The Kingdom, whole
Morocco, including its southern provinces
Tap a marker to follow the territory’s story from Tarfaya to Guerguerat. Marker positions are indicative.
القرار 2797 · الصحراء المغربية
From the Spanish decolonisation file of 1963 to the first Security Council text that names Morocco’s autonomy proposal as the basis for talks.
Presented from Morocco’s perspective, as requested. Points that other parties read differently are flagged, and the main counter-arguments are in one section.
Drafted by the United States and adopted at the Council’s 10030th meeting, the resolution renews MINURSO for a year and, for the first time, points the negotiations at Morocco’s 2007 Autonomy Proposal.
China, Pakistan and Russia abstained. Algeria, a Council member that year, did not take part in the vote.
Parties are urged to negotiate without preconditions, taking Morocco’s Autonomy Proposal as the basis. The text says genuine autonomy “could represent a most feasible outcome.”
Morocco, the Polisario Front, Algeria and Mauritania are all called to the table, ending long-running ambiguity over who is a party.
The UN mission’s mandate runs to 31 October 2026, with a strategic review of its future requested within six months.
The text points to a political solution, not an independence referendum, signalling a shift in the UN’s approach after three decades.
Human Rights Watch argues the text endorses only Morocco’s proposal, does not offer independence as an option, and does not define who holds the right to self-determination.
The Polisario Front and Algeria maintain that the resolution recognises no Moroccan sovereignty and that self-determination of the Sahrawi people remains the principle. The UN still lists Western Sahara as a Non-Self-Governing Territory.
Status today: after three rounds of four-party talks in early 2026, the Secretary-General’s 1 October 2026 report cites progress but also unresolved questions about consulting the population. MINURSO’s mandate expires on 31 October 2026, and this page does not include the outcome of that vote.
Tap a marker to follow the territory’s story from Tarfaya to Guerguerat. Marker positions are indicative.
Click any milestone to open it. Filter by theme to follow one thread.
After the International Court of Justice delivered its opinion, King Hassan II called on Moroccans to cross peacefully into the Spanish-held Sahara, carrying the Qur’an and the national flag, unarmed.
The Court finds legal ties of allegiance between the Moroccan Sultans and some Saharan tribes. Morocco reads this as confirming its historical rights.
Volunteers from across the kingdom cross from the Tarfaya area. Spain, preparing to leave, enters talks.
Spain, Morocco and Mauritania sign a tripartite declaration. The General Assembly takes note of it on 10 December.
Other reading: Security Council resolution 380 deplored the march and called for withdrawal, and the ICJ stated it found no ties of sovereignty and affirmed self-determination.
A proposal, a shifting diplomatic map, and a negotiating table that is full for the first time in years.
Morocco submits its plan on 11 April. Resolution 1754 follows, calling for talks and noting Morocco’s “serious and credible” efforts.
Morocco secures the Guerguerat crossing in November. In December the United States recognises Moroccan sovereignty over the Sahara.
Spain (2022) and France (2024) back autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty. The United Kingdom calls it the most credible basis in June 2025.
The Council writes the autonomy proposal into the frame for negotiations.
Three rounds bring Morocco, the Polisario, Algeria and Mauritania together under a US–UN facilitation. Morocco presents a draft autonomy statute.
MINURSO’s mandate expires today, with the Council voting on its future. Check the UN for the outcome.