King Mohammed VI Hails Progress on Western Sahara Issue in Green March Anniversary Speech

"The Green March not only represents a major national event and a prominent stage in the process of completing our territorial integrity. It also embodies a dynamic whose spirit continues and renews itself through the action taken to consolidate the Moroccanness of the Sahara on the international scene and to make the Sahara a driving force for regional and continental development," said the Sovereign, before speaking of the achievements obtained in recent years.

He hinted that at the United Nations level, outdated and unrealistic approaches and theses have been definitively destroyed, with the adoption of the latest resolutions of the Security Council. "These recent resolutions have also confirmed the effective participation of the real parties concerned by this regional conflict and have enshrined the irreversibility of the political, realistic and consensual solution," he said, stressing that this orientation is in keeping with the spirit of the Moroccan autonomy initiative, supported by the Security Council and the great powers as the only logical option to resolve this conflict.

At the level of the African Union, the king is pleased that thanks to Morocco’s return to its African family, the Organization has successfully closed the chapter of the incessant maneuvers of which it was a victim for years. "Since then, the African Union has adopted a constructive approach based on full and complete support for the efforts deployed, under an exclusive mandate by the United Nations, by its Secretary General and the Security Council," he welcomed.

Achievements have also been obtained on the legal and diplomatic level. This is the opening of general consulates by several countries in the cities of Laâyoune and Dakhla. For the sovereign, this is a clear and unequivocal recognition of the Moroccanness of the Sahara and a mark of confidence in the security and prosperity prevailing in the southern provinces. "At the same time, the vast majority of the members of the international community refuse to align themselves with the theses of the other parties. In fact, 163 countries, representing 85% of the member states of the United Nations, do not recognize the fictitious entity," he recalled.

"This orientation has been reinforced by the great powers which, in this matter, have adopted constructive positions, in particular the conclusion of strategic and economic partnerships including, without exception or reservation, the Southern Provinces of the Kingdom as an integral part of the Moroccan territory. Building on these achievements, Morocco reaffirms its sincere commitment to collaborate with His Excellency the Secretary General of the United Nations, within the framework of respect for the Resolutions of the Security Council, in order to reach a definitive solution, on the basis of the Autonomy Initiative," he continued.

"Morocco, faithful to itself, will not depart from the common sense and wisdom it is accustomed to. On the other hand, it is with the utmost vigor and the greatest firmness that it will oppose the abuses seeking to undermine the security and stability of its Southern Provinces," the sovereign stressed.