At the 57th session of the UN Human Rights Council, countries that support Morocco's sovereignty over the Sahara made their voices heard. In a statement read yesterday at a session of the HRC on behalf of 40 States, the Ambassador of the Dominican Republic, Hector Virgilio Alcántara, affirmed that «the question of the Sahara is a political dispute dealt with by the Security Council, which has recognized the preeminence of the autonomy initiative presented by Morocco as a serious and credible option to achieve a definitive political solution to this regional dispute». The group of friends of the kingdom reiterated «its support for efforts to relaunch the UN political process exclusively on the basis of the format established during the Geneva round tables, in accordance with Security Council resolutions, including resolution 2703 adopted on October 30, 2023, which aims to achieve a political, realistic, practical, and lasting solution to this regional dispute, based on consensus». A format rejected by Algeria, which instead calls for «direct negotiations between Morocco and the Polisario». A proposal that Rabat refuses, demanding «the full participation of Algeria». The ambassador of the Dominican Republic also stressed that «the resolution of this regional dispute will contribute to the realization of the legitimate aspirations of the African and Arab peoples in terms of integration and development, an objective that Morocco continues to pursue by devoting sincere and continuous efforts to it». The diplomat welcomed the opening of several consulates in the cities of Dakhla and Laayoune by many countries. «These diplomatic representations constitute a lever to strengthen economic cooperation and investment, for the benefit of local populations as well as regional and continental development», he specified. In his speech, Ambassador Hector Virgilio Alcántara indicated that «Morocco has been engaged, for many years, in a constructive, voluntary, and in-depth interaction with the United Nations human rights system, in particular with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, with a view to promoting and respecting human rights throughout its territory». During the 51st session of the UN HRC, in September 2022, some thirty States expressed their support for Morocco's sovereignty over the Sahara.
