Washington, 26 October 2026 (SPS) – Stephen Zunes, a professor at the University of San Francisco, has warned of the serious legal and political implications of the US draft resolution on Western Sahara circulated to the UN Security Council, arguing that it seeks to impose Morocco’s proposed autonomy plan and effectively endorse the unlawful annexation of the occupied territory.
In an analysis published on Sunday, Zunes described the draft as one of the most serious attempts to undermine international law since the establishment of the United Nations. He warned that its adoption would send a dangerous signal to powers seeking to annex territories seized by force.
Zunes said the text would effectively undermine the historical mandate of the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO), established to organize a referendum enabling the Sahrawi people to choose between independence and other options of their choosing. He stressed that the draft disregards the right to self-determination, a cornerstone of the decolonization process under international law.
He also challenged the draft’s references to US President Donald Trump’s leadership and to growing international recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara, describing these claims as misleading. He further argued that the text’s reference to “genuine autonomy” effectively endorses Morocco’s proposal without meeting the internationally recognized legal meaning of autonomy.
The professor also criticized provisions that appear to sideline the Polisario Front, the internationally recognized representative of the Sahrawi people, by referring instead to a broad spectrum of Sahrawi stakeholders.
On the humanitarian front, Zunes warned that conditions attached to funding services for Sahrawi refugees, including an emphasis on so-called individual solutions, could trigger a humanitarian crisis and increase pressure on refugees to accept the status quo.
Regarding the Security Council, Zunes suggested that China, Russia and Pakistan could raise strong objections, potentially prompting changes to the draft before a vote. He added that, even if the full text were not adopted, the Trump administration appeared intent on advancing new language that, in his assessment, would conflict with international law and undermine the Sahrawi people's right to self-determination.
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