The United Nations Security Council has endorsed Morocco's autonomy proposal for Western Sahara as a potential resolution to the long-standing conflict. The resolution garnered support from key permanent members including the US, France, and the UK. However, the Polisario Front rejects negotiations based on this plan, insisting on a referendum.
On November 1, 2025, the UN Security Council passed a resolution affirming that Morocco’s 2007 autonomy proposal for Western Sahara "could represent the most feasible outcome" to the decades-long territorial dispute. The plan envisions establishing elected legislative, executive, and judicial authorities for the region, while Morocco retains control over defense, foreign affairs, and religion.
The resolution received eleven votes in favor, with abstentions from Russia, China, and Pakistan. Algeria, a key ally of the Polisario Front, boycotted the vote as a protest. It also expresses full support for the UN Secretary General’s Personal Envoy to facilitate negotiations between the parties, including the Polisario Front independence movement.
Key permanent Council members—the United States, France, and the United Kingdom—now back the autonomy initiative. This marks a shift in international dynamics for the conflict, which has pitted Morocco against the Polisario Front since Spain's withdrawal in 1975.
The Polisario Front, which seeks independence for Western Sahara, stated it would not participate in talks under this resolution. Instead, it prefers a referendum on self-determination, a position long supported by South Africa. The UN has struggled to organize such a vote since a 1991 ceasefire, amid disagreements over voter eligibility.