During a meeting at the UN office in Geneva, Morocco’s permanent representative to Geneva, ambassador Mohamed Aujjar, said that “the regional dispute over the Moroccan Sahara can be resolved only through a negotiated political solution pursuant to UNSC resolutions.”

"This initiative is the result of a broad process of national and local consultation, involving political parties, people and politicians in the region, through the Royal Advisory Council for Saharan Affairs," he said.

The autonomy proposal, he said, guarantees to the people of the region, their place and role, without discrimination or exclusion, of its organs and institutions.

The Sahara populations can manage their affairs democratically, through legislative, executive and judicial powers. It is a compromise initiative which is consistent with international law, the UN Charter and resolutions of the General Assembly and the Security Council and the right to self-determination, Mr. Aujjar observed.

It will allow the negotiation of an autonomy statute for the Sahara region that fully guarantee the exercise of the right to self-determination, scheduled notably in Article 27 of the initiative. He added in this context that thanks to the Moroccan autonomy initiative, a process of political negotiations was initiated in 2007, in Manhasset (USA), under the aegis of the United Nations, between all parties. Since 2007, all resolutions of the Security Council describe this initiative as serious and credible.

Morocco, engaged in a sincere and constructive manner for a consensual political solution, hopes that other parties will divest their obstructionist policy and can show the same sincere political commitment to reaching a mutually acceptable solution in accordance with parameters set by the Council, the ambassador added.

Since 2004, the UNSC committed itself to finding a mutually-acceptable political solution to this conflict, as an alternative to the failure in the implementation of the 1991 settlement plan, said the diplomat during the examining of the 6th Moroccan report by the UNHRC.

He recalled that, in its report dated Feb. 23, 2000 to the executive body, the UNSG concluded that, after nine years, it was impossible to carry out the main provisions of the said plan, except for the surveillance of ceasefire.

In this regard, the ambassador underlined the fundamental differences in viewpoints by the parties concerning the interpretation of basic provisions.

The UNSC placed this dispute in its real regional context by asking the States of the region to cooperate, to this end, with the secretary general and his personal envoy, he added. Since then, the UNSC has been calling on the parties to work for reaching a just and mutually acceptable political solution. Morocco was the only party to respond positively to the calls by the Council via the submission in 2007 of an autonomy proposal that is open to talks with other parties, he recalled.

The Moroccan delegation taking part in the event is led by the inter-ministerial delegate for human right Mahjoub El Hiba.

News and events on Western Sahara issue/ CORCAS