Denmark Reaffirms Support for Morocco’s ‘Credible’ Autonomy Plan for Western Sahara

Rabat – Denmark has renewed its support for Morocco’s Autonomy Plan for Western Sahara, describing the proposal as “credible” and a “good basis” for reaching a mutually agreed solution, adding to a series of diplomatic gains for Rabat in recent years.

Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen made the statement Friday during Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita’s working visit to Copenhagen. Rasmussen also welcomed UN Security Council Resolution 2797, adopted in October 2025, in line with the European Union’s position.

The Danish minister said Morocco’s autonomy proposal represents a serious and essential contribution to the UN-led political process. His remarks reaffirm Copenhagen’s position two years after Denmark first publicly backed the plan.

The visit also highlighted the broader strengthening of Morocco-Denmark relations, with both countries reaffirming their intention to elevate their partnership to a strategic level. Rasmussen described Morocco as a “reliable partner” and a driver of growth and development in Africa. The two sides agreed on a future visit by the Danish foreign minister to Morocco to advance political dialogue and conclude a new strategic partnership.

The partnership will also focus on trade and investment in sectors including water technology, renewable energy, pharmaceuticals, agriculture and agri-food, and infrastructure. The two countries also agreed to create a Moroccan-Danish business council and strengthen cooperation on migration, building on their existing ties in the area.

Denmark first endorsed Morocco’s Autonomy Plan in September 2024, when it described the 2007 proposal as a “serious and reliable contribution” to the international process and a solid basis for a mutually agreed solution under Moroccan sovereignty. At the time, Denmark became one of a growing number of European countries to explicitly support the Moroccan initiative.

The latest statement therefore represents a reaffirmation rather than a new shift in policy. It comes, however, against a significantly changed international backdrop.

Since Denmark’s initial endorsement, Morocco has secured further support from European and non-European countries, while major powers have increasingly referred to the Autonomy Plan as the main framework for resolving the dispute. France has backed the plan as the basis for a settlement, Spain has maintained its support, and the United Kingdom endorsed the initiative in 2025 as a serious and credible political solution.

Portugal also reaffirmed its support in 2026, while other European countries have continued to strengthen their positions in favor of the Moroccan proposal. More than 130 countries had endorsed the Autonomy Plan, while more than 30 consulates operated in Laayoune and Dakhla in Morocco’s southern provinces.

UN resolution marks major shift

One of the most important developments came in October 2025, when the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 2797.

The resolution represented a significant diplomatic gain for Morocco by identifying genuine autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty as a potentially viable solution to the dispute. It passed with 11 votes in favor, while Russia, China, and Pakistan abstained. Algeria, which held a non-permanent seat at the time, did not participate in the vote.

The resolution also changed the diplomatic environment surrounding the dispute. With Algeria no longer holding a seat on the Security Council in 2026, Rabat faces fewer direct obstacles from its main regional opponent inside the body responsible for handling the issue.

The new Council composition gave Rabat a stronger position, with Algeria’s departure ending its two-year presence in the chamber.

Algeria and Polisario face narrowing diplomatic space

The sequence of developments has also exposed the increasingly difficult position of Algeria and the Polisario Front.

Morocco’s growing support has come from countries across Europe, Africa, Asia and the Americas. At the same time, several states have withdrawn or suspended recognition of the self-proclaimed Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic. 

The shift has also reached countries that have traditionally maintained more cautious positions. In May 2025, Korea endorsed Morocco’s autonomy initiative as a serious and credible effort.

Meanwhile, Algeria had reached one of its weakest diplomatic positions in decades on the Western Sahara file with the adoption of Resolution 2797 and the growing alignment around Morocco’s autonomy framework.

For Rabat, Denmark’s renewed endorsement is therefore more than a bilateral statement. It adds to a wider diplomatic trend in which support for Morocco’s Autonomy Plan has expanded while the room for Algeria and the Polisario Front to promote independence as the preferred international framework has narrowed.

The latest Danish position reinforces Morocco’s argument that the international debate is increasingly moving toward a political settlement based on autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty.