MOROCCAN DEMARCHE ON FOURTH COMMITTEE SAHARA

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 RABAT 001575

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/04/2017
TAGS: PREL MO XA XF
SUBJECT: MOROCCAN DEMARCHE ON FOURTH COMMITTEE SAHARA
RESOLUTION

REF: RABAT 1516

RABAT 00001575 001.3 OF 002


Classified by A/Polcouns Ian McCary for reasons 1.4 (b) and
(d).


1. (C) On the afternoon of October 4, Moroccan MFA
Secretary-General Omar Hilale summoned chiefs of mission from

SIPDIS
OAS states resident in Rabat to a demarche anticipating
wrangling over the text of a Western Sahara resolution in the
UN Fourth Committee, set to begin next week. In addition to
the U.S., Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Mexico, Peru, and
Venezuela were represented at the meeting.


2. (C) In a 45 minute presentation, Hilale urged the Fourth
Committee's adoption by consensus of a Sahara resolution in
keeping with the tenor of UNSCR 1754. He complained that
Algeria, not taking into account new realities, planned to
submit a counterproductive text referencing the Baker Plans
and containing other "outmoded language."


3. (C) Having responded to years of international urging,
Morocco has entered with good faith into direct negotiations
with the separatist Polisario Front, Hilale argued. An
outmoded Fourth Committee resolution would "encourage
radicals" and upset this delicate process, he warned.


4. (C) Hilale's arguments were similar to those MFA IO Chief
Bourita made to Polcouns in late September (reftel).


5. (SBU) Hilale's staff distributed a note summarizing the
Moroccan position. The text of the note is repeated below:

Begin Text

Arguments in favor of a consensual resolution at the 4th
Committee of the United Nations General Assembly

1--The consideration of the Moroccan Sahara issue by the
General Assembly's 4th Committee will, this year, be held in
a specific context, marked by:

--The presentation by Morocco, last April, of its Initiative
for Negotiating an Autonomy Statute for the Sahara Region;

--The largely favorable international welcome which was given
to the Moroccan Autonomy Initiative;

--The adoption by the Security Council, on 30 April 2007, of
resolution 1754, which "takes note of the Moroccan proposal"
and "welcomes the serious and credible Moroccan efforts to
move the process forward towards resolution" of this dispute;

--The call by Resolution 1754 on the parties to enter into
negotiations without preconditions in good faith, taking into
account the developments of the last months, with a view to
achieving a just, lasting, anQmutually acceptable political
solution to this dispute;

--The consecration, by the Security Council, of negotiation
as the one and only means to settling this dispute, thus
breaking in a clear, unambiguous and final way with the
approaches and various proposals that were tested or put
forward since 1990;

--The launch of the Manhasset negotiation process, thanks to
the positive dynamic created by the Moroccan Autonomy
Initiative and the holding of two rounds of negotiations
between the parties, under the auspices of the Secretary
General, in Manhasset, on June 18-19, 2007 and August 10-11,

2007.

--The forthcoming holding of the 3rd round of negotiations;

--The strong participation of Moroccan citizens from the
Sahara region in the legislative elections held September
7th, thus contributing to the consolidation of the rule of
law and to the strengthening of the country's democratic
institutions.

2.--While ignoring all these developments, Algeria is
reportedly about to present a resolution, as it did last
year, which is completely out of touch with the current
dynamic. Its objective would be to instrumentalise the 4th
Committee, namely to redirect negotiations with terms of
reference that are far from those of resolution 1754.

RABAT 00001575 002 OF 002



3.--As for the Kingdom of Morocco, which is resolutely
engaged in negotiations held under the auspices of the
Secretary General's Personal Envoy, it considers that such an

SIPDIS
approach would pollute the upcoming resumption of
negotiations and further result in siding with one of the
parties. This is the reason why only a consensual resolution
can be acceptable for Morocco. This should only be limited
to expressing support for Security Council resolution 1754
and for the ongoing negotiations process.

4.--Such a resolution should:

--Be in line with the recent evolution of the dispute, namely
within the Security Council;

--Be in conformity with the letter and spirit of Security
Council resolution 1754, which was welcomed by all parties
and the international community as a whole.

--Reinforce the ongoing negotiation process and avoid
compromising or altering the present momentum.

--"Get rid of" references to prior proposals (Settlement Plan
and Baker Plan),whose caducity (sic) was clearly established
by the Secretary General and the Security Council.

--Strengthen coherence with regard to the handling of this
question by the various organs of the United Nations, by
reaffirming the central role of the Security Council.

5.--The virtue of such a consensual resolution is threefold:

--To bring the General Assembly's support to the ongoing
negotiation process;

--To spare the international community a division similar to
that of last year, and to prevent any new confrontation
within the 4th Committee.

--To avoid redirecting negotiations, supporting one position
against another or reinforcing the rigid and backward-looking
positions of the other parties, at a time when resolution
1754 asks "parties and states of the region to continue to
cooperate fully with the United Nations and with each other
to end the current impasse and to achieve progress towards a
political solution."

6.--Given all these reasons the Kingdom of Morocco requests
the support of all United Nations Member-States, so as to
protect the negotiations against any interference likely to
compromise them. The international community's commitment to
this end would come through the adoption of a consensual and
impartial resolution, which has a unique objective, that of
strengthening the ongoing negotiation process.

End Text.




*****************************************
Visit Embassy Rabat's Classified Website;
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/rabat
*****************************************

Riley