The controversial 'Desertec' solar energy project, which was planned to cross the occupied territory of Western Sahara, might not be carried out due to lack of funds.
24 and 26 October, the trial against two Swedish fishermen took place in a court of Gothenburg. The two are accused of illegal fisheries in Western Sahara.
Without first having obtained consent from the Saharawi people in Western Sahara, the EU will next week try to conclude the talks on EU-Morocco fish deal offshore the occupied territory, under same terms as the one that was rejected by the European Parliament in 2011.
A video posted on Youtube this week shows a private Swedish company fishing in occupied Western Sahara.
"As a European I feel embarrassed", stated the former UN legal chief regarding the EU's fisheries activities in the waters of occupied Western Sahara, taking place in violation of international law. New trade agreements between Morocco and the EU - which Morocco is applying in Western Sahara - are entering info force in October 2012. WSRW questions the award of the Nobel peace prize to Morocco's important ally.
The Australian company Wesfarmers stated in its annual report that it for the coming production year, it will avoid phosphates from Western Sahara. It's fertiliser subsidiary company, CSBP has been a main importer of the controversial resource from the occupied territory.
This letter is meant as a suggestion as to how to first contact a supermarket if you see a product from "Morocco"
In protest of unemployment and the plunder of their natural resources, 7 Saharawi youth occupied the UN offices of Smara, Western Sahara, this week. The protest took place on the same place where Morocco is currently looking for gas.
The extraction and export of phosphoric rock from the Bou Craa mines at El Aaiun, Western Sahara, is increasing day by day.
Western Sahara Resource Watch (WSRW) continues to monitor phosphate rock exports from occupied Western Sahara. This update report provides details of exports and vessels involved in the trade over the period from 1 June until 31 August 2012 (the Observation Period).
Spokespersons of two Swedish political parties urge the Swedish government to ensure that Morocco does not misuse the UN climate mechanism CDM to uphold the occupation of Western Sahara.
The vessel 'Alycia' arrived on Tuesday 7 August 2012 at Risdon dock in Hobart, ready to discharge its controversial cargo of phosphate from occupied Western Sahara for the local fertilizer producer Impact Fertilisers.
The African Union summit in July formally adopted a policy document calling for the halt of mineral plunder on the continent.
Several Moroccan environmental projects in occupied Western Sahara are being considered by the UN. Published in Norwegian news service Bistandsaktuelt, 17 July 2012.
Norwegian company DNV, certified by the UN Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) to evaluate projects seeking CDM-funding, has issued a negative opinion on the Moroccan King’s envisioned windfarm project in occupied Western Sahara – precisely for taking place in a politically controversial area.
The UN considers the development of the natural resources in Western Sahara to be in violation of international law unless its people consent to and benefiting from it. Yet, Morocco is planning more applications to the UN to fund for its mineral resources plunder. “The UN’s Clean Development Mechanism must not support Morocco in Western Sahara”, stated WSRW.
The UN's Clean Development Mechanism is looking into endorsing a windfarm project, owned by the Moroccan king, in occupied Western Sahara. The Saharawi refugees don't want to see that happening.
The WSRW report on EU-Morocco relations was largely discussed in the large political event of Almedalen, Sweden.
“We hope to see more investors join us in urging companies linked to the territory to act responsibly and helping Western Sahara get the attention it needs”, said Finish investor Ilmarinen.
Due to Morocco’s tardiness in ratifying the EU-Morocco agricultural agreement, the accord is now expected to enter into force early October. Not coincidentally coinciding with the start of Morocco’s export-season to the EU.
While the EU is in the process of negotiating a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement with Morocco, 31 Saharawi NGOs recommend the EU to respect international law by excluding their occupied homeland. The organisations represent the vast majority of Saharawi civil society groups in the occupied territories of Western Sahara and in the refugee camps in south-west Algeria.
The UN’s Clean Development Mechanism has been considering supporting the work of the Moroccan King in occupied Western Sahara, in partnership with German company Siemens. WSRW asks the UN to reconsider.
WRSW has asked German multinational Siemens to withdraw from supplying wind turbines and related technical assistance for the construction of the Foum el Oued windfarm project in occupied Western Sahara. Siemens' partner in the project is NAREVA holding, a Moroccan company owned personally by King Mohammed VI.
Who benefits from the booming agricultural industry in occupied Western Sahara? Surely not the Saharawis.
The WSRW report ‘Label and Liability’ documents how produce from the controversial agro-industry in the occupied territory, ends up in the baskets of unaware EU customers.
When an unofficial delegation from the European Parliament visited Dakhla city in occupied Western Sahara, the Moroccan government pulled the foreign flagged European fleet out of the harbour. After hiding 8 km offshore Dakhla for a day, the vessels returned.
WSRW has asked the European Commission what is being done to prevent that Western Sahara produce is being falsely labelled as 'Moroccan' as they reach the EU market.
While Canary imports of stolen Saharawi sand continue with impunity, a group of Spanish and Saharawi activists – including a member of WSRW - is still facing penal sanction, precisely for denouncing the illegal trade.
As the European Commission excerted pressure on the European Parliament to approve a controversial EU trade agreement with Morocco earlier this year, they claimed the agri-industry in Western Sahara was practically inexistant. The Commission has now stated it is twice the size as they said in February.
While the UN Human Rights Council is gearing up to review Morocco’s human rights slate, WSRW urges the international community to give due attention to the rights of the Saharawi people.
Update: WSRW is pleased to note that several countries did raise the issue of Western Sahara during Morocco's UPR-session. Transcripts of those statements are available here.
A Resolution passed in the EU Parliament today backs the EU's Trade for Change policy vis-à-vis its southern neighbours, but turns a blind eye to the singular obstacle to peace and development in the region: Morocco's continued brutal occupation of Western Sahara.
"People live in a horrible situation because of the Australian companies that come to Western Sahara to steal our natural resources", Saharawi Malak Amidane stated in Australian national TV.
A group of unemployed Saharawi fishermen is said to have chained themselves to a foreign owned trawler in the harbour of Dakhla, protesting the plunder of their country.
The EU Member States have decided to back the European Commission’s suggestion to negotiate a ‘Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement’ with Morocco. The development could have further consequences for trade with Western Sahara, warns WSRW.
Last Friday, Morocco announced its willingness to engage in a new fisheries agreement with the European Union. "The talks must respect international law, and should be immediately halted until the Saharawi have given its consent", stated WSRW.
Responsible Investor - Siemens, the German industrial giant, is facing scrutiny from environmental, social and governance (ESG) research house GES Investment Services over a wind farm project in the disputed Western Sahara.
The US oil company Anadarko (ex-Kerr-McGee) said they have no role in the development of the Kosmos Energy's block offshore Western Sahara.
The Dutch trading company Nidera will take the issue of Western Sahara “into consideration” if confronted with another need to import to the Latin American country.
The Moroccan state-owned oil company ONHYM continues to promote the uranium potential of occupied Western Sahara. WSRW believes that the Romanian geophysical research company Prospectiuni is involved in the ground work.
Siemens’s African division in Denmark has signed a contract for delivery of wind turbines to Morocco-occupied Western Sahara. The indigenous population has not been consulted, as prescribed by the UN. Danwatch, 4 March 2012.
Siemens Energy has initiated a dangerous path for its internationalization strategy. Beginning of February, the company secured its first wind turbine orders on land occupied by Morocco.
Read also: Danwatch: Siemens’s Danish Division Signs Contract to Occupied Land
The new WSRW report ‘Conflict Tomatoes’, launched today, reveals massive growth in the Moroccan agriculture industry in occupied Western Sahara and its trade to the EU.
The world’s biggest trawler and fish factory vessel have been operating in Western Sahara’s waters.
A new EU trade agreement that is set to boost the personal fortune of King Mohamed VI of Morocco is facing opposition because it promotes the exploitation of disputed territory of the Western Sahara. Source: The Telegraph, 29 Jan 2012.
The Moroccan state electricity company has launched a tender for the construction of 5 wind farms. Two of those farms will be located in occupied Western Sahara.
The US lobby firm K&L Gates has for a year and a half been lobbying the issue of Western Sahara on behalf of a US-Mexican company that imports phosphates from the occupied territory.
During the days before Christmas, a vessel owned by the Danish shipping company Lauritzen set off from Western Sahara, occupied by Morocco. According to the UN, the Moroccan phosphate exploitation is illegal. By DanWatch, 30 Dec 2011.
FMC Corporation states that they have stopped importing phosphates from Western Sahara to Spain and that they should never have been kicked out of the Norwegian government's pension fund for lack of ethics.
This week, the EU pulled its fleet out of Western Sahara, a territory largely occupied by Morocco. The Russian industrial trawlers should follow the European example, Western Sahara Resource Watch (WSRW) demanded today. Press release, WSRW, 16 Dec 2011.
See images of the Russian fleet in Western Sahara
The EU fisheries in Western Sahara have today been voted down in the European Parliament. Reports made for the European Commission have shown that the EU fisheries in Western Sahara are a complete waste of EU taxpayers’ money, and contribute to destruction of marine life offshore Western Sahara. EU fleet must now return from Western Sahara.
Covington & Burling, the US lobby law firm that lobbies for the Moroccan phosphate trade from occupied territory of Western Sahara travelled all the way to Oslo to explain to an investor how the Saharawis supposedly benefit from the trade. Still, the firm refuse to talk to Saharawis or civil society about the industry.
The Norwegian government today announced it has sold 256 million Euros of shares in the two US-Canadian firms PCS and FMC due to their imports from Western Sahara.
British oil firm Longreach Oil & Gas yesterday announced that they are currently undertaking seismic studies in occupied Western Sahara. The studies are carried out in violation of international law.