Photo: Oil exploration in Western Sahara carried out by French company Total,
autumn 2012.
ANNUAL REPORT 2012
Natural resources new front for peace talks
Who we are…
Western Sahara Resource Watch is
an international network of
organizations and activists in more
than 40 countries, researching and
campaigning foreign business
interests working with the Moroccan
government in occupied Western
Sahara.
We believe that the occupation of
Western Sahara will not stop as long
as Morocco profits from it.
Since 2010, WSRW employs one fulltime staff worker, coordinating the
different campaigns around the
world.
When WSRW was founded, the belief in the relevance of the issue of
natural resources to the conflict was meagre. After years of intensive
campaigning, that attitude is now gone for good.
Early 2012, the UN Special Envoy to Western Sahara, Christopher Ross,
announced that natural resources are introduced as the new front for
the deadlocked UN sponsored talks between Morocco and the
Polisario.
Today, the number of Western Saharan resources either under
exploration or exploitation has reached an all-time high; phosphates
being shipped all over the world, oil exploration both onshore and
offshore the territory, shipments of sand and salt, agri-businesses
booming in the south, renewable energy projects, uranium surveying,
etc. The abundantly available fish stocks have supported the
development of an entire industry; while Moroccan and foreign
companies fish in occupied waters through lucrative private and public
contracts, hundreds of processing and canning factories have been
established all along the Saharawi coastline.
Western Sahara Resource Watch is dedicated to draw attention to
these economic activities that obstruct the UN-led peace process by
strengthening Morocco’s illegitimate and untenable claim over its
southern neighbour. Through research, campaigning and awarenessraising, the organisation strives to contribute to clearing the political
climate, in order to allow a free and fair referendum on selfdetermination to take place in Western Sahara.
Western Sahara Resource Watch,
Brussels
WESTERN SAHARA RESOURCE WATCH – Annual Report | 2
AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRY
Swedish grocery chains
commit to halt imports of
Saharawi produce
Following the publication of
WSRW’s reports on Western
Saharan agriculture, WSRW’s
Swedish member organisation
VästsaharaAktionen intensified
its dialogue with Swedish
grocery chains regarding
produce imports from occupied
Western Sahara. These talks
culminated in a declaration of
intent, outlining the grocery
chains’ stance that they no
longer wish to import products
from occupied Western Sahara.
Co-op UK
On the other side of the channel,
WSRW’s UK member
organisation Western Sahara
Campaign also contacted
supermarkets on the issue of
Western Saharan imports. As a
result of these talks, the grocery
chain Co-op has decided to no
longer source sardines from
Morocco, as their true origin
cannot be ascertained. The chain
has also committed to only sell
tomatoes coming from Morocco
proper, refusing produce grown
in occupied territory.
Faced with a revision of the EU-Morocco Free Trade Agreement (FTA)
aiming to increase the import of produce from Morocco into the EU
market, WSRW published two reports on the agricultural industry in
occupied Western Sahara.
The first report, ‘Conflict Tomatoes’ was launched on 14 February 2012,
two days prior to the vote in the European Parliament over further
liberalisation of agricultural produce from Morocco. The report revealed
the massive growth and large plans of the Moroccan agriculture industry
in occupied Western Sahara and the export of the controversial goods to
the EU. The report identified 11 plantations located around the town of
Dakhla, in the southern parts of the territory.
The report attracted attention from media and Euro-parliamentarians,
raising the conclusions of the report in the run-up to the vote on the
revised EU-Morocco FTA. A significant minority of MEPs (256) refused to
consent to the deal, citing the potential inclusion of Western Sahara in the
agreement as being in violation of international law. In the following
weeks, Parliamentary questions based on the report led to the European
Commission having to rectify its previous statements, claiming there was
no agricultural industry in Western Sahara, used to obtain the agreement.
The European Commission also replied to a previously unanswered letters
from WSRW, and requested a meeting with the organization.
The follow-up report, ‘Label and
Liability’, was launched on 17
June 2012 and officially presented
in Sweden the following day. The
report documents the illegal
tomato route to Europe; how
fruits and vegetables grown
illegally in occupied Western
Sahara find their way to European supermarkets. The report named
owners of plantations and brands under which the illegal produce in being
sold in Europe. It outlined discrepancies in EU trade policy and how this
leads to different reactions by supermarkets over the continent. The
report was translated into French, Spanish, Swedish and Arabic.
Both ‘Conflict Tomatoes’ and ‘Label and Liability’ were funded by Emmaus
Stockholm.
WSRW’s conclusions have since been adopted by farmer organisations
throughout Europe in their strategy to oppose the EU-Morocco FTA.
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OIL AND ENERGY
Old industry returning....
WSRW continued to monitor oil companies and seismic surveying firms working on their behalf in
Western Sahara throughout 2012.
The organisation learnt in November that French oil giant Total had returned to Western Sahara. The
discovery was immediately followed-up with letters to both Total and the seismic company undertaking
seabed research for them, BGP and parent firm CNCP. WSRW’s research enabled other concerned
parties to take up the matter, and WSRW started dialogue with a number of major shareholders. The
discovery of Total’s return led to international headlines.
Including Total, there are currently six ongoing oil and gas programmes in occupied Western Sahara.
New industry arising...
Solar and wind energy producers are more and more discovering the potential of occupied Western
Sahara. In 2012, WSRW conducted extensive research on renewable energy projects in Western Sahara.
On 3 July 2012, WSRW was able to reveal that the German government signed a declaration of intent
with the Moroccan government aspiring to unite Morocco’s solar and wind potential and Germany’s
industrial experience in that field.
Case: Siemens - NAREVA
In January 2012, Siemens AG announced
its plans to supply wind turbines and
technical know-how to the Moroccan
company NAREVA, owned by the
Moroccan royal family, for the
construction of a wind park near El
Aaiun, capital of occupied Western
Sahara. Nareva had applied to funding
from the UN through the UNFCCC-CDM,
for carbon emission credits.
WSRW opted for a direct and open
campaign on the matter. Results of
ongoing research were published on the Photo: Saharawi refugee protesting against Siemens' cooperation
webpage, as was the organisation’s
with the regime occupying her homeland.
correspondence with Siemens and
UNFCCC-CDM. The UN CSR initiative Global Compact updated on the organisation’s correspondence
with Siemens. The company chose to reply only once, after insistence by Global Compact, but failed to
answer any of WSRW’s questions, repeated in subsequent letters.
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WSRW’s ongoing dialogue with several investment screening firms, led to some of them scrutinising
Siemens.
WSRW also managed to tap into the NGO-community centred on CDM, leading to more attention for
Western Sahara in other circles.
WSRW contacted the company charged with evaluating the Nareva project by the CDM Board, Det
Norske Veritas. Det Norske Veritas issued a negative opinion on the project for being located outside of
Morocco.
WSRW has submitted a Recommendation to UNFCCC-CDM to put in place measures to ensure early
rejection of requests for approval of project proposals in occupied land. The Recommendation is
currently under CDM review. WSRW has also worked on raising the awareness of the danger of CDM
credits to Moroccan projects in Western Sahara within the UN system.
Photo: unemployed Saharawi youth occupy UN offices in Smara, occupied Western Sahara, “in protest against
the suppression from the Moroccan authorities, unemployment and the plunder of our natural resources. Smara
is the location where the Irish/British oil companies San Leon Energy and Longreach are exploring for gas.
WESTERN SAHARA RESOURCE WATCH – Annual Report | 5
THE FISHING INDUSTRY
After the EU-Morocco fisheries agreement was voted down in the European Parliament in December
2011, WSRW shifted its focus to the Russia-Morocco fisheries
agreement and private fishing contracts being carried out in occupied
Western Sahara. Media attention was created over the latter, leading
Jealsa, Spain
to increasing pressure on the companies involved in private
undertakings, particularly on Scandinavian private businesses fishing in
Spanish fish canning company
Saharawi waters.
Jealsa, decided to transfer its
plant from El Aaiun, occupied
In close collaboration with other NGOs working on fairer fisheries
Western Sahara, to A Coruña
agreements, WSRW managed to convince the European Commission
in Spain, after continual talks
to make public the evaluation report. WSRW also held or took part in
with WSRW-España. Jealsa
conferences devoted to ecologically responsible fishing;
provides tinned fish to
- Focus Group on industrial fishing of small pelagics in West
Mercadona, which sells them
Africa, Brussels, 23 March 2012.
under the brand ‘Hacendado’.
Jealsa communicated this
- Conference hosted by UN Association in Finland, Helsinki, 29
decision through WSRW.
May 2012.
-
Seminar hosted by Swedish Society for Nature Conservation,
Stockholm, 3 October 2012.
In the second half of the year, as the European Union prepared itself to renegotiate the fish accord with
Morocco, WSRW re-launched the fishelsewhere petition. At the same time, the organisation intensified
its ongoing dialogue with the European
institutions, through meetings,
correspondence and information-sharing
with representatives of the several
European Parliament committees, the
European Commissioner for Fisheries’
Cabinet and the fish delegates of the
Council of the European Union.
WSRW also deepened its contacts with
Saharawi fishing associations on the
ground and with fishing NGOs throughout
the world.
Photo: Norwegian students sign Fishelsewhere petition
demanding a halt to the EU's plans to fish in Western Sahara.
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DEEP AND COMPREHENSIBLE FREE TRADE
AGREEMENT
Sun, Sea, Sand and
occupation
From its solar potential, over
its marine resources to its
most characteristic feature –
sand; literally everything in
Western Sahara is being sold
to bolster Morocco’s treasury
and occupation of its
southern neighbour.
As a result of having its finger on the pulse, WSRW was able to beat the
media to the punch and bring out the news on an envisioned, and yet
little known, Deep and Comprehensible Free Trade Agreement between
the European Union and Morocco at a very early stage. Its linkages with
Saharawi civil society organisations in the occupied territory and in the
Algerian refugee camps allowed for a coordinated letter of concern to the
European Commissioner for Trade.
WSRW has broadened its connections to other NGOs on the issue of
trade; on the DCFTA, it has started building up links with organisations
working on fairer trade agreements.
SAND-EXPORTS
Photo: activists jump in front of
the Dura Bulk, a vessel
transporting sand from
occupied Western Sahara to the
harbour of Tenerife.
Throughout 2012, the sand exports from Western Sahara, mainly to the
Canary Islands, continued. Meanwhile Julio Quiléz, the WSRW Spanish
country coordinator, was facing a penal sanction for denouncing the
illegal trade. Mr Quiléz has been monitoring the sand exports for years,
and publishes his research on the website http://www.arenasaharaui.es/
URANIUM
In March 2012, WSRW revealed that the Moroccan state-owned oil
company ONHYM had presented further details about the Aghracha
prospect, near Awserd.
Photo: salt deposits in the
northern part of the occupied
territory are being mined for
export purposes.
SALT
In late autumn 2012, WSRW documented that salt from the Oum Dbaa
mines was being exploited by Texan company Crystal Mountain Sel
Sahara S.A. WSRW wrote a letter to the company, requesting the exact
location of its operations in Western Sahara. Crystal Mountain confirmed
receipt, but has thus far not replied. The campaign continued with
success into 2013.
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PHOSPHATES
Protest down under…
Photo: From the large Bou Craa phosphate mines, Western Sahara’s
phosphates are transported to the El Aaiún harbour on the world’s longest
conveyer belt.
Throughout 2012, WSRW continued to monitor phosphate shipments,
follow-up exports to United States, Mexico, Colombia, New Zealand,
Australia, Spain, Lithuania and Uruguay, and shipping-companies of
even more countries involved in the phosphate transport.
WSRW coordinates the phosphate campaign with activists and media
in about 20 countries. In 2012, several investors have carried out an
engagement with the listed companies for importing phosphates from
Western Sahara; PotashCorp, FMC, Incitec Pivot, Wesfarmers and
Innophos. WSRW is consulting and continuously updating the investor
community.
Negotiations with Dutch trading company Nidera culminated in a
statement from the company, saying they will take the issue of
Western Sahara “into consideration” if confronted with another need
to import phosphate rock to its subsidiary in Uruguay.
WSRW’s Australian member
organization, the Australian
Western Sahara Association
(AWSA), has for years been
on the forefront of
monitoring and campaigning
about the phosphate exports
from the occupied territory.
Australia is one of the biggest
importers of Western
Saharan phosphate rock.
In 2012, AWSA managed to
draw national attention to
the issue, when a Saharawi
activist was interviewed
during prime time on national
TV.
Wesfarmers/CSBP announced
that they would suspend
imports for a year.
Cases concerning corporations associated with the UN Global Compact
were followed-up with that UN body. WSRW were in direct and
constructive talks with two of the phosphate importers during the
year.
WSRW continued to counter lobby firms working on behalf of the
implicated phosphate industry. This year, it took on K&L Gates,
working on behalf of USA-Mexican phosphate importer Innophos.
WESTERN SAHARA RESOURCE WATCH – Annual Report | 8
UNITED NATIONS
2012 can be marked as the year when WSRW put more attention to its work vis-à-vis the United
Nations, having a duty to ensure territorial sovereignty and the protection of peoples and their
resources under occupation under the UN Charter.
The ongoing human rights violations in occupied Western Sahara underpin all the work of WSRW. The
right to enjoy natural resources flows from the right to self-determination - the most basic human right
of all and one that is denied to the Saharawi people.
Throughout the year, WSRW relentlessly advocated the Saharawi people’s right to natural resources,
social and economic rights as guaranteed by the Charter of the United Nations, the International
Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural
Rights and the Fourth Geneva Convention. The organisation continued to report on infringements on
these rights and spread these reports to relevant actors in politics, civil society or media.
Fourth Committee
The organisation presented the following recommendations to the UN Fourth Committee, also known as
the Special Political and Decolonisation Committee;
- the Committee should address the matter of Western Sahara’s natural resources in its
recommendations this year to the General Assembly;
- the Committee should study the problem of the development and export of natural resources
from Western Sahara;
- the Committee should request the General Assembly to refer the question of the legality of the
development and export of Western Sahara’s natural resources for a definitive legal ruling to the
International Court of Justice through an advisory opinion; and
- the Committee should call for the appointment of a United Nations rapporteur for natural
resources in Western Sahara, to work in conjunction with the Personal Envoy of the SecretaryGeneral, Ambassador Christopher Ross.
WESTERN SAHARA RESOURCE WATCH – Annual Report | 9
UN bodies dealing with corporate responsibility
WSRW has advanced its liaising with different UN bodies dealing with corporate social responsibility
through correspondence, information-sharing and meetings.
WSRW has built on its previous experiences with Global Compact, and has copied in the UN body to its
correspondence with Total and Siemens. In the autumn, WSRW set up a meeting with Global Compact
to explore how the organisation can assist in encouraging companies to comply with the Global
Compact principles and the corporate social responsibility standards.
WSRW has also kept the UN Working Group for Business and Human Rights informed about its activities
vis-à-vis private companies.
WSRW approached the UNFCCC-CDM on Siemens/Nareva in May. WSRW discovered that Morocco had
applied for several projects on occupied land to be backed up by carbon credits. On that basis, WSRW
issued a Recommendation to the UNFCCC-CDM to put in place measures to ensure early rejection of
requests for approval of project proposals in occupied land. The Recommendation is currently under
CDM review.
United Nations Security Council - MINURSO
From January to the end of April, WSRW,
together with the Western Sahara Campaign
UK, coordinated an international campaign
calling for the mandate of MINURSO – the UN
Mission in Western Sahara - to include human
rights monitoring. WSRW served as a platform
to coordinate lobby-activities around the world
vis-à-vis the Security Council, by synchronizing
its own communication with the UNSC with
that of its members and affiliated
organisations and by sending out regular
updates via social media-outlets.
Photo: Many Saharawi feel abandoned by the United Nations
Human Rights Council - Morocco’s Second Universal Periodic Review
WSRW, in collaboration with Sahara Thawra, sent in a stakeholder submission to the UN Human Rights
Council under the Universal Periodic Review, in November 2011. The report was retained by the UN and
included in the Official Summary of Stakeholders’ Submissions.
In 2012, the submission was followed-up with parallel lobbying in several countries and in Geneva.
Though the report focussed on Morocco’s failure to comply with international covenants and
agreements on social and economic rights of the Saharawi in the occupied territory, the main objective
was to convince countries to ask questions and put down recommendations on Western Sahara in
WESTERN SAHARA RESOURCE WATCH – Annual Report | 10
general. During Morocco’s first universal periodic review in 2008, not one country raised the issue of
Africa’s last colony.
WSRW commenced lobbying governments of countries where the organisation has activists in January
2012. The report was officially presented in Geneva in March 2012, at a pre-session for country
representations hosted by UPR Info. Through the presentation, some 25 country representations were
reached. In addition, WSRW lobbied other representations present in Geneva.
A second lobby-round took place in Geneva on 21 and 22 May, on the eve of Morocco’s UPR session. On
22 May 2012, WSRW participated in a conference, organised by Robert F Kennedy Centre for Justice and
Human Rights in conjunction with Saharawi human rights group CODESA and Geneva based human
rights groups.
During the UNHRC’s Working Group session in the afternoon, 11 of the 47 countries taking the floor
took the opportunity to ask questions or put forward recommendations on Western Sahara.
Photo: WSRW's Chair, Erik Hagen, addressing the contrast between the social and economic exclusion of the
Saharawi people under occupation and Morocco’s continued taking of abundant natural resources.
WESTERN SAHARA RESOURCE WATCH – Annual Report | 11
RAISING AWARENESS
Political Lobbying
At the core of WSRW, lies the striving to change governments’ position on Western Sahara through
working on the illegal plunder of the territory’s natural resources. WSRW’s structure allows it to
combine top-down with bottom-up approach while lobbying on issues related to the resource trade.
Synergetic coordinated efforts are carried out in dual approaches on the supranational and national
levels, involving both central coordinator and WSRW’s country coordinators. As such, WSRW is able to
maintain dialogue with governmental and non-governmental actors on different political levels.
In 2012, WSRW continued to build on the foundations laid in previous years, and managed to widen its
influence, specifically through the work on fisheries, labelling and renewable energy. The organisation
furthered its links in the NGO community, supported journalists and scholars in their research and
maintained its position as a trustworthy source of information for both governmental and nongovernmental actors.
Giving a voice
WSRW has persisted in its support to the Saharawi denouncing the illegal trade of natural resources. The
organisation has investigated and reported on their activities, and briefed political institutions, NGOs
and media where appropriate. WSRW also helped in facilitating visits to the occupied territory, and
speech tours of Saharawi activists around the world. The organisation also helps to obtain material to
document ongoing human rights violations and the plunder of resources.
Presentations
In 2012, WSRW participated in conferences and work-shops, aiming to increase awareness on Western
Sahara in general and the natural resources theft in particular.
-
3 February, European Youth Parliament, Stockholm, Sweden.
-
23 March, Focus Group on industrial fishing of small pelagics in West Africa, Brussels.
-
29 March, Pre-Session for Country Representation to UNHCR, Geneva, Switzerland.
-
29 May, UN Association in Finland, about ecology in WS, Helsinki, Finland.
-
18. June, launching of WSRW report ‘Label and Liability’ in Sweden.
-
22 June, speech and co-organisor of UPR side-event, Geneva, Switzerland.
-
26 June, speech on natural resources, Saharawi refugee camps in Algeria.
-
5 July, speech, WSRW, Label report, MPs, Almedalen political week in Gotland, Sweden.
WESTERN SAHARA RESOURCE WATCH – Annual Report | 12
-
3 October, speech, Gothenburg, org by Swedish Society for Nature Conservation, ecology in WS.
-
30 November, Briefing for International Women’s Media Foundation journalist participants,
Madrid, Spain.
-
4 December, Launch of Swedish version of label report, Stockholm. Event organised by Emmaus
Stockholm. Debate with MPs
WSRW members have – in their own capacity – given presentations on the basis of research and
campaigns carried out by the network. This could be estimated to some hundred presentations. For
instance, the Norwegian Support Committee for Western Sahara gave 64 speeches, conferences or
seminars in 2012, elaborating on the WSRW campaigns.
Webpage
WSRW maintains two websites: its general page www.wsrw.org and the campaign site devoted
exclusively to EU fisheries, www.fishelsewhere.eu. The pages serve as the backbone to the
organisation’s work.
The number of visitors of the WSRW website continued to rise. In 2012, it reached nearly 64.000
visitors, up slightly from the previous year when it hit almost 60.000. 89 articles were published in
English, 42 in Spanish, 83 in French, 14 in German and 7 in Arabic.
During the first half of 2012, technical errors on the website prevented people from registering for the
WSRW newsletter. The error was corrected. The same error occurred on connected pages. As a result,
there was a smaller increase in the number of subscribers this year.
WSRW is represented in social media through twitter, facebook and youtube. The WSRW twitteraccount had 1096 followers on 31 December 2012, while the fishelsewhere-account had 383 followers.
The fishelsewhere-facebook pages had 2.586 members on the English pages, 3.542 members on the
Spanish pages, 1.002 members on the French pages, 175 members on the German pages and 1.453
members on the Arabic pages. Facebook pages for WSRW will be launched in 2013.
WESTERN SAHARA RESOURCE WATCH – Annual Report | 13
FINANCIAL SUMMARY 2012
STATEMENT OF ACTIVITIES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2012
INCOME
Donations
Grants
Membership Fees
Interest
TOTAL
24.549,87
6.819,92
595,81
45,79
32.011,39
EXPENDITURE
Salaries
22.532
Telephone and IT
239,74
Travel
Expenses
Bank Charges
TOTAL
CARRIED FORWARD
89
281,69
42,4
23.184,83
8.826,56
WESTERN SAHARA RESOURCE WATCH WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE FOLLOWING ORGANISATIONS FOR
THEIR GENEROUS FINANCIAL SUPPORT:
DAE Young Fisheries, Australia
Emmaus Stockholm, Sweden
Industri Energi, Norway
Norwegian Support Committee for Western Sahara, Norway
Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions, Norway
UNISON, United Kingdom
Western Sahara Action, Sweden
Western Sahara Campaign, United Kingdom
Western Sahara Resource Watch España, Spain
WESTERN SAHARA RESOURCE WATCH ALSO WISHES TO EXPRESS ITS GRATITUDE FOR THE GENEROUS
DONATIONS RECEIVED FROM INDIVIDUAL DONORS.
WESTERN SAHARA RESOURCE WATCH – Annual Report | 14