UN General Assembly: Bourita outlines Morocco’s international diplomatic agenda

Saturday 26 September 2026 - 10:40

Morocco’s Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita has described the country’s participation in the 81st United Nations General Assembly as an opportunity to advance its diplomatic priorities, including its proposal for autonomy in Western Sahara and its campaign for a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2028-2029 term.

Speaking to the press in New York, Bourita said Morocco’s Security Council bid reflected what he described as the country’s role in regional and international affairs. The election of non-permanent members for the 2028-2029 term is scheduled for June 2027. The UN General Assembly is responsible for electing the Council’s non-permanent members.

Morocco links Security Council bid to wider diplomatic agenda

Bourita presented Morocco’s candidacy as part of a broader diplomatic approach shaped, according to him, by the country’s experience in international affairs and by King Mohammed VI’s foreign-policy vision.

He cited climate change, development, counterterrorism and regional security among the issues on which Morocco intends to remain active in multilateral forums.

Morocco’s candidacy was also highlighted by Bourita during the opening of the General Assembly’s general debate. In his address, he connected the bid to what he described as Morocco’s contributions to peace, development and international cooperation.

Western Sahara remains central to Morocco’s diplomatic messaging

The question of Western Sahara featured prominently in Morocco’s messaging at the United Nations.

Bourita said the latest General Assembly meetings had contributed to what he characterized as growing international momentum around Morocco’s autonomy proposal. This assessment reflects the Moroccan government’s diplomatic position; the broader UN process continues to concern a negotiated political settlement under UN auspices.

In his General Assembly address, Bourita referred to the autonomy initiative as the framework Morocco is promoting for resolving the dispute. The UN General Assembly itself remains a forum in which the issue is discussed alongside the wider UN political process.

The issue has also featured in UN documentation concerning the positions of the parties. UN records have noted Morocco’s statements regarding international support for its autonomy initiative, while also recording opposing positions concerning the status and future of Western Sahara.

Morocco highlights African and Atlantic initiatives

Beyond the Sahara issue, Bourita pointed to several Moroccan initiatives involving African cooperation.

Among them is the African Atlantic States Process, which held its eighth ministerial meeting in New York during the General Assembly high-level week. According to Bourita, the initiative has developed into a more established framework for cooperation among participating Atlantic African countries.

Morocco also highlighted planned activities involving partner countries. Gabon is expected to host a meeting focused on fisheries in the African Atlantic area, while Cabo Verde is expected to host a workshop dealing with maritime security. Morocco is due to host the process’s ninth ministerial meeting.

The initiative comes as maritime security, trade routes and access to the Atlantic remain important issues for countries bordering the African Atlantic space.

Disarmament and child-soldier convention also highlighted

Bourita also referred to Morocco’s role in promoting an African legal instrument concerning the disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration of children associated with armed groups.

The initiative was presented as part of Morocco’s wider effort to promote African cooperation through multilateral frameworks. It reflects an approach that combines security issues with humanitarian and development concerns.

Public-private partnerships placed on the UN agenda

Morocco also used the General Assembly programme to highlight development financing.

A meeting co-organised with the United Nations Development Programme focused on public-private partnerships under the theme “Financing the Future: Public-Private Partnerships for Investing in Development.”

The initiative placed emphasis on cooperation between governments and private-sector actors as a means of mobilising resources for development projects.

Morocco backs dialogue against hate speech

Another initiative highlighted by Bourita concerned the international fight against hate speech.

Morocco co-chaired a global conference on countering hate speech through interreligious and intercultural dialogue and the promotion of tolerance. The event was organised with the UN Office on Genocide Prevention and the Responsibility to Protect and the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations.

Bourita presented the conference as part of efforts to strengthen dialogue and tolerance as tools for preventing hate speech and supporting social cohesion.

A broader diplomatic presence in New York

The range of issues raised by Morocco during the 81st General Assembly illustrates the breadth of its multilateral agenda, extending from Western Sahara and Security Council reform to African cooperation, maritime security, development financing and the prevention of hate speech.

The UN General Assembly’s 81st session opened in September 2026, with Morocco among the 193 UN Member States participating in the body’s deliberations.

For Rabat, the New York meetings therefore provided a platform to present its diplomatic priorities while engaging with governments and international institutions on issues extending beyond its immediate regional interests.