One key turning point, with an influence on the future of North Africa and the Sahara-Sahel region, will be October 31, 2025. The voting by the UNSC may dramatically change the diplomatic strategy and overturn the long-standing status quo on the Sahara issue. The decision of the Council on October 31st goes beyond the usual extension of the mandate; it is an act of support for political realism and the consensus of the international community.[i] This is a high-level acknowledgement of the multifaceted, patient, and resolute approach that His Majesty King Mohammed VI of Morocco has been pursuing.
Recent events clearly indicate that ideological obsessions and Cold War-era approaches have run their course, giving way to pragmatism, development and the pursuit of regional stability. What gives value to this decision is not only the result, expressed in 11 approve, 0 disapprove and 3 abstentions, but the language embedded in the spirit of the text and in the diplomatic process behind that language.[ii] Moroccan diplomacy has written a success story by bringing the concrete realities it has built on the ground to the centre of international law and diplomacy.
Looking at the details of the vote, the significance of the decision becomes clearer. Russia, China and Pakistan have made a move that cannot slow down the process and cannot go beyond a traditional geopolitical stance. Algeria’s abstention may be a silent admission of diplomatic isolation and disengagement from the reality of the process. For the first time, the UNSC has pointed to Morocco’s 2007 autonomy plan as the central solution in such a clear and strong manner.[iii] Moving beyond its status as a proposal noted or considered in previous resolutions, this plan is defined in today’s text as ‘the most feasible solution’ and the ‘basis’ for future negotiations.[iv]
In diplomacy, words are weapons, and these words effectively and legally exclude options no longer in the cards, such as a referendum, and not in line with the sociological and demographic realities of the region. This is not just a choice among words; this is a policy choice in which the UNSC acknowledges that the era of political fantasy is over and that the only way toward lasting peace in the region lies in the expanded regional autonomy offered within the framework of Morocco’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.
This diplomatic triumph, of course, did not come out of the blue. Behind this success lies Morocco’s decades-long, quiet yet deeply progressive, multi-layered state strategy. First, there was the need to create a tangible reality on the ground. Instead of adopting a passive attitude, waiting for a decision from the international community, Morocco went ahead with a massive ‘New Development Model’ that would make its southern provinces, known as the Sahara region, one of the most developed parts of the kingdom. Today, the cities of Laayoune and Dakhla boast some of the most modern infrastructure, universities, hospitals, and renewable energy installations in all of Morocco and even Africa.
The Dakhla Atlantic Port and the Tiznit to Dakhla motorway project have made this region a strategic gateway for Africa to the Atlantic, besides connecting this region to Morocco. In so doing, Morocco has provided the world with an opportunity, not a challenge. The billions of dollars that have been invested in the area certainly prove that Morocco trusts its own land and is committed to its people’s welfare. In fact, thanks to these concrete development actions, the autonomy plan which was considered feasible by the UN Security Council is already a fact on the ground today.
The second pillar is based on the transformation of ground realities into diplomatic recognition. Morocco has deployed a brilliant move called consular diplomacy to get out of the traditional deadlock in the corridors of the UN Security Council. Dozens of countries in Africa, the Arab world, and Latin America have opened consulates and consulates-general in Laayoune and Dakhla. It is among the most powerful indicators of ‘de facto’ recognition in international law. Every consulate opened has recognized in practice Morocco’s sovereignty over these territories and increased the pressure on the UNSC. Such is the situation: one of mastery that spreads from the bottom upwards, breaks traditional moulds of diplomacy, and develops international consensus gradually. Thus, this decision of the Council was actually to formalize a reality already accepted by most of these countries and place this de facto situation within a legal framework. Morocco has been successful in turning the wheel of the diplomatic process to its advantage by gaining more allies and remaining firm in its stand.
Thirdly, this development cannot be evaluated separately from global geopolitical balances. Morocco is an island of regional stability and an important bridge between Europe and Africa. European and American partners have an increasing need for reliable, stable, and strong allies in the region, as a consequence of the growth in instability, terrorist threats, and irregular migration pressures in the Sahel belt. Within this framework, Morocco is performing this role well. Moreover, it has become one of the West’s most important partners in matters of security, intelligence sharing, and counter-terrorism. As a result of this strategic cooperation, the United States recognized Morocco’s sovereignty in 2020, and the UN Security Council resolution on 31 October showed that this recognition has by now become international policy. The acceptance by Spain and Germany of Morocco’s autonomy plan as the most serious and realistic basis also shows that Europe also understands geopolitical realities. In this context, it can be said that Europe wants to see a developing and stabilizing Sahara rather than an unstable region on its southern border. The resolution in question also demonstrates the fact that Morocco is a reliable partner and contributes to regional stability.
It’s not just a matter of ensuring Morocco’s national integrity, but it heralds a new era for the African continent as a whole. This vision revolves around King Mohammed VI’s “Sahel-Atlantic Initiative.” In their quest to open up their routes towards the Atlantic Ocean, Morocco is willing to open its infrastructure in the Sahara region to landlocked Sahelian nations that include Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, and Chad. The innovative project has the capacity to transform the economic future of the region by fostering integration and trade within the region. The most important step that needs to be taken to implement this strategic corridor involves Morocco declaring the Sahara region a stable and secure area. By making this move, Morocco is not only pursuing its interests, but it is applying the ‘win-win’ principle to make West Africa prosperous and secure. Therefore, Rabat can be said to project an image of a leading country at this point.
Consequently, the resolution of the UN Security Council dated 31st October 2025 represents a historic document which closes one chapter and opens another. This situation represents international recognition of the legitimacy of the national cause of Morocco, pursued with patience and determination. The resolution places at the heart of the international process the only realistic road map for lasting peace and prosperity in the region-namely, the autonomy plan-while reinforcing the territorial integrity of Morocco. It will focus on transforming the plan into a model that inspires greater prosperity and stability throughout the region. Morocco will not only emerge from this process with its territorial integrity secured, but it is also consolidating its position as a regional power, a pillar of stability, and a visionary actor shaping the future of Africa. The world has opted for realism and development; Morocco is among those coming out on top in this new world.
[i] “UN approves resolution supporting Morocco’s claim to Western Sahara”, The Guardian, 31 Ekim 2025, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/oct/31/un-approves-resolution-supporting-moroccos-claim-to-western-sahara, (Access Date: 31.10.2025).
[ii] Ibid.
[iii] “Sahara occidental : le Conseil de sécurité de l’ONU apporte son soutien au plan marocain”, Le Figaro, 31 Ekim 2025, https://www.lefigaro.fr/international/sahara-occidental-le-conseil-de-securite-de-l-onu-apporte-son-soutien-au-plan-marocain-20251031 (Access Date: 31.10.2025).
[iv] Ibid.
