Adala UK strongly welcomes the recent announcement by Australian company Dyno Nobel formerly Incitec Pivot that it has definitively ended its importation of phosphate rock from occupied Western Sahara. This decision follows decades of sustained campaigning by civil society organisations, ethical investors, and international human rights advocates and represents a clear alignment with international law, corporate due diligence standards, and the inalienable rights of the Saharawi people.

Western Sahara is classified by the United Nations as a Non-Self-Governing Territory, pending a process of decolonisation and self-determination. As such, any commercial exploitation of its natural resources must take place only with the explicit consent of the Saharawi people, as established by the UN Legal Opinion of 2002 and consistently reaffirmed by the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU). In its landmark 2016 and 2018 judgments, the CJEU held that Western Sahara is legally distinct from Morocco, and that trade agreements or resource extraction in the territory cannot lawfully proceed without the consent of its people, through their recognised representative body.

By ceasing all imports from the region and closing its Geelong phosphate-processing facility, Dyno Nobel is effectively bringing an end to Australia’s longstanding involvement in the illegal and unethical trade of conflict minerals sourced from an occupied territory. This move is particularly significant given that the company had previously halted imports in 2016 following investor pressure, only to resume them in 2022 a reversal that sparked renewed international criticism. The company’s final and unambiguous disengagement now signals a critical shift in corporate accountability.

This development also reflects growing global recognition that businesses must not operate in isolation from international human rights norms. The decision is in keeping with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs), which outline the responsibility of companies to avoid contributing to human rights abuses, particularly in conflict affected or high-risk areas. It also aligns with evolving Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) standards, which demand transparent, ethical, and rights-based supply chains.

Furthermore, Dyno Nobel’s decision underscores the effectiveness of targeted advocacy, shareholder engagement, and public pressure in bringing about structural change. For years, a range of international stakeholders led by organisations such as Western Sahara Resource Watch (WSRW) have meticulously documented and exposed the complicity of international companies in the illegal plunder of Saharawi resources. These efforts not only heightened reputational risks for companies like Dyno Nobel, but also reaffirmed the fundamental truth that economic gain cannot justify the erosion of peoples’ rights under occupation.

Adala UK views this step as a landmark victory for the Saharawi people’s right to self-determination, enshrined in Article 1 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR). The exploitation of phosphate from Western Sahara has long served to sustain and legitimise Morocco’s continued occupation, in direct violation of international humanitarian law and the UN Charter.

This precedent should serve as a clear message to other companies and governments still involved in the unlawful extraction or import of Saharawi resources. We urge actors in New Zealand, India, Mexico, and Japan, where such imports persist, to take immediate steps to end their complicity and uphold their obligations under international law.

Finally, we extend our deepest respect to the Saharawi people, whose decades long resistance and commitment to nonviolent struggle for justice and sovereignty have once again borne fruit. We also salute the global solidarity movement, including Australian trade unions, legal experts, and civil society organisations, whose unrelenting efforts have helped bring this chapter to a close.

The decision by Dyno Nobel demonstrates that justice, when combined with principled action and public pressure, can prevail. It also reinforces the imperative that natural resources must never be a source of injustice or dispossession.

Adala UK remains committed to the realisation of the Saharawi people’s full and unconditional right to sovereignty, dignity, and independence, and will continue working to ensure that international law is not selectively applied, but universally respected.

The era of exploiting the resources of occupied peoples is coming to an end. This decision is a step forward not only for Western Sahara, but for the rule of law and human rights globally.

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