FMC Corporation states that they have stopped importing phosphates from Western Sahara to Spain and that they should never have been kicked out of the Norwegian government's pension fund for lack of ethics.
Photo: Huelva, Spain, 2008. Sahrawi refugees demonstrated against the Spanish company FMC Foret, at the time one of the leading importers from the territory.
6 December, the Norwegian government announced the exclusion of two North American firms from its government pension fund. The reason was their imports from occupied Western Sahara is considered "a particularly serious violation of fundamental ethical norms."
In response, one of the firms, FMC Corporation, has stated that they had already ceased the imports to Spain, as WSRW already believed. The statement was published on the website Business & Human Rights on December 8.
"We are surprised and disappointed by the action of the Norway Wealth Fund given the fact that FMC exited its Spanish-based, Foret phosphate business in December 2010", stated FMC.
"While in operation, Foret purchased phosphate rock from Office Cherifien des Phosphates (OCP) under strict compliance with all legal provisions in both Spanish and international law. FMC no longer purchases phosphate rock from OCP, and has not done so since late 2010. We maintain a strict commitment to ethics and corporate governance, and will work with the Norway Wealth Fund officials to resolve this issue", they stated.
No mention is made to their imports to their subsidiary Tripoliven in Venezuela. WSRW has on several occasions, latest in December 2011, tried to get a response from the Venezuelan subsidiary as to whether the imports has terminated.
FMC had last year not responded to the Fund's Council on Ethics when they were sent the draft recommendation for exclusion.
8 December 2011, the Norwegian government also excluded the US-Canadian firm PotashCorp. The long time importers Innophos (US/Mexico), Incitec Pivot (Australia) and Wesfarmers (Australia) have ot yet been excluded.
UN body calls for the release of imprisoned Saharawi student
In a decision published yesterday, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention concludes that the detention of the Saharawi student and human rights defender Al-Hussein Al-Bachir Ibrahim is arbitrary. The UN Working Group called on Morocco to immediately release him from the deplorable prison conditions.
Two Norwegians Are Now Being Deported from Occupied Western Sahara
Two more Norwegians, who travelled to occupied Western Sahara to learn about Morocco’s controversial energy projects in the territory, were detained by Moroccan police this afternoon and deported.
Norwegians deported from occupied Western Sahara - wanted to learn about renewable energy
Today, 25 Moroccan police officers showed up to expel two Norwegians from occupied Western Sahara. The two had traveled to learn what the Sahrawis think about Morocco's controversial renewable energy projects on occupied land.
UN committee highlights Moroccan impunity in occupied Western Sahara
Sahrawi civil society welcomes a new report from the UN Committee on Enforced Disappearance, and urges exhumations and identification of victims in the Morocco-occupied Western Sahara.