The UN adopts a historic resolution endorsing Morocco's autonomy plan for the Sahara

This vote marks a turning point in a conflict that has lasted more than fifty years and crowns the efforts, but above all the patience, of His Majesty the King of Morocco.

The resolution was adopted by 11 votes in favor, none against, and three abstentions from China, Russia, and Pakistan. Algeria, a non-permanent member of the Security Council, chose not to participate in the vote, thus signaling its opposition to the text.

Presented at the initiative of the United States, which is acting as the “penholder” for this issue, the resolution takes a position in favor of the plan presented by Rabat in 2007, which proposes autonomy for the Sahara under Moroccan sovereignty.

The text confirms the support expressed by 123 UN member states for the Moroccan plan, which advocates genuine autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty. With this in mind, the text calls on UN Secretary-General António Guterres and his envoy Staffan de Mistura to conduct negotiations on the basis of this plan in order to reach a mutually acceptable agreement.

This adoption comes at a special time: it coincides with the 50th anniversary of the Green March, a founding event for Morocco concerning its territorial integrity. King Mohammed VI was scheduled to deliver a traditional speech on this occasion on November 6, 2025.

This position is in line with the Trump administration's recognition in December 2020 of Morocco's sovereignty over the Sahara, a stance that the Biden administration has never questioned.

This resolution marks a major shift in the UN's approach to the Sahara issue, explicitly enshrining Morocco's autonomy plan as the basis for future negotiations, thus breaking with decades of neutrality.

Ismael A. Buchanan, PhD

Lecturer in Political Science, University of Rwanda, Director of the Rwanda Institute of International Affairs