A bulldozer passes by a hilltop manned by Moroccan soldiers on a road between Morocco and Mauritania in Guerguerat located in the Western Sahara. AFP
The Western Sahara is a vast mineral-rich former Spanish colony that is largely controlled by Morocco but has been claimed for decades by the pro-independence Polisario Front, which is supported by Algeria.
The Security Council has previously urged Morocco, the Polisario Front, Algeria and Mauritania to resume talks to reach a broad agreement.
But, at the initiative of the United States, the draft resolution to be put to a vote supports a plan, initially presented by Rabat in 2007, in which Western Sahara would enjoy autonomy under Morocco's sole sovereignty.
The text, seen by AFP, states that "genuine autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty could constitute a most feasible solution" to the prolonged dispute.
Algeria has always opposed the plan.
President Donald Trump, during his first term in office, in 2020 recognized Morocco's claim to Western Sahara after Morocco normalized relations with Israel -- achieving top diplomatic objectives for both Rabat and Washington.
Spain, France, Britain and Germany have since expressed support for Morocco's sovereignty over Western Sahara.
UN envoy Staffan de Mistura has welcomed US efforts to solve the issue but raised concerns about lack of detail in the Moroccan plan.
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