WSRW correspondence with DLA Piper
Published 06 March 2015


DLA Piper sent the below reply-email to WSRW on 6 March 2015. DLA Piper has co-produced a legal opinion for the Moroccan state-owned phosphate company OCP, purportedly stating that OCP's exports of occupied Western Sahara's phosphates is permissible under international law as it accrues benefits to the "local people". Read WSRW's initial letter, asking whether the firm would share its legal opinion with the Saharawi people, here.


REPLY BY DLA PIPER, 6 March 2015

Dear Ms Eyckmans

I refer to your email and letter to Jay Rains and Simon Levine dated 18 February 2015. By way of introduction, I am the firm's General Counsel and Jay and Simon have asked me to respond to you on their behalf.

The opinion referred to in your letter, which we co-authored with Palacio y Asociados, was written for the benefit of Phospates de Boucraa S.A., and its holding company, Office Cherifien des Phosphates S.A. (OCP). It is their property and may only be disclosed to others by them or with their consent. Therefore, we are not in a position to provide you with a copy of the opinion.

Yours sincerely

Amber Matthews
General Counsel/Partner

DLA Piper Australia
Level 22
No.1 Martin Place
Sydney NSW 2000
GPO Box 4082
Sydney NSW 2001
Australia
www.dlapiper.com

New report: Western Sahara phosphate trade halved

The export of phosphate rock from occupied Western Sahara has never been lower than in 2019. This is revealed in the new WSRW report P for Plunder, published today.

24 February 2020

New report on Western Sahara phosphate industry out now

Morocco shipped 1.93 million tonnes of phosphate out of occupied Western Sahara in 2018, worth an estimated $164 million, new report shows. Here is all you need to know about the volume, values, vessels and clients.

08 April 2019

New report on contentious Western Sahara phosphate trade

Morocco shipped over 1.5 million tonnes of phosphate out of occupied Western Sahara in 2017, to the tune of over $142 million. But the number of international importers of the contentious conflict mineral is waning, WSRW's annual report shows.

25 April 2018

New report on global phosphate trade from occupied Western Sahara

Over 200 million dollars worth of phosphate rock was shipped out of occupied Western Sahara last year, a new report from WSRW shows. For the first time, India is among the top importers.

25 April 2017