Category Archives: Phosphate importation

Incitec caught in crossfire

GREGOR HEARD for Stock Journal

14 Jun, 2014

INCITEC Pivot (IPL) has come under fire from an independence group from the disputed territory of Western Sahara in Africa for continuing to buy phosphate from Morocco that originates from the north-west African state.

Kamal Fadel, a spokesman for the Polisario Front, a group dedicated to Western Saharan independence, claims IPL is in violation of international law by continuing to purchase phosphate from Morocco, which he claims extracts the phosphate from Western Sahara illegally. Continue reading →

Statement of the Saharawi Republic concerning Incitec Pivot Limited and the trade in phosphate rock from occupied Western Sahara

In 2013 IPL imported two shipments of phosphate mineral rock from occupied Western Sahara, valued at approximately $ AUS 12 million. Such shipments have been routinely protested by the SADR, and despite them, continue to arrive in Australia. Western Sahara remains illegally occupied by Morocco, contrary to declarations of the United Nations General Assembly and a 1975 determination of the International Court of Justice. No state recognizes Morocco’s claim to Western Sahara and all countries are under a positive duty to support the self-determination of the Saharawi people. As the original inhabitants of the territory until its invasion, the Saharawi people have exclusive sovereign rights to phosphate, a non-renewable resource, and have continuously called for an end to its taking. Continue reading →

Press Release: Incitec Pivot continues plunder in Western Sahara

The Australian Fertiliser company, Incitec Pivot (IPL), has been involved in the exploitation of Western Sahara phosphates for many years in violation of international law.
IPL latest shipment of phosphates from Western Sahara is due to arrive at Geelong on 12 June 2014 on board the Cypriot flagged bulk carrier Western Fedora vessel.
The cargo is estimated to be worth about US $4 million.
The Polisario Front (Western Sahara independence movement) Representative to Australia, Fadel Kamal, “deplored IPL illegal and unethical exploitation of phosphates from Western Sahara through deals made with the authoritarian regime in Morocco which illegally occupies the Territory and oppresses its people.” Continue reading →

AWSA slams Incitec Pivot for stolen phosphate from occupied Western Sahara

AWSA today condemned Incitec Pivot for their latest import of phosphate rock, due on Sunday from Western Sahara, saying Pivot should stop the trade with Morocco in what is essentially stolen property, as other Australian fertiliser companies (CSBP/Wesfarmers and Impact) have done.

A shipment of conflict phosphate is due to arrive in Portland on 16 March on board the bulk carrier, Eurosun. The ship will discharge only part of its cargo of phosphate rock in Portland and the rest in Geelong on 20 March. Continue reading →

Western Sahara Review / Revista del Sahara Occidental 3 now published

January 2014 – Western Sahara Review / Revista del Sahara Occidental 3

Articles in this 3rd edition include:

The need for UN ownership of the Western Sahara dispute [written by Mathias Vaa, former Danish diplomat currently working for the non-profit diplomatic group Independent Diplomat, which advises the Polisario Front]
Western Sahara and Palestine – economic and legal strategies to end occupation
Making music for freedom [Sara McGuinness describes the work she and others along with Saharawi musicians are doing to develop and the way Saharawi music is documented and distributed within the camps and beyond]

Read Western Sahara Review – No.3 >>

Statement of the government of the Saharawi Republic in response to the 2013 Incitec Pivot Limited Sustainability Report 2013

20 December 2013

The government of the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic (the SADR) unreservedly rejects the statements made by the managing officers of Incitec Pivot Limited, an Australian publicly traded corporation, in its 2013 Sustainability Report. Particular statements made in the Report about Western Sahara are factually wrong and incorrect as a matter of law.
Investors considering the Report should take note of significant flaws in that part which addresses the import of phosphate mineral rock illegally exported from occupied Western Sahara to Incitec Pivot Limited (IPL) in Australia. (See, notably, page 30.)

Continue reading →

Australian phosphate importer refuses to trade responsibly

Australian phosphate importer, Incitec Pivot, at its AGM on 19 December 2013, announced it had no plans to stop importing phosphate rock from Bou Craa mine in Western Sahara.

Unlike the two other Australian fertiliser firms, CSBP/Wesfarmers and Impact Fertilisers which have stopped using the conflict phosphate, Incitec Pivot continues “business as usual” saying it is not doing anything illegal, either in terms of UN embargos or in terms of Australian law.
Continue reading →

AWSA Press Release: Impact Fertilisers halts phosphate imports into Australia from occupied Western Sahara

Australia Western Sahara Association
PRESS RELEASE
For immediate release – 21 October 2013
IMPACT FERTILISERS HALTS PHOSPHATE IMPORTS FROM OCCUPIED WESTERN SAHARA

The Australia Western Sahara Association welcomes the decision by Impact Fertilisers to halt importing phosphates from the occupied territories of Western Sahara.
Mr. Jim Mole, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Impact Fertilisers wrote on 21 October to AWSA stating “Impact Fertilisers has not sourced phosphate rock from Western Sahara for a considerable period of time now…Additionally, we have no current plans to source product from this region in future.”
Cate Lewis, AWSA Vice-President said: “This is excellent news, although it would be even better if the company would undertake not to import this controversial phosphate until the conflict in Western Sahara is settled.”
Continue reading →

AWSA press release 3 October welcomes Swedish pension fund blacklisting of Incitec Pivot Ltd

Australia Western Sahara Association Press Release (AWSA) , 3 October 2013

“Melbourne-based fertiliser company, Incitec Pivot is blacklisted by Swedish government pension fund for imports from Western Sahara.
The Swedish government pension fund has divested from Incitec Pivot Ltd as a result of a finding by the Swedish Ethical Council, which stated on 30 September that:
“The recommendations on exclusion of Incitec Pivot Ltd and Potash Corp. are based on both companies being purchasers of phosphate (cont…)

Press Release >>

Swedish government pension fund blacklists Sahara importers

30 September 2013

Photo: Incitec Pivot fertilizer plant in Australia.

The Swedish government pension funds today announced in a press release that it had decided to exclude phosphate importers PotashCorp and Incitec Pivot.
The fund states in the release that engagement with the two companies did not lead to changed practice despite several years of effort, and that the fund’s ethical council “has therefore chosen to terminate the dialogue and issued a recommendation to each fund to exclude the companies’ shares from their investment portfolios. All four funds have elected to follow the recommendation”.