Côte d’Ivoire reiterated before the UN Committee of 24 (C-24) its “full support” for the Autonomy initiative presented by Morocco in a bid to put an end to the regional dispute over the Sahara.
“My country, while welcoming the countless efforts made by the Kingdom of Morocco in order to reach a compromise solution to this dispute, would like to reaffirm its full support for the broad autonomy initiative for the Sahara,” backed by more than 118 UN Member States, including three permanent members of the Security Council, stressed Côte d’Ivoire’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Tiémoko Moriko, during the C-24 regular session, held currently in New York.
He affirmed that the Autonomy initiative, described as serious and credible by the Security Council in its successive resolutions since 2007, is consistent with international law, the Charter, and relevant United Nations resolutions.
“It has the merit of taking into account the specificities of the Moroccan Sahara, giving its inhabitants the opportunity to actively participate in the management of the political and socio-economic life of this region,” he noted, adding that these populations freely choose their local and national representatives during the various democratic elections regularly held in the Kingdom. He welcomed here the participation in the works of the C-24 of certain elected officials from the Moroccan Sahara resulting from these elections.
On the economic front, the speaker noted that the populations of the southern provinces are benefiting from the dividends of the massive investments made by the Kingdom as part of the new development model launched in 2025, adding that these achievements have significantly raised the standard of living of the inhabitants and improved the human development index of the Moroccan Sahara.
He also highlighted the strengthening of the role of the Regional Human Rights Commissions in Laayoune and Dakhla and Morocco’s exemplary cooperation with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
These initiatives and actions taken by the Kingdom deserve to be commended and attest to the credibility of the broad autonomy initiative, which grants the inhabitants of the Moroccan Sahara numerous and important prerogatives, he said.
In addition, the diplomat reiterated his country’s support for the political process conducted under the exclusive auspices of the United Nations with a view to achieving a realistic, pragmatic, and lasting political solution. In this context, he referred to the efforts made by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and his Personal Envoy to the Moroccan Sahara, Staffan de Mistura.
Tiémoko Moriko also commended Morocco’s compliance with the ceasefire and its continued cooperation with MINURSO, urging other stakeholders to comply with existing military agreements and work closely with the UN Mission in the interest of peace and stability throughout the region.
He further indicated that his country remains concerned about the human rights situation in the Tindouf camps, calling for the registration and census of the populations there, as recommended by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the relevant provisions of international humanitarian law, and Security Council resolutions.
He concluded by calling on all stakeholders to demonstrate realism, a spirit of compromise, and good faith, with a view to reaching a political solution to this dispute over the Moroccan Sahara, as recommended by the Security Council.
MAP:20 June 2025
