In the UN Human Right Council today, Spain failed to assume responsibility with regard to the exploitation of occupied Western Sahara's natural resources. Namibia is not having it.
The German cement giant HeidelbergCement states that the company's operations in occupied Western Sahara are perfectly lawful according to a due diligence audit carried out by... HeidelbergCement.
The Swiss trade statistics reveal that 2019 was the first year without any imports of fruits and vegetables from occupied Western Sahara.
The German government has released data of trade with fishmeal from plants located in occupied Western Sahara that confirms figures previously released by authorities in Bremen.
The value of the fishmeal exports from occupied Western Sahara to Turkey in 2019 may have been larger than the entire phosphate trade from the occupied territory.
Western Sahara Resource Watch presents all vessels that transported petroleum products into the occupied Western Sahara last year.
The pressure is mounting on the New Zealand importers of phosphate rock from occupied Western Sahara. Today protesters in Christchurch erected roadblocks to stop trucks from transporting the conflict minerals into the local Ravensdown fertiliser factory.
Continental’s controversial contract in occupied Western Sahara is two weeks away from expiration. If renewed, WSRW asks owners to raise the matter at upcoming AGM.
A vessel transporting Norwegian gas was supposed to arrrive in occupied Western Sahara tomorrow, but has now steered away last minute, as ordered by the exporter in Norway.
The World Bank has yesterday removed erroneous maps of Morocco that mistakenly included the non-self-governing territory of Western Sahara.
See also: World Bank in discordance with the UN on Western Sahara.
Russian and Moroccan representatives recently met to further discuss a new fisheries agreement covering the waters offshore occupied Western Sahara, but a new deal seems still pending.
The World Bank seems to assist Morocco in promoting renewable energy projects in the occupied Western Sahara, as it fails to distinguish between the territory of Morocco and the Non-Self-Governing Territory.
Read also: World Bank removed erroneous maps
Two months after gas from a terminal in Sweden was exported into occupied Western Sahara, the Austrian company behind the shipment promises it will never happen again.
Germany's state-owned development bank will not finance projects in Western Sahara.
Last week, the German multinational acquired another cement factory in occupied Western Sahara.
While other companies internationally have managed to find alternative sources of phosphate - and in spite of a request of the New Zealand government that they do the same - the Kiwi fertilizer industry seems unwilling to drop its imports from occupied Western Sahara.
An analysis of the legal aspects of the conflict in Western Sahara has led the research department of the German parliament to conclude that there are substantiated violations of the Fourth Geneva Convention by Morocco, that is to be considered an occupying power.
Trucks of the US company Caterpillar transport phosphate rock in occupied Western Sahara.
50,000 tonnes of liquified gas arrived in occupied Western Sahara last year, according to our first overview of this key trade.
The Portuguese company Gesto has been contracted by Morocco to explore the geothermal potential of occupied Western Sahara - but chooses to refer to the territory as Morocco.
Western Sahara Resource Watch for the first time presents an overview of the transports of frozen fish from occupied Western Sahara. Near all of it ends up in West African harbours.
As Continental renegotiates its contract with Morocco's national phosphate company, it is still not clear whether the German group intends to limit its operations to Morocco proper or extend them into occupied Western Sahara.
What is EU's position on labelling of products from occupied Western Sahara? The EU Commission has now for the third time published a response to a parliamentary question on the matter, but the latest version fails to address the question.
The multinational company that facilitates the controversial phosphate exports in Western Sahara receives criticism from a group of German organisations.
Tomorrow, the European Parliament is scheduled to vote on an amendment to the EU-Morocco Aviation Agreement - without any clarifications from the EU Commission as to how the proposal aligns with the 2018 Ruling of EU Court of Justice, invalidating the application of that very Agreement to Western Sahara.
Update: the European Parliament has postponed all votes scheduled to take place on 10 March to a later date, due to the COVID-19-crisis.
The UK Government is in the final stages of entering into a new trade agreement with Morocco including the territory of Western Sahara, without consideration of recent EU and British court rulings, or of the people of the occupied land.
New Zealand’s national pension fund invests in Ravensdown and Ballance Agri-Nutrients – which both import phosphate rock from occupied Western Sahara. That does not align with its statutory obligation to safeguard the country’s reputation, Polisario official says.
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.
A clarification by the EU Commission on labelling of products from Western Sahara was published, then removed, then published again and has now been removed again from EU websites.
Two weeks ago, the EU Commission announced that products from Western Sahara should be labelled accordingly, only to withdraw that statement the very next day. Today, the Commission reaffirms its original position.
On 5 February 2020, the EU Commission announced that products from Western Sahara should be labelled accordingly. But about 24 hours later, all traces to that statement had been removed from EU websites.
Morocco has launched a tender for the construction of solar plants at nine different sites, including in occupied Western Sahara.
For the fourth consecutive year, the German engineering company dodges questions at its Annual Shareholders Meeting as to whether it has obtained the consent of the people of Western Sahara to operate on their land.
The European Commission said yesterday that products originating from Western Sahara must be labelled as from Western Sahara, not Morocco.
Namibia and East-Timor have today recommended Spain to respect the Saharawi people's right to free, prior and informed consent with regard to the exploitation of Western Sahara's natural resources.
The contract of German engineering company Continental that covers maintenance work on the phosphate conveyor belt in occupied Western Sahara expires in five months.
The WSRW report P for Plunder 2020 to be published in February 2020 will contain information on all 20 vessels that departed occupied Western Sahara from 1 January 2019 to 31 December 2019.
In 2010, the Dutch company Fugro promised to never again undertake operations in occupied Western Sahara. On Christmas Eve 2019, their vessels returned.
Next month, Spain’s human rights track record will be reviewed by the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. WSRW asks UN Member States to raise the rights of the people of Western Sahara, for whom Spain continues to bear responsibility.
A Japanese-Canadian vessel that transported conflict phosphate from occupied Western Sahara was yesterday received by a floating protest in New Zealand.
The construction work on the controversial beach of Mogán in Gran Canary started 2 December.
For the second time in less than two months’ time, the very same oil tanker has made the direct voyage from occupied Western Sahara to the port of Rotterdam. The Dutch government clarifies the content of the ship.
This morning, the New Zealand Rail and Maritime Transport Union issued a statement saying that they will "consider our options around refusing to berth the ship" if phosphate importer Ravensdown does not allow port workers to register their protest with the captain of the ship.
The bay of Mogán at Gran Canary Island will next week be covered in conflict sand from occupied Western Sahara.
With the operationalization of the Paris Agreement as key-point on the agenda of COP25, will the UN Climate Change Conference finally clarify whether States can help combat climate change by violating the Geneva Convention and the UN Charter?
The 300 MW farm is the first of the two wind farms that Italian company Enel Green Power and Germany's Siemens will build together on occupied land. Construction starts in 2021.
Ravensdown is "risking potentially disruptive direct action by refusing to allow port workers to register their protest at the importing of Blood Phosphate from the Western Sahara", says the New Zealand Rail and Maritime Transport Union.
The former Legal Counsel to the UN Security Counsel, Mr. Hans Corell, comments on the EU's fisheries activities in Western Sahara.
Polisario Front has announced its intention to subscribe to the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) - a global standard for good governance of oil, gas and mineral resources.
Turkey has become the leading importer of fishmeal from occupied Western Sahara. The aquaculture company Gümüşdoğa turns the meal into valuable fisheries products for the European market.
A French-Norwegian seismic survey vessel has entered Saharawi waters four times. The company behind the exploration blames its Dutch client.
The UK company GeoEx is now trying to sell the seismic data it collected of the seafloor of occupied Western Sahara. WSRW warns possible clients to stay away.
WSRW has reason to assume that a shipment of fish oil from occupied Western Sahara was discharged this afternoon in the Netherlands.
Tenders are expected to be launched before the end of the year.
And another vessel is on its way.
The representative organisation of Spain's farming sector, COAG, cautions that Morocco is working to increase agricultural exports from occupied Western Sahara into the European Union.
German and Irish law organisations demand that Messe Berlin ceases to accept the controversial French tomato producer Azura.
Protesters blocked two trucks at Ravensdown's plants and approached New Zealand's Prime Minister on the country's dependency on illegally exploited conflict minerals from occupied Western Sahara.
Protesters target Ravensdown over its continued purchases of illegally exploited phosphate rock from the last colony in Africa: occupied Western Sahara.
The Swedish industrial group that in recent years has refused to answer questions on its participation in Morocco's phosphate plunder in Western Sahara now claims the exploitation of the conflict mineral is legal.
Are you casting your vote for the EU elections? Find here a complete overview of MEP candidates who have supported the Moroccan occupation of Western Sahara in previous controversial votes. Choose wisely.
The Bremen port authorities have now confirmed WSRW’s hypothesis that a shipment of fishmeal from Western Sahara arrived in Bremen (Germany) two weeks ago – though they erroneously locate the town of origin, El Aaiun, in “Morocco”.
When requesting answers on human rights from HeidelbergCement with regard to its operations in occupied Western Sahara, Saharawi Khadja Bedati was told that the company "deliberately makes social sponsoring of various sports clubs".
On Tuesday, a cargo vessel arrived at the port of Bremen with a new probable cargo of conflict meal.
Incentivized by Morocco's plans to construct another port to accommodate its exports of conflict minerals from occupied Western Sahara, port construction firm Archirodon Group NV opens a subsidiary in the last colony of Africa.
At last week's annual meeting, the German company Continental failed to answer questions relating to the firm's controversial agreement in occupied Western Sahara.
The representation of the people of Western Sahara has today initiated legal proceedings against the EU Council over their decision to conclude a trade agreement for occupied Western Sahara with Morocco.
The New Zealand farmer cooperative Ravensown is one of the main importers of phosphate rock from occupied Western Sahara.
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.
The UK Court has concluded that the UK government has acted unlawfully in granting preferential tariff treatment to products from Western Sahara through a deal with Morocco, and in granting fisheries quota's for fishing in Western Sahara under a fish deal with Morocco.
OCP, Morocco's state-owned phosphate company which exploits the phosphate reserves of occupied Western Sahara, is registered on both the Irish Stock Exchange and on the Casablanca Stock Exchange. As such, it regularly submits Prospectuses, a detailed overview of activites for investors. Find OCP's publicly available Prospectuses here.
The contract of German manufacturing giant Continental AG for the Bou Craa mine expires in 15 months from now.
415 MEPs supported the new EU-Morocco Fisheries Partnership Agreement that will be applied expressly to occupied Western Sahara. Find out who they are, here.
Polisario has a case, but it should be pursued when the time is right, Court implies.
The imports of fishmeal into Germany from occupied Western Sahara is a lot larger than what has been known to the public so far, according to fresh data from the Bremen government.
Notwithstanding four consecutive rulings of the EU's highest Court calling such a practice illegal, the European Parliament has just now voted in favour of the EU-Morocco Fisheries Agreement that will be applied to the waters of occupied Western Sahara.
The Government of New Zealand has requested that the two local companies importing phosphate rock from Western Sahara source their raw materials from elsewhere than the occupied territory.
In its letter to the European Parliament, the leading international human rights NGO highlights the need for an opinion of the EU Court of Justice on applying the EU-Morocco Fisheries Agreement to a territory that is under occupation.
An unprecedented number of Euro-Parliamentarians have backed a proposal to refer the proposed EU-Morocco Fisheries Agreement - which will be expressly applied to occupied Western Sahara - to the EU Court of Justice.
Since the EU won't ask them, Saharawi groups have once again been left with no other choice than to contact EU institutions themselves to indicate they do not want the EU-Morocco Fisheries Agreement applied to their waters.
As the European Parliament shapes up to vote on including occupied Western Sahara into the EU-Morocco fisheries agreement, the newly published Freedom in the World report by Freedom House categorises the territory as the seventh most repressive human rights place on the planet.
The Norwegian vessel that turned 180 degrees upon arriving South African waters with fish from occupied Western Sahara, has spent the last two days discharging its cargo in the port of Abidjan. An international request for detaining the vessel was sent out to African states.
Agricultural groups in Spain strongly criticize the European Parliament's support for extending EU-Morocco trade relations into Western Sahara, stating that it harms the interests of the EU's own fruit and vegetable farmers.
"You may have access to paragraphs 1 to 3 including footnotes 1 to 7". The EU Council replied to WSRW's request for public access to its legal opinion on including Western Sahara in the new EU-Morocco fisheries agreement.
Nutrien - until now the biggest importer of phosphate rock from Western Sahara - has ended its trade. But what about the stock-exchange registered Sinofert Holdings in which they are the second biggest owner?
Only hours after Green Glacier this afternoon arrived Cape Town with a probable cargo of frozen fish from Western Sahara - it started on the 1 week trip back to West Africa without having offloaded any of its controversial cargo.
The Canadian company Wolverine last month completed the take-over of Petromaroc, the small company with interest on the Zag block in occupied Western Sahara
A Norwegian vessel that is likely transporting frozen fish from occupied Western Sahara could be on thin ice. In three days from now, 'Green Glacier' will enter South African waters - the jurisdiction that detained a stolen cargo from Western Sahara in 2017.