20 years ago today, Western Sahara Resource Watch (WSRW) was established to monitor and advocate against Morocco’s exploitation of natural resources in Western Sahara. WSRW has been at the forefront of campaigns to ensure that the management of the territory's resources aligns with international law and respects the wishes of the Saharawi people. 

WSRW believes that Morocco cannot maintain its illegal occupation of Western Sahara without the help from international renewable companies, vessels, lawyers, banks, retailers and energy supplies. At a time when international law is under pressure, WSRW aims to keep such corporations - and governments - accountable for aiding and abetting the grave injustices inflicted on the Saharawi people and one of the worst aggressions against international law since the creation of the United Nations. 

The work been centred around four main pillars: 

• Research of companies, from various sources, including corporate reports, shipping data, trade records, news monitoring, and collaborations with partners on the ground.
• Corporate engagement, through sending formal inquiries to companies to seek clarification on their operations and to inform them about the legal and ethical implications of their activities. WSRW has probably reached out to thousands of companies over the years.
• Public awareness: through releasing detailed reports and updates on corporate activities, WSRW works as an information centre for media, academics, documentary filmmakers, company shareholders, etc.
• Policy advocacy, including direct meetings with decision makers, governments, international organisations, UN institutions, etc.

This undertaking has been met with several challenges throughout the years, including mass hacking attempts of our website, mass reporting of our social media by users in Morocco and legal threats from involved companies. In 2025, WSRW’s partner’s office in Copenhagen was attacked with molotov cocktails. Even the foundation meeting of WSRW on 4 February 2005, held in a private apartment in Europe, was ransacked by strangers while the attendees were out for lunch break. 

Over the past two decades, WSRW has achieved significant victories that have brought international attention to the plight of Western Sahara. 

One of the organisation's most notable successes occurred in 2011 when the European Parliament decided to terminate the Fisheries Partnership Agreement with Morocco, which had included the waters of Western Sahara. This decision was influenced by WSRW's persistent advocacy, highlighting that such agreements violated international law as they did not consider the consent of the Sahrawi people. Later, the WSRW research was central in producing data that was necessary for the Saharawi people’s highly successful legal proceedings before the EU Courts.

In addition to fisheries, WSRW has campaigned against the extraction and export of phosphates from Western Sahara. The organisation has documented and exposed companies involved in the trade, leading to several international corporations ceasing their imports of phosphates from the territory. This has not only reduced the economic incentives for Morocco's continued occupation but has also raised global awareness about the ethical implications of resource exploitation in the territory.

The organisation emerged as a result of the international coordination of solidarity associations to stop Morocco’s oil exploration efforts in the territory during the years 2002-2004. Morocco had in 2001 issued its first licences to TotalFinaElf and Kerr-McGee, and the joint experiences and campaigns led to the creation of a network calling itself “International Coalition for the Protection of Natural Resources in Western Sahara”, which then renamed to Western Sahara Resource Watch at the constitutive meeting on 5 February 2005. The campaign was based on a key UN Legal Opinion from 2002 and led to the departure of all of the involved oil companies. 

As WSRW turns 20, the organisation continues to play an important role for justice for the people of Western Sahara. WSRW receives funding from European solidarity associations and individuals. You can support WSRW here. 

“On this day, we wish to extend our support to the Saharawi people, both in exile and under occupation. A particular greeting is sent to the political prisoners in Moroccan jails, who are serving up to life time sentences for advocating for their legitimate rights”, stated Sylvia Valentin, chair of WSRW. 

“As the Saharawi people keep gaining legal victories in international courts, the involved companies need to understand that the legal and reputational risk is increasing. We will keep naming and shaming all those companies that choose to stand on the side of the occupier and on the wrong side of history”, stated Valentin. 
 

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WSRW’s work is being read and used more than ever. We work totally independently and to a large extent voluntarily. Our work takes time, dedication and diligence. But we do it because we believe it matters – and we hope you do too. We look for more monthly donors to support our work. If you'd like to contribute to our work – 3€, 5€, 8€ monthly… what you can spare – the future of WSRW would be much more secure. You can set up a monthly donation to WSRW quickly here.