New York (United Nations) – Resolution 2703 adopted by the United Nations Security Council on the Moroccan Sahara issue reinforces the vision and strategic choice of His Majesty King Mohammed VI in favor of negotiation, the peaceful settlement of disputes and the policy of outstretched hand, said on Monday in New York the Moroccan ambassador and permanent representative of the Kingdom to the UN, Omar Hilale.

“This resolution reinforces the vision and strategic choice of His Majesty the King, in favor of negotiation, the peaceful settlement of disputes and the policy of outstretched hand, in accordance with Chapter VI of the United Nations Charter and the relevant resolutions of the Security Council”, underlined Mr. Hilale at a press conference held following the adoption by the Council of this resolution, which extends MINURSO’s mandate by one year.

Welcoming the adoption of this resolution, which marks an additional milestone at the UN structure for the final settlement of this regional dispute between two neighboring countries, Morocco and Algeria, the diplomat noted that Resolution 2703 enshrines the collective wisdom and foresight of the Security Council, guarantor of peace and security in the world, to put an end to this residual problem of the Cold War.

“In doing so, the Council referred not only to international law and legality, but also to realism, pragmatism and compromise,” he pointed out, while expressing his thanks to the penholder, the United States, for its tireless efforts in the presentation and negotiation of this resolution.

Mr. Hilale noted that through this resolution, the Security Council members established the seven fundamentals to settle this dispute, by, first, affirming the preeminence of the Moroccan autonomy initiative, as the only serious and credible solution to this dispute. Hence, the Security Council joins not only Morocco, but also more than a hundred countries all over the world which support this initiative, in full respect of the national sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom, he added.

Under this resolution, the Security Council also reiterates the parameters of the solution to the Moroccan Sahara issue, which can only be political, realistic, pragmatic, sustainable and compromise-based, the ambassador stressed.

“In doing so, the Council, no matter what Algeria and its proxy the +polisario+ may think, signed the 28th death certificate of the so-called referendum, which was buried more than two decades ago,” said Mr. Hilale.

According to the ambassador, the Security Council reconfirms, in its new resolution, the role of Algeria as the main party to this dispute, by mentioning it five times and urging it to elaborate its position in order to advance towards a solution.

He also noted that the UN body also enshrines the framework of the round tables, with its four participants, as a unique way to conduct the political process, stressing that the Council completely ignored Algeria’s refusal to resume the roundtable process.

Mr. Hilale underlined that the Security Council expressed its deep concern over the breakdown of the ceasefire by the armed separatist group “Polisario”, which was once again urged to respect the freedom of movement and resupply of MINURSO.

The Security Council also welcomed the achievements of the Kingdom in the area of the promotion and protection of human rights in its Sahara, said the ambassador, noting that the Council thus refutes the fallacious allegations of Algeria and its Polisarian proxy.

The diplomat stressed that the Security Council calls in its 13th consecutive resolution for the registration of populations held against their will in the Tindouf camps and urges, once again, international humanitarian organizations to comply with UN best practices in the delivery of humanitarian aid, in order to prevent its diversion by the “Polisario” and Algerian officials.

The ambassador and permanent representative of Morocco to the UN expressed his thanks to the members of the Council for their “constructive” contribution and their vote in favor of this resolution which extends until October 31, 2024 the mandate of MINURSO.

Source: Agency Morocaine De Presse