The Swedish organisation Emmaus Stockholm has decided to support the work of WSRW for 2013.
The annual member meeting of Emmaus Stockholm, a solidarity organisation in Sweden, decided this week to support Western Sahara Resource Watch with a generous amount of 65700 Swedish kroners (approx 7500 Euros). The financial support will be used by WSRW in trying to stop the EU's illegal trade agreements with Morocco covering the occupied territory of Western Sahara.
Most crucially, the EU is from 2013 trying to renew a fisheries agreement offshore Western Sahara.
"By failing to involve the Saharawi people already during the negotiations, the EU's fisheries talks with Morocco already undermines international law and the UN peace efforts. We thank Emmaus Stockholm for the support in the international struggle to raise awareness about the EU's role in prolonging the sufferings of the Saharawi people. Morocco is not in a position to negotiate with the EU for the fish stocks in a territory which is not Moroccan", stated chair of WSRW, Erik Hagen.
Emmaus also supported the WSRW's work in funding the writing of the report Label and Liability on the EU-Morocco free trade agreement that entered into force 1 October 2012.
Behind the headlines and diplomatic spin suggesting that the Security Council is now siding with Morocco lies a more complex reality - one that hinges on the very right that Rabat has spent decades trying to bury: self-determination.
A packet of cherry tomatoes sold this week in a French supermarket illustrates the confusion triggered by the European Commission’s rushed attempt to adapt EU consumer and trade rules to Morocco’s claims over occupied Western Sahara.
The Dutch-Norwegian fish feed producer in Turkey refers to mysterious MarinTrust certificates when importing from occupied Western Sahara.
The certification system greenwashes multimillion-euro fisheries products from occupied Western Sahara - under false country of origin.