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UN's top security body has approved a US-backed resolution that endorses Moroccan position regarding the contested territory, notwithstanding fierce opposition from neighboring Algeria.

Divided Vote Bolsters Moroccan Position

While Friday's decision was split, the measure constitutes the strongest endorsement to date for Moroccan plan to retain sovereignty over the territory, which additionally enjoys backing from the majority of EU members and a growing number of African partners.

Measure Framework and Key Elements

The document describes Moroccan plan as a foundation for negotiation. As with previous measures, the document doesn't include a referendum on independence that includes independence as an option, which represents the approach long supported by the independence-seeking Polisario movement and its supporters.

Genuine autonomy under Moroccan authority could represent a most feasible resolution.

Background Information

The territory is a phosphate-rich stretch of coastal desert the size of a US state which was under Spanish rule until 1975. It is claimed by both the Moroccan government and the Polisario movement, which functions from temporary settlements in south-western Algeria and claims to speak for the indigenous people native to the contested territory.

Decision Results and Global Responses

The US, which proposed the resolution, led eleven countries in voting in support, while three countries – Russia, China and Pakistan – declined to vote. Algeria, Polisario's main benefactor, did not participate.

The US ambassador, the American ambassador to the United Nations, said the vote had been "significant" and would "build on the progress for a much-delayed resolution in Western Sahara".

Amar Bendjama, the Algeria's representative to the United Nations, said that while the resolution was an improvement on earlier versions, it "still has a number of deficiencies".

Security Mission and Future Assessment

The resolution also extends the United Nations peacekeeping mission in the territory for an additional year, as has been implemented for over three decades. Prior extensions, however, have not included a reference to Moroccan and its supporters' favored resolution.

The measure calls on all sides participating to "take this unprecedented opportunity for a lasting resolution." Depending on developments, it asks the secretary general to review the operation's mandate within half a year.

Area Impact and Current Conditions

The change could unsettle a protracted situation that for many years has eluded settlement, notwithstanding a UN peacekeeping mission that was designed to be temporary. Demonstrations have followed in indigenous refugee camps in Algeria this recent period, where people have vowed not to give up their struggle for independence.

The Moroccan government administers nearly all of Western Sahara, except for a thin area called the "liberated area" that lies to the east of a constructed by Morocco sand wall.

Historical Context and Recent Developments

A 1991-era ceasefire was intended to pave the way for a vote on self-determination, but disagreements over participation criteria prevented it from taking place.

Over the years, the Moroccan government has developed the disputed territory, building a deepwater port and a 656-mile road. Government subsidies keep food and energy costs low, and the resident count has ballooned as Moroccan citizens settle in cities such as major settlements.

Polisario ended the truce in recent years after confrontations near a road the government was constructing to Mauritania.

The group has subsequently frequently reported security activity, while the government has primarily rejected claims of active fighting. The UN describes it "low-level hostilities".

Global Diplomacy and Future Prospects

In response to the proposed measure, the movement said that it would not join any process intending "to validate Moroccan illegal military occupation," saying peace "can never be achieved by rewarding territorial claims".

The situation represents the central issue in north African diplomacy. The Moroccan government views support for its autonomy plan as a standard for how it assesses its allies.

Last October, the UN representative suggested dividing the territory, a proposal no party agreed to. He urged Morocco to clarify what autonomy would involve and cautioned that a absence of development might question the UN's function and "whether there is space and willingness for us to still be useful."

The initiative to reassess the UN operation comes as the US reduces financial support for United Nations initiatives and organizations, including security operations.