Thirty-five countries renewed their support for Morocco’s territorial integrity and sovereignty over Western Sahara on Tuesday, September 13, 2022, at the 51st session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva.

The United Arab Emirates spokesperson at the council spoke “on behalf of the 35 countries that support Morocco’s full sovereignty over its southern regions.” 

The Support Group for the territorial integrity of the Moroccan Kingdom celebrated the growing international support for the North African country’s Autonomy Plan, including the opening of several countries’ diplomatic representations in Morocco’s southern provinces, read the statement.

The statement welcomed the opening of consulates general in the Moroccan cities of Laayoune and Dakhla. The group also welcomed the appointment of Staffan De Mistura S as the United Nations’ new Personal Envoy for Western Sahara, who has “re-launched the UN’s political process” which aims to find a lasting solution to the Sahara dispute. 

Resolving the Sahara dispute “would undoubtedly contribute to achieving the integration and development aspirations of the African and Arab people,” noted the statement, adding that this is “the goal Morocco seeks to achieve.” The group further highlighted the “sincere and continuous efforts” that the North African country is making in this regard.

The group is comprised of 35 countries, including the UAE, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Central African Republic, Comoros, Cote d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Dominica, Eswatini, Gabon, Guatemala, Guinea, Equatorial Guinea, Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Haiti, Jordan, Liberia, and Kuwait.

Other members include Oman, Qatar, Senegal, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Dominican Republic, Zambia, Maldives, Yemen, and Morocco.

Morocco has enjoyed growing international support for its territorial integrity, with many countries from Africa and other parts of the world joining the cohort of nations that have opened diplomatic representations in Morocco’s southern regions.