A group of 40 countries in Geneva on Tuesday reaffirmed their support for Morocco’s “full and complete sovereignty” over its Southern Provinces. They stressed that the Sahara issue is a political dispute falling under the UN Security Council and supported a solution based exclusively on Morocco’s Autonomy Initiative.
The statement was delivered by Omar Zniber, Morocco’s ambassador and permanent representative to the UN in Geneva, during the 63rd session of the Human Rights Council.
The group stated that the Sahara issue is a political dispute being addressed by the Security Council, which has indicated that genuine autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty could represent one of the most realistic solutions.
The 40 countries also expressed support for the implementation of Security Council Resolution 2797, adopted on October 31, 2025. The resolution seeks to revive the political process through negotiations between the four specifically named parties, based on Morocco’s Autonomy Plan, with the aim of reaching a definitive and mutually acceptable political solution to the dispute.
In this context, the group welcomed Morocco’s “updating and detailed formulation of its Autonomy Plan,” as well as its “commitment to ensuring the return and integration of the populations of the Tindouf camps on the basis of equality among all Moroccan citizens, within the framework of international guarantees and recognized practices in this regard.”
The 40 countries also commended Morocco’s longstanding commitment to “constructive, voluntary, and meaningful engagement” with the UN human rights system, particularly the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the Human Rights Council’s special procedures, to promote and respect human rights throughout its territory.
The statement, made under agenda item 2, affirmed that the interaction of member states with the Council and the High Commissioner must “retain its bilateral nature and be protected from any instrumentalization.”
The group also welcomed the opening of general consulates by numerous countries in Dakhla and Laayoune, describing them as “a lever for strengthening economic cooperation and investment, for the benefit of local populations, regional development, and the continent as a whole.”
“The resolution of this regional dispute will help fulfill the legitimate aspirations of African and Arab peoples for integration and development, an objective that Morocco continues to pursue and for which it is making sincere and sustained efforts,” the statement concluded.
