Category Archives: Phosphate importation

SBS news – Calls for end to Western Sahara imports

8 May 2012
Malak Amidan, human rights activist visiting Australia during May is calling for an end of phosphate imports from the territory. Malak Amidan fears that when she returns to the occupied zone of Western Sahara she will be jailed by Moroccan authorities for speaking out.

View report on SBS >>

Miriam Clegg paid £400 an hour by mining giant accused of trampling on rights of Saharan tribesmen

Mailonline
By Simon Walters And Glen Owen
14 April 2012

Nick Clegg faces embarrassment after it was disclosed that his wife represents a firm that has been accused of trampling on the human rights of ‘Africa’s last colony’.

A ‘substantial’ part of lawyer Miriam Clegg’s work, for which she is paid up to £500,000 a year, is understood to come from Moroccan mining giant OCP.

Read more >>

Presentation by Cate Lewis and Kamal Fadel at 3rd Sustainable Phosphorous Summit

Phosphate from Western Sahara – the Back Story
A talk was given at the 3rd Sustainable Phosphorus Summit held in Sydney 29 February-2 March 2012 by Cate Lewis of the Australia Western Sahara Association and Kamal Fadel, representative of Western Sahara in Australia.

As Western Sahara is one of only a few countries holding considerable reserves of phosphate rock, the conference organisers, Dana Cordell and Professor Stuart White invited the participation of Cate and Kamal so that delegates could find out why there is a problem with importing from this country at the present time.

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Paper by The Hon John Dowd AO QC, President International Commission of Jurists, Australia

On 29 October 2011 The Hon John Dowd AO QC, President International Commission of Jurists, presented a paper at the 2nd International Conference, Peoples’ Right for Resistance: the Case of Sahrawi People, Dar Diaf – Bouchaoui, Algier.

Conference paper available at this link “The Western Sahara and the United Nations” >>

The Allegra unloads its cargo of phosphate rock from Western Sahara for Impact Fertilisers in Hobart

Photo: Glenn Towler

AWSA together with the Australian Unions for Western Sahara have asked both Tasmanian Customs and the shipping company Inchcape to check the way the country of origin of Allegra’s cargo is designated on the importation documents.

If it says “Morocco” this is not right and should be changed to “Western Sahara” where the phosphate comes from. If it says “Western Sahara”, then they must ask the importer to provide evidence that the Saharawi people consent to the sale of this phosphate which rightly belongs to them.

Story and video about Allegra unloading phosphate in Tasmania >>

Australian lawyer questions legality of phosphate imports from Western Sahara

AIIA

The Australian Institute of International Affairs hosted an event on Wednesday 5th October in Melbourne on the issue of Western Sahara under the title: Western Sahara and its Phosphate Rock: is Australia in a Hard Place?

The speakers during the event were the Saharawi representative to Australia Mr Kamal Fadel and Mr Tim Robertson SC, who is a senior barrister and civil libertarian with a very broad practice including international law.

AUDIO TRANSCRIPT of the meeting – at this link scroll to the meeting dated 18/10/2011 titled ‘Western Sahara and its phosphate rock: is Australia in a hard place?’

READ A SUMMARY of the presentations by the two speakers

Melbourne event : Western Sahara and its Phosphate Rock: is Australia in a Hard Place?

Hosted by: AIIAV ACCESS (Australian Institute of International Affairs).

Western Sahara and its Phosphate Rock: is Australia in a Hard Place?

Mr Kamal Fadel, Western Sahara’s representative in Australia, and Mr Tim Robertson SC

Wednesday, 05 October 2011, 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM

Download flyer about event >>

More information at AIIA website >>

A Critical Resource Misused and Now Running Low

Yale Environment 360
published by Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies.
07 Jul 2011: Report by Fred Pearce

Phosphate has been essential to feeding the world since the Green Revolution, but its excessive use as a fertilizer has led to widespread pollution and eutrophication. Now, many of the world’s remaining reserves are starting to be depleted.

Read rest of article >>

AWSA Press Release, 24/5/2011 Disputed phosphate shipped to Geelong and Hobart

Australia Western Sahara Association
Press Release – 24 May 2011
….photo courtesy Geelong Advertiser
Disputed phosphate shipped to Geelong and Hobart – Australian companies continue unethical trade

As the Triton Stork berthed in Geelong at 6pm Monday, the Australia Western Sahara Association denounced Australia’s trade with Morocco in phosphate sourced in the disputed territory of Western Sahara.

Earlier this month, Aicha Dahane, a Saharawi human rights activist from occupied Western Sahara added her voice to the protest about what superphosphate manufacturer, Incitec Pivot is doing in Geelong.

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Janelle Saffin relaunches the Parliamentary Friends of Western Sahara Group

Article in Northern Star, 18th May 2011
Saffin a Friend of Western Sahara

“Page MP Janelle Saffin has enhanced her busy political life by being elected chair of the Australian Parliamentary Friends of Western Sahara Group.
The group has been relaunched after Saharawi human rights activist Aicha Dahane visited Canberra last week….”

Read rest of Northern Star report >>