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Sahara emerges as a model of stability and development 50 years after the Green March
Morocco’s ambassador and permanent representative to the United Nations, Omar Hilale, addressed the Fourth Committee of the UN General Assembly on Wednesday, highlighting the progress of the Sahara region as Morocco prepares to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Green March. He emphasized that the territory has become a hub of peace, integration, and shared development.
Hilale noted that since the 1975 Green March, which facilitated the reintegration of the territory, Morocco has extended development initiatives to the southern provinces independently of political negotiations over sovereignty. The region now features major infrastructure projects, including the Atlantic port in Dakhla, the high-speed road connecting Tiznit to Dakhla, renewable energy facilities, hospitals, universities, and advanced technology sectors.
The upcoming commemoration on November 6 marks a historical milestone, signaling the end of Spanish colonial rule and the establishment of Moroccan sovereignty in the Sahara. Hilale expressed concern over statements from certain UN member states, describing them as outdated and inconsistent with Security Council efforts toward a political resolution.
Defending Morocco’s autonomy plan, Hilale described it as the only credible framework for self-rule under Moroccan sovereignty. He noted its growing international recognition and affirmed that it aligns with international law and human rights standards. He also urged all parties not to use disagreements over the Sahara dispute as political leverage and called for sincere and fair negotiations under UN supervision. Hilale reiterated His Majesty King Mohammed VI’s vision of a final settlement where “no one is defeated, no one is the victor.”
Morocco’s position on Sahara has gained notable international support in recent months. The United Kingdom formally aligned with Morocco’s autonomy proposal in June 2025, describing it as “the most credible, viable, and pragmatic” solution. In August 2025, US President Donald Trump reaffirmed support for Moroccan sovereignty, acknowledging the autonomy plan as the only viable path forward.
In October 2025, Morocco and the European Union signed a new agricultural trade agreement that explicitly includes products from Sahara. Under the deal, goods from the Sahara are labeled by subregions, “Laayoune-Sakia El Hamra” and “Dakhla-Oued Eddahab,” and benefit from the same preferential tariffs as Moroccan products. This agreement follows a 2024 ruling by the European Court of Justice that invalidated the previous deal for failing to distinguish products from contested territories.
