United Nations (New York): The assessment of the United Nations’ involvement in the Moroccan Sahara issue is exclusively the responsibility of the Secretary-General and the Security Council, emphasized Omar Hilale, Morocco’s Permanent Representative to the UN, during a press briefing in New York.

According to Agence Marocaine De Presse, when questioned about Morocco’s stance on the statement made by the Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy for the Sahara, Staffan de Mistura, regarding a potential reassessment of the UN’s role in the Sahara if no progress is made in the next six months, Ambassador Hilale clarified that such a reassessment does not fall within the envoy’s mandate. Instead, it is the prerogative of the Secretary-General and the Security Council members.

Hilale further elaborated that the role of the Personal Envoy for the Sahara is to facilitate solutions between the parties involved. He stressed that achieving significant progress requires the envoy to carry out his facilitation duties in line
with his appointment letter from the Secretary-General and the Security Council’s resolutions.

The ambassador highlighted the ‘UN guide for the facilitation of negotiations’, which outlines the facilitators’ responsibilities, noting the importance of adhering to their mandate and demonstrating authority. He urged the Personal Envoy to exert the necessary authority to revive the round table discussions, questioning whether this had been effectively done so far.

Ambassador Hilale encouraged the Personal Envoy to utilize his authority rather than yielding to Algeria’s refusals. He cited former personal envoys, Christopher Ross and Horst Köhler, who convened negotiations without seeking approval from Algeria or other parties regarding the timing or location. Hilale expressed the expectation for Mr. de Mistura to adopt a similar approach and display authority.

Regarding the overall assessment, Hilale reiterated that Morocco does not intend to evaluate the UN’s role, underscoring that progress next April will be
determined by whether round tables are conducted in Geneva. He mentioned Switzerland’s recent expression of readiness to host the third series of round tables and pointed out that the essential elements missing are the Personal Envoy’s authority and the execution of his mandate.