"The Republic of Guinea expresses its support for the Moroccan initiative of autonomy for its realism, its credibility, and as a compromise framework in the Sahara dispute," said Guinea’s representative at the meeting.

He also stressed that Guinea welcomes the important institutional and economic reforms undertaken by the Kingdom, "which are in line with its autonomy initiative resulting from a wide national and local consultation".

Among these reforms, he said, "we can mention, in the field of human rights, the strengthening of the role of the National Human Rights Council and its regional commissions in Laayoune and Dakhla, as well as cooperation with the Human Rights Council as noted in Security Council Resolution N° 2468".

The Guinean diplomat also praised "the election of representatives of the Sahara region following free democratic communal and legislative elections in the Sahara in 2015 and 2016".

"In this respect, we are delighted by the participation of the two elected representatives of the Sahara in the meetings of the Committee of 24", namely Deputy President of Laayoune Sakia El Hamra region, Mhamed Abba, and Deputy President of the region of Dakhla Oued-Eddahab, Ghalla Bahiya, he said.

On the economic front, the Guinean diplomat noted the implementation by Morocco of an ambitious structural development program worth more than 8 billion dollars for the benefit of the Sahara region and its population, which was adopted in 2015.

He also underlined that the UN Security Council, through  Resolution N° 2468 and those adopted since 2011, as well as the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) both called for the census of populations in the Tindouf camps and the improvement of their situation, particularly in the area of human rights.