Autonomy Under Moroccan Sovereignty at Center of Helsinki Debate on Lasting Peace, Future of Tindouf Populations

Helsinki – To mark the first anniversary of Unity Day and the 51st anniversary of the Green March, the Embassy of the Kingdom of Morocco in Helsinki and the Finnish Friends of Morocco Association organized, on Monday, the fifth annual thematic meeting devoted to autonomy.

Held under the theme “Rethinking the Regional Dispute over the Sahara: Autonomy as a Path Towards Lasting Regional Peace and Human Dignity,” the meeting brought together Finnish, Moroccan and Norwegian experts to discuss the political, institutional and humanitarian dimensions of the Moroccan autonomy initiative, with particular attention to the future of the populations in the Tindouf camps.

Addressing the latest developments in the UN process, Morocco’s Ambassador to Finland, Mohamed Achgalou, highlighted the political and legal significance of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2797, adopted on October 31, 2025, as well as the developments surrounding last Friday’s UN vote, stressing that this vote demonstrated that these developments are part of an international momentum establishing autonomy as the sole path towards a political solution to the dispute.

According to the Moroccan diplomat, the situation of the populations in Tindouf calls for a pragmatic approach that takes into account current political realities, the development momentum undertaken in the Southern Provinces and the evolution of an international context increasingly favorable to autonomy. He deplored the persistence of a protracted humanitarian situation, considering that the dignity, rights and aspirations of the affected populations should no longer be subject to outdated political and ideological considerations.

For Achgalou, the Moroccan autonomy initiative, whose international support currently constitutes a key element of the political process, goes beyond merely resolving a territorial political regional. It also offers a response with a profound human dimension, reconciling national sovereignty, democratic management of local affairs, socioeconomic development and the protection of fundamental rights.

Reaffirming Morocco’s commitment to multilateralism, peacekeeping and cooperation with the United Nations, the Ambassador stressed that the end of Minurso cannot undermine the Kingdom’s commitment to peace within the framework of its national sovereignty, as well as to the security and peace of its citizens.

The other participants offered complementary perspectives on the political, institutional, economic and human conditions for sustainable autonomy.