Last week, the United Nations Secretary-General presented a new report on the Sahara to the members of the Security Council. This document signifies a «turning point», claims Mohamed Elghet Malainine, Vice-President of the Moroccan Center for Parallel Diplomacy and Dialogue of Civilizations (CMDPDC). Interview. Does the new report from the UN Secretary-General mark a genuine turning point in the UN's handling of the Western Sahara issue after five decades of status quo? This report represents far more than a change in tone, it marks a real shift in direction. The UN Secretary-General now appears to favor an implicit recognition of Moroccan sovereignty, moving away from a passive stance toward a more concrete and pragmatic approach. This evolution aligns with Security Council resolutions adopted since 2018, particularly Resolution 2440, which constituted a decisive turning point. MINURSO has gradually transitioned from a «referendum mission» to one supporting a realistic, pragmatic, and sustainable solution. The UN's language now mirrors this realism, prioritizing tangible facts over ideological postures. So, this report seems favorable to Morocco's interests… Absolutely. It reflects an undeniable reality on the ground: the Moroccan Sahara is presented as a zone of stability, good governance, and sustainable development. The report notably mentions, without criticism or reservation, the completion of the 93-kilometer road corridor linking Es-Smara to the Mauritanian border, describing it as a civilian passage. In UN terminology, such neutrality is tantamount to implicit recognition. On an institutional level, the repeated references to the regional commissions of the National Human Rights Council (CNDH) in Laâyoune and Dakhla confirm that the credibility of Morocco's national human rights mechanisms is now fully integrated into the UN's framework. Finally, the Secretary-General explicitly calls on Morocco and Algeria to resume dialogue, echoing His Majesty King Mohammed VI's call for a solution «without a winner or loser». In doing so, the UN Secretariat endorses and amplifies the de-escalation dynamic initiated by Morocco. On the human rights issue, António Guterres seems lenient toward the Polisario and more demanding with Morocco. Why this difference in treatment? Morocco exercises full sovereignty over its territory and relies on a credible institutional architecture through the CNDH's regional commissions, which are recognized by the Security Council itself. These bodies ensure constant and transparent monitoring. However, the Kingdom remains vigilant that no international institution is instrumentalized to expand MINURSO's mandate beyond its intended scope. In contrast, in the Tindouf camps, serious violations persist: the absence of population registration, the diversion of humanitarian aid, and alarming levels of malnutrition and anemia. Has the UN Secretary-General failed to properly address these violations? By merely mentioning malnutrition rates in the camps, the 2025 report sends a clear message: the humanitarian status quo is no longer acceptable. By juxtaposing Morocco's expanding infrastructure, such as new road corridors and the Atlantic port of Dakhla, with the humanitarian distress of the Tindouf camps, the report delivers a striking political diagnosis. Morocco is building, connecting, and investing, embodying legitimacy rooted in development and regional integration. Meanwhile, the Tindouf camps remain trapped in stagnation and dependency. The UN knows that no viable solution can arise from such precarity. The report clearly shows where progress and vitality exist and where the deadlock persists. Do you think MINURSO will continue under its current mandate in the coming years? Yes, but its role has evolved profoundly. Since Resolution 2440, MINURSO is no longer tasked with organizing a hypothetical referendum; it now serves as a guarantor of stability and a facilitator of the political process, no longer a mere observer. The 2025 report explicitly links the extension of its mandate to its ability to maintain conditions conducive to political dialogue. It has become a mission of consolidating reality, not freezing change. The 2025 report takes into account, more clearly and assertively than its predecessors, the ongoing economic, political, and geostrategic transformations in the region. In essence, it implicitly recognizes Morocco's advances. That's precisely what sets it apart: it acknowledges, without any negative connotation, the completion of the new corridor to Mauritania and the strengthening of civilian investments. Before 2018, such initiatives were routinely labeled «unilateral». Today, they are cited as factors of stability. This confirms that UN diplomacy has adopted a logic of realism and continuity. Everything suggests that future reports by the Secretary-General, and especially the forthcoming Security Council resolutions, will continue to consolidate this realistic approach and anchor the Moroccan Autonomy Initiative as the sole framework for a political settlement.
