Morocco's Regionalization Roadmap and the Western Sahara

King Mohammed VI of Morocco has announced a national regionalization plan that includes the Western Sahara. Morocco's intention is to regionalize (or, essentially, decentralize) decision-making authority and management in socioeconomic development, political affairs, the judicial system, and other important responsibilities and institutions. The author describes Morocco's roadmap to regionalization, analyzes its principal elements, and presents recommendations for its strategic implementation. Regionalization could potentially establish the necessary conditions to resolve the Western Saharan conflict, but only if it genuinely advances the political, social, economic, and environmental fulfillment of the people living there.