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The United Nations Fourth Committee adopted its annual resolution on the question of the Moroccan Sahara on Thursday, with 152 votes in favor - including Morocco’s - two votes against, and seven abstentions. Presented by the Senegalese Chair of the Committee, this draft resolution is traditionally adopted without a vote, in accordance with a consensus-based practice established in 2006. This year, the text was exceptionally put to a vote following a last-minute request by the United States delegation regarding all 23 draft resolutions submitted to the Fourth Committee, including those traditionally adopted by consensus or without a vote. This U.S. move reflects the State Department's policy of requiring a vote on all resolutions across the General Assembly's six Main Committees - without any exception - including those concerning security and disarmament, sustainable development, humanitarian affairs, and human rights, as well as legal matters and the UN budget. Morocco voted in favor of the text, alongside 151 other UN member states, for several reasons. First, this Fourth Committee resolution reaffirms historic Security Council Resolution 2797, which endorsed the Moroccan Autonomy Initiative as the basis for a solution within the framework of Moroccan sovereignty. This same resolution reaffirms the responsibility of the...