Relevant international support for Morocco's position to resolve the conflict in the Sahara

The 19th Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement, on Saturday, at the end of its work in Kampala, reaffirmed its support to the UN political series on the territorial dispute over the Moroccan Sahara, with the objective of reaching a "political solution acceptable to the parties".

Rabat is proposing to extend the autonomy of the Sahara region under its sovereignty, while the Polisario Front is calling for a referendum on self-determination, a proposal backed by Algeria, which harbors those belonging to the Front.

The heads of state and government of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) noted the "series of negotiations held under the auspices of the United Nations and the commitment of the parties to continue to show political will and work in a climate conducive to dialogue in order to enter into a more intensive phase of negotiations," according to the Summit's Final Declaration.

The Kampala Summit made clear that the objective is also to ensure the implementation of recent UN Security Council resolutions, which have consecutively stressed that the Moroccan autonomy initiative is serious and credible.

The outcome document also highlighted the importance and relevance of the resolutions adopted by the UN Security Council since 2007, including its resolution 2703 adopted on October 30, 2023, which affirmed that a final political solution can only be a "realistic, practical, lasting and consensus-based political solution."

This resolution, which enshrined the roundtables as the only framework for the UN political series, clearly identified the parties to this process and demanded that they continue to participate in it until a solution is found.

It should be noted that all Security Council resolutions adopted since 2007, clearly included in the Kampala Summit outcome document, enshrine the priority of the Moroccan autonomy initiative as a serious and credible basis and only avenue for the political process.

In conclusion, the Final Declaration urged all parties to cooperate fully with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and his personal envoy to the Moroccan Sahara Staffan de Mistura, taking into account their continued involvement in the political series under UN auspices.

In doing so, the outcome document of the Kampala Summit enshrines the Moroccan position by affirming the Non-Aligned Movement on the need to reach a political solution based on consensus and realism.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccans Living Abroad, Nasser Bourita, who represented the Moroccan King Mohammed VI at the 19th Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Non-Aligned Movement, led an important delegation composed of the ambassador, permanent representative of Morocco to the United Nations, Omar Hilal, ambassador of Morocco to the United Nations, Omar Hilal, ambassador of Morocco to the United Nations, Omar Hilal, ambassador of Morocco to the United Nations, Omar Hilal, ambassador of Morocco to the United Nations, Omar Hilal, ambassador of Morocco to the United Nations and Omar Hilal, ambassador of Morocco to the United Nations, Omar Hilal, the ambassador to Tanzania, Zakaria Al-Komiri, ambassador, director general of the Moroccan Agency for International Cooperation, Mohamed Mithal, and the director of the United Nations and international organizations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and African Cooperation and Moroccans living abroad, Radwan Husseini.

On Friday morning, Kampala kicked off the 19th summit of the Non-Aligned Movement, which was preceded by preparatory meetings at the level of foreign ministers of member states, notably the meeting of the Palestine Committee on Thursday, which culminated in renewed support for the Palestinian cause and the demand for a ceasefire in Gaza.

The Non-Aligned Movement, founded in 1961 by countries that did not want to ally with the United States or the Soviet Union during the Cold War, currently has 120 members, along with 17 observer countries, while Turkey has been participating in its summits as a "guest" since 2006, despite its non-membership.