In Dakhla, in the disputed Western Sahara, which is mainly controlled by Morocco, May 26, 2025. ABDEL MAJID BZIOUAT / AFP
On Friday, October 31, Morocco achieved a diplomatic victory – if not a resounding one, at least a significant one, as the United Nations Security Council voted on a resolution regarding Western Sahara. Adopted with 11 in favor, none against and three abstentions – Algeria refused to take part in the vote. The United States-sponsored, French-backed bill endorsed Rabat's autonomy plan for the territory – a key reference for both Morocco and the pro-independence Polisario Front in resolving a conflict that has plagued North African geopolitics for half a century.
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The formal purpose of the Security Council meeting was to renew the mandate of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO), which was set to expire on October 31. This annual renewal has been a ritual since the mission was established in 1991. This year, however, the process took on a special dimension, as Morocco's main allies on the Security Council – the US, France and the United Kingdom – saw an opportunity to try to redefine the terms of a possible settlement of the conflict in a way favorable to Rabat's position.
