The opening session was chaired by Mr. Khalihenna Ould Errachid, the Council President also attended by Mohamed Benaissa, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Taieb Fassi Fihri Minister Delegate for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation and Maoulainain Ben Khalihenna Maoulainain Secretary General of the Council.

The opening session was marked by a recital of the Fatiha for the soul of Mr. Abou Zeid Ahamdnah member of the Royal Advisory Council for Saharan Affairs, who passed away last July 14.

The session’s closed works were devoted to the completion of self-government project in the southern provinces of the Kingdom which was announced by His Majesty King Mohammed VI at the throne speech for the year 2005 in order to find a final political solution to the conflict.

Chief of the Royal Advisory Council for Saharan Affairs will hold on the morning of Wednesday 6 December 2006 a press conference in Rabat. The first meeting of the special session of the Royal Consultative Council for Saharan Affairs was convened in Rabat on 25 May after the last restructuring of the Council.

The setting up of the Council falls within the framework of activating the announcement by His Majesty the King at the throne speech of 2005, as well as his speech to mark the thirtieth anniversary of the Green March. The Council has three core functions which are to defend the Moroccan Sahara, contribute to the economic and social development of the southern regions and maintain its own cultural identity within the rich multifaceted national identity.