The United Nations Security Council voted on Friday, October 31, 2025, for resolution 2797, a text that marks a historic turning point in the matter of the Moroccan Sahara.
Adopted by an overwhelming majority (11 votes in favor, 3 abstentions, 0 against), this resolution makes the autonomy plan proposed by Morocco the only realistic basis for a political resolution of the conflict.
The United States, France, the United Kingdom, and most members of the Council praised the Moroccan approach as "serious, credible, and realistic."
The Russia, China, and Pakistan abstained, while no country voted against. Notably, Algeria, despite being a non-permanent member of the Council, chose not to participate in the vote, confirming its diplomatic discomfort over a dossier it has sought to internationalize for decades.Resolution 2797
also extends the mandate of MINURSO until October 2026, while inviting the parties – Morocco, the Polisario Front, Algeria, and Mauritania – to engage in unconditional negotiations based on the autonomy plan.For Morocco, this adoption represents
a clear international recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over the Sahara, a result of consistent and coherent diplomacy led by King Mohammed VI.For Algeria and the Polisario, it represents a
major setback, confirming the marginalization of the option for an independence referendum, which is now absent from the UN text.This development marks the
end of an era of ambiguities and opens the way for a sustainable political solution, aligned with the realities on the ground and the will of the populations in the South."This historic resolution is a victory for realism and dialogue," commented a Moroccan diplomat in New York.
The next challenge will now be to
translate this diplomatic success into regional momentum, by accelerating the development of the Sahara and consolidating stability throughout the Sahel-Maghreb region..
