What Morocco's UN-backed autonomy plan means for Western Sahara

A UN Security Council resolution adopted on Friday has revived Morocco's long-standing proposal to grant Western Sahara autonomy under its sovereignty in a move that Rabat describes as the most realistic route to ending the 50-year conflict.

The latest resolution, brought forward by the United States and adopted with 11 votes in favour and none against, described "genuine autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty" as potentially the most feasible solution to the decades-long dispute.

It urged Morocco, the Polisario Front, Algeria, and Mauritania to engage in negotiations "without preconditions", based on the Moroccan plan first submitted to the UN in 2007.

According to the plan, Western Sahara would form an autonomous region within Morocco, managing its own executive, legislative, and judicial affairs through locally elected institutions.

Rabat would retain control over defence, foreign relations, and religious matters under the king's authority. Morocco has also pledged to revise its constitution to enshrine the autonomy arrangement and offer a general amnesty for those involved in the conflict.

King Mohammed VI welcomed the UN decision as "historic", saying Morocco would update and detail the autonomy proposal before resubmitting it to the UN "as the only realistic and applicable basis for negotiation".

Background to the 2007 proposal

When first introduced, Morocco's plan was presented as a "maximum ceiling" beyond which Rabat would not negotiate. It was rejected by the Polisario Front and Algeria, which continue to call for a referendum on self-determination.

The Polisario, backed by Algiers, maintains administrative structures in refugee camps in Tindouf and claims representation of the Sahrawi people.

The new resolution marks the first time in years that the UN has explicitly framed Morocco's plan as the main reference point for negotiations. It also renews the mandate of the UN peacekeeping mission, MINURSO, for another year.

Growing international support

Rabat has worked to expand diplomatic backing for its autonomy initiative, arguing that it offers stability and development opportunities for the wider Sahel region.

More than 100 UN member states now support the plan, and over 30 countries, including several in Africa, the Arab world, and Latin America, have opened consulates in the Saharan cities of Laayoune and Dakhla.

The shift began in 2022, when Spain, the former colonial power, formally endorsed the Moroccan plan as "the most serious, credible and realistic basis" for a settlement. France, the United States, and most recently Britain have also voiced support.

Algeria and Polisario reject the move

Algeria's ambassador to the UN, Amar Bendjama, said the resolution "does not faithfully or sufficiently reflect the UN doctrine on decolonisation", accusing the council of ignoring the Sahrawi people's right to determine their own future.

The Polisario Front, for its part, described the UN decision as a "dangerous deviation" and announced it would not take part in future talks on that basis.

The UN envoy for Western Sahara, Staffan de Mistura, is now expected to convene new negotiations based on the Moroccan proposal. He has described the coming months as "a genuine opportunity" to calm regional tensions and relaunch the stalled peace process.

The resolution's adoption comes amid renewed US involvement under Donald Trump's new administration. Washington's backing for Morocco's sovereignty dates to 2020, when Trump first recognised Rabat's claim in exchange for Morocco's normalisation with Israel.