A conference focusing on Morocco's Autonomy Plan for the Sahara region was held at the University of Zaragoza in Spain. The event, organized by the university's Faculty of Law, brought together academics and experts to analyze the proposal, which Morocco presents as a serious and credible solution for the definitive resolution of the Western Sahara dispute.
The Moroccan initiative, presented to the United Nations in 2007, proposes granting the Sahara region autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty. The plan is framed as a compromise solution to the long-standing conflict, which pits Morocco against the Polisario Front, which seeks full independence for the territory it calls the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic.
Discussions at the conference reportedly examined the legal and political dimensions of the autonomy proposal within the framework of international law. The event is part of ongoing diplomatic and academic efforts to foster dialogue on potential resolutions to the decades-long regional dispute.
The autonomy plan has gained recognition from several nations, notably following the United States' recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara in 2020 in exchange for Morocco normalizing relations with Israel. The UN continues to list Western Sahara as a non-self-governing territory, with its peacekeeping mission, MINURSO, monitoring the ceasefire.
