Moroccan Sahara: the Non-Aligned align themselves

At the end of its proceedings in Kampala on Saturday, the 19th Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) reaffirmed its support for the UN political process concerning the regional dispute over the Moroccan Sahara, with a view to reaching a "mutually acceptable political solution".

The Heads of State and Government of the Non-Aligned Movement "welcomed the process of negotiations held under the auspices of the United Nations and the commitment of the parties to continue to demonstrate political will and to work in a climate conducive to dialogue in order to enter into a more intensive phase of negotiations", reads the Summit's Final Declaration.

The 19th Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement specifies that the objective is also to ensure the implementation of the latest resolutions of the United Nations Security Council, which have consecutively underlined that the Moroccan autonomy initiative is serious and credible.

Background 

The Final Document also highlighted the importance and relevance of the resolutions adopted since 2007 by the UN Security Council, including its resolution 2703 adopted on October 30, 2023, which confirmed that the definitive political solution can only be a "realistic, pragmatic, lasting political solution based on compromise".

This resolution, which established the round tables as the sole framework for the UN political process, clearly identified the parties to this process, calling on them to remain committed to it until its conclusion.

It should be recalled that all the Security Council resolutions adopted since 2007, and clearly enumerated in the Final Document of the Kampala Summit, underline the pre-eminence of the Moroccan autonomy initiative as a serious and credible basis, and the sole point of arrival of the political process.

Finally, the Final Declaration called on all parties to cooperate fully with the UN Secretary-General and his Personal Envoy for the Moroccan Sahara, while welcoming their continued commitment to the political process under UN auspices.

The Final Document of the Kampala Summit thus confirms the Moroccan position insofar as the Non-Aligned Movement stresses the need to reach a political solution based on compromise and realism.