A Luxembourg government fund has excluded six companies from its portfolios due to "association to illegal exploitation of natural resources (Western Sahara)".
On 15 November 2014, the Fonds de Compensation commun au régime général de pension (FDC), published the list of 61 companies that it has decided to blacklist. No less than six of those companies have been rejected because they purchase phosphate from Moroccan occupied Western Sahara.
FDC has divested from Canada's Agrium Inc and Potash Corp Sasketchewan, Australian firms Wesfarmers and Incitec Pivot Ltd and USA firms Innophos Holdings and FMC Corporation, citing their "association to illegal exploitation of natural resources in Western Sahara".
All six companies had been listed by WSRW in its June 2014 "P for Plunder" report, which gives a complete overview of all clients, volumes, values and shipments of illegally excavated phosphate rock from occupied Western Sahara for the years 2012-2013.
The file from FDC can also be downloaded here.
One of the richest coastlines in the world
The fish stocks of occupied Western Sahara have not only attracted the interest of the Moroccan fleet: other foreign interests are also fishing in the occupied waters through arrangements with Moroccan counterparts. Along the Western Saharan coastline, a processing industry has emerged.
The CJEU Court Cases
Keeping track of the many legal proceedings relating to Western Sahara is not easy. This page offers an overview of the cases concerning the territory that have been before the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU).
Tūhana human rights advisors ignore human rights
A consultancy hired to assess phosphate imports from occupied Western Sahara into New Zealand concludes there is no problem.
MEPs push back on Commission over Western Sahara in EU–Morocco trade
MEPs from across the political spectrum sharply criticised the European Commission over its handling of EU-Morocco trade relations covering occupied Western Sahara, raising concerns over legality, transparency and an apparent disregard for Parliament’s role.