Morocco highlights autonomy plan implementation guarantees at un

Diplomatic circles in New York were abuzz this week as Morocco’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations hosted an international seminar focused on the implementation guarantees of territorial autonomy agreements. The event, held on July 1, 2026, brought together diplomats, scholars, and experts to examine global autonomy models in light of the recently adopted UN Security Council resolution 2797.

Omar Hilale, Morocco’s Permanent Representative to the UN, opened the discussions by emphasizing the exceptional context surrounding the seminar. He noted that the adoption of resolution 2797 in October 2025 marked a historic turning point, unequivocally endorsing Morocco’s autonomy plan for the Sahara within the framework of Moroccan sovereignty as the sole basis for a negotiated and mutually acceptable political solution.

Hilale pointed out that the diplomatic momentum is particularly strong, with over 130 UN member states—including three permanent Security Council members: the United States, France, and the United Kingdom—supporting the autonomy initiative. He highlighted the tangible progress being made in the southern provinces of Morocco, including infrastructure development, renewable energy projects, higher education expansion, healthcare improvements, foreign investments, and major initiatives such as a data center in Dakhla and a deep-water port on the Atlantic coast.

The Ambassador stressed that the autonomy plan is not merely a political slogan but a concrete governance project backed by constitutional, institutional, and democratic guarantees. The central theme of the seminar, he noted, was clear: “In a negotiated autonomy, its value lies in its implementation guarantees.”

The Moroccan proposal envisions local populations managing their own affairs through legislative, executive, and judicial bodies with defined competencies. Hilale underscored that these provisions ensure the plan’s sustainability and adaptability to the evolving needs of the region.

Comparative academic perspectives

Marc Finaud, Senior Advisor and Associate Researcher at the Geneva Centre for Security Policy, moderated the seminar and clarified that the academic discussions were designed to complement, rather than replace, the UN-led negotiations. The event aimed to enrich the dialogue by drawing parallels with international autonomy models.

Finaud highlighted key aspects of Morocco’s initiative, including local population participation, referendum consultations, the principle of subsidiarity, representation in national institutions, constitutional human rights protections, and mechanisms for reintegration and transition. These features, he argued, distinguish Morocco’s approach from other autonomy models.

Diego Muñoz, a researcher presenting the case of Rapa Nui (Easter Island), described the autonomy process as unfinished despite decades of discussion. He contrasted the legal and historical contexts of Rapa Nui, which is under Chilean sovereignty, with the UN-mandated framework governing the Sahara issue. Muñoz emphasized the importance of consulting local populations, a principle that aligns with Morocco’s initiative, which integrates local representation and institutional guarantees.

Sémir Al Wardi, a political science professor at the University of French Polynesia, drew a distinction between administrative and political autonomy. While French Polynesia operates under an administrative autonomy model, New Caledonia enjoys legislative powers. Al Wardi praised Morocco’s initiative for its generosity, noting that it grants legislative authority to the Sahara region—a feature absent in the French Polynesian model but present in some European cases like Spain or the United Kingdom.

The professor also stressed the critical role of financial resources in autonomy frameworks, arguing that real autonomy requires sufficient funding to exercise delegated competencies. He framed autonomy as a means for regions to assert their identity while remaining part of a larger state.

Heikki Mattila, a professor at the School for International Training in Geneva, presented the case of Åland Islands, an autonomous Swedish-speaking territory of Finland. The Åland model, born from a post-independence crisis with Sweden and later codified by the League of Nations, includes robust guarantees: protection of the Swedish language, restrictions on land acquisition by non-residents, fiscal autonomy, local representation, and demilitarization. Mattila highlighted the quasi-constitutional protection of Åland’s autonomy laws, which can only be amended through a reinforced procedure involving the region.

He emphasized the need for clear competency sharing and flexibility to allow for evolving needs, noting institutional mechanisms such as the review of regional laws and recourse to Finland’s Supreme Court in cases of competency disputes.

Beyond legal text: practical guarantees

Dagikhudo Dagiev, a senior researcher at the Institute of Ismaili Studies in London, examined the case of Gorno-Badakhshan in Tajikistan. While the region’s autonomy is constitutionally recognized, Dagiev described it as largely theoretical, constrained by centralized governance, direct appointments by central authorities, and a lack of exclusive competencies. This case underscored a critical lesson: autonomy must extend beyond legal text to be effective.

Dagiev contrasted this with Morocco’s initiative, which includes constitutional anchoring, fiscal resources, dispute resolution mechanisms, protection against unilateral revocation, and potential international oversight during implementation. He concluded that Morocco’s plan already embeds several foundational guarantees: constitutional incorporation, democratic governance, referendum approval, and a negotiated rollout.

In closing, Marc Finaud synthesized common lessons from global autonomy experiences: constitutional recognition, international agreement, precise competency definitions, dedicated resources, dispute resolution mechanisms, and protection against unilateral changes. These elements, he noted, enhance the credibility of Morocco’s autonomy plan, positioning it as a sustainable solution tailored to the region’s dynamic needs.