 The autonomy initiative and the advanced regionalization model are perfectly in line with Morocco's irreversible democratic choice, as well as an eloquent expression of the Kingdom's commitment to the principles of sovereignty, independence and good territorial governance, as desired by HM King Mohammed VI.
The Moroccan autonomy proposal, presented to the United Nations in April 2007, aims to find a final settlement to the artificial dispute over the Moroccan Sahara, within the framework of the Kingdom's territorial integrity.
Indeed, Morocco has always adhered to the efforts of the UN Secretary General for the settlement of the Moroccan Sahara issue, thanks to the High Orientations of His Majesty the King and to a Royal Diplomacy which is the real bulwark against any attempt to undermine national unity and sovereignty.
Thus, in His speeches and initiatives, the Sovereign has always been the guarantor of Morocco's unity against the maneuvers hatched by the Kingdom's adversaries, as evidenced by the speech delivered by HM the King on the occasion of the 39th anniversary of the Green March, in which He emphasized that "Morocco will remain in its Sahara, and the Sahara will remain in its Morocco until the end of time.
Conscientious, as it has always been, to build the State of law and democracy, which respects individual and collective freedoms and to lay the foundations of socio-economic development in all its regions, including the southern provinces, the Kingdom is perfectly consistent, under the enlightened leadership of HM the King, in a positive and constructive for the defense of its territorial integrity and its national sovereignty.
For the Director of the Strategic Center on the Sahara and Africa, Abdelfattah El Fatihi, the autonomy initiative is supported loud and clear by the international community, which continues to confirm its relevance and credibility, noting that this support is also evident in the various UN resolutions.
On the geopolitical level, the international community does not intend to venture to "mine" the region and "sow" instability, "he explained in a statement to MAP, stressing that the reality of the Sahel-Saharan area is a concrete example of the great difficulties faced by the major powers to fight against terrorist and extremist groups, which threaten the security of this region.
He added that the realism and seriousness of the Moroccan autonomy initiative have been further strengthened after the constitutionalization of advanced regionalization and the enactment of organic laws relating thereto.
"The implementation of this regionalization in the framework of the new development model will undoubtedly have very positive effects on all regions of the Kingdom, "said the academic.
Mr. El Fatihi also highlighted the recognition of the United States of the full sovereignty of Morocco on its Sahara, which is an undeniable diplomatic victory for the Kingdom, adding that the statement of the spokesman of the U.S. Department of State reaffirming this position has come to "cool" the hopes of circles hostile to Morocco.
Thus, and thanks to all these achievements, the citizens of the southern provinces will be able to manage their own economic, social and cultural affairs, while remaining associated with the country's internal and foreign policy. And this is a realization, in due form, of the principles of the great project of advanced regionalization.
"The advanced regionalization is also a form of autonomy in that it ensures the participation of the local population in the management of its own affairs, in interaction with the resources of its territorial area and according to its geographical specificities, "said El Fatihi, adding that this regionalization will be established in an even more efficient manner, once the development model implemented.
Indeed, the Constitution of 2011 states, without ambiguity, in its first Article, that "the territorial organization of the Kingdom is decentralized. It is based on an advanced regionalization", before adding in Article 2 that "sovereignty belongs to the Nation which exercises it, directly by referendum, and indirectly through its representatives".
The region will thus be called upon to effectively carry out its role of self-development, sustainable in this case, and this can only take concrete form by mobilizing new resources, upgrading human capital and laying the foundations for financial support to reduce disparities between regions.
In this context, HM the King had indicated in a message addressed to the participants in the first National Conferences of advanced regionalization, that "the effective implementation of advanced regionalization, its theoretical principles as well as its practical modalities, remains dependent on the establishment of a clearly defined and achievable regional policy in economic, social, cultural and environmental matters.
"It is in this perspective that We have ensured, since its establishment, to translate this approach into reality, taking as a starting point Our reclaimed provinces of the South," said the Sovereign, adding that for this, "We have initiated a model of integrated development, respecting the specificities of the region and based on a wide range of structuring projects, placed at the service of its population and intended to meet its expectations.
In this context, and since His accession to the Throne of His glorious ancestors, HM the King has laid the groundwork for a profound change to meet the various challenges, by rethinking the new concept of authority that will pave the way for political and administrative reform projects.
This new concept has allowed Morocco to launch and implement the decentralization, deconcentration, advanced regionalization and strengthen the policy of proximity, especially in the southern provinces.
-News concerning Western Sahara/Corcas
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