A total of 40 countries took part in the Ministerial Conference in Support of the Autonomy Initiative under Morocco’s Sovereignty, held virtually on Friday, January 15, 2021, at the invitation of the Kingdom of Morocco and the United States of America.
Besides Morocco, Zambia, Gabon, Guinea, Comoros, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Equatorial Guinea, Malawi, Togo, Liberia, Sao Tome and Principe, Benin, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, St. Lucia, Antigua and Barbuda, Haiti, Guatemala and the Dominican Republic took part in the event.
Barbados, Jamaica, Maldives, El Salvador, Senegal, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Côte d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Eswatini, Democratic Republic of Congo, Jordan, Oman, France, Egypt, Papua New Guinea, Tonga, Kuwait, Yemen and Burkina Faso were also represented. Most participants in the event expressed strong support for Morocco’s autonomy initiative as the only basis for a just and lasting solution to this regional dispute.
They also committed to continue their advocacy for a solution, using Morocco’s autonomy plan as the sole framework for resolving the Sahara dispute, according to a Chairs Summary made public at the end of the Conference.
The participating countries, among which 27 were represented at the ministerial level, welcomed the development endeavors launched in the region including in the framework of Morocco’s “New Development Model for the Southern Provinces.”
