HIBAPRESS – MAP
The Fourth Committee of the United Nations General Assembly adopted its annual resolution on the Moroccan Sahara issue on Thursday, with 152 votes in favor of the resolution, including Morocco's vote, versus two votes against and seven abstentions.
This draft resolution, submitted by the Senegalese President of the Fourth Committee, is usually adopted without a vote, in accordance with a consensual practice in place since 2006.
However, this year, the text was exceptionally subjected to a vote following a request submitted at the last minute by the U.S. mission. This included all 23 draft resolutions presented to the Fourth Committee without exception, including those usually adopted by consensus or without a vote.
This American step reflects the orientation of the U.S. Department of State, aiming to impose voting on all resolutions of the six main committees of the General Assembly without exception, including resolutions related to security and disarmament, sustainable development, humanitarian affairs and human rights, in addition to legal and UN budget issues.
Morocco voted in favor of this text, along with 151 other UN member states, for several reasons:
First, this resolution from the Fourth Committee reaffirms Security Council Resolution 2797, which enshrined the Moroccan autonomy initiative as the basis for a solution within the framework of Moroccan sovereignty. This resolution also reiterates the responsibility of the four parties (Morocco, Algeria, Mauritania, and the "Polisario") and calls on them to engage in good faith in the political process.
The reference to Resolution 2797 is of particular importance, as its adoption on October 31, 2025, followed the annual discussion of the Moroccan Sahara issue by the Fourth Committee, allowing it to be taken into consideration for the first time in the resolution adopted this morning.
Second, this resolution aligns with resolutions adopted over the past twenty years. It brings no new element except for the important reference to Security Council Resolution 2797.
Third, this resolution supports the political process led by the Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary-General, under his auspices, with the aim of reaching a realistic, pragmatic, lasting, and mutually acceptable political solution, in accordance with the relevant Security Council resolutions, particularly its last four resolutions mentioned in the UN report.
Fourth, the resolution renews the "appreciation for the commitment of the parties to continue to demonstrate political will and to work in a suitable atmosphere for dialogue to enter, in good faith and without preconditions, into a more intensive negotiating phase, while taking note of the efforts made and developments since 2006." This includes, in particular, the unprecedented developments represented by the adoption of Resolution 2797 and the holding of negotiation rounds in Washington and Madrid, during which Morocco presented the advanced status of autonomy.
Fifth, this resolution does not, in any way, affect the status of the Sahara, as it strengthens the political dynamic launched by the Security Council within the framework of Chapter VI of the UN Charter, which places the Moroccan Sahara issue within the logic of international peace and security, and the imperative to resolve it through dialogue and negotiation.
