly, following a request from De Mistura, according to a statement from Morocco’s Permanent Mission to the UN.
The talks, attended by Morocco’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the UN, Omar Hilale, provided an opportunity for Morocco to outline the current international momentum supporting its sovereignty over the Moroccan Sahara. This backing, driven by H.M. the King Mohammed VI, has garnered significant support from numerous countries for Morocco’s Autonomy Initiative, the statement emphasized.
During the meeting, the Moroccan delegation reiterated the four key pillars of Morocco’s position on the Moroccan Sahara, as articulated by H.M. the King Mohammed VI:
- Support for a realistic political solution: Morocco remains committed to backing the efforts of the UN Secretary-General and his Personal Envoy in finding a political solution that is realistic, pragmatic, durable, and based on compromise.
- Autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty: The Moroccan delegation underscored that autonomy, under Moroccan sovereignty, remains the only viable solution to resolve the regional dispute.
- Roundtable process with all parties involved: The delegation emphasized that the roundtable format, which includes all relevant parties, particularly Algeria, is the sole framework for continuing the process, as outlined by UN Security Council Resolution 2703, dated October 30, 2023.
- Respect for ceasefire: A strict adherence to the ceasefire by all parties is seen as a crucial precondition for advancing the political process.
The statement concluded by noting that Staffan De Mistura is also scheduled to meet with other stakeholders in New York as part of his ongoing efforts to resolve the conflict.
