The US lobby firm K&L Gates has for a year and a half been lobbying the issue of Western Sahara on behalf of a US-Mexican company that imports phosphates from the occupied territory.
Since beginning for 2010, the US lobby firm K&L Gates has been carrying out lobbying in Washington regarding “United States policy and trade relations with Morocco that may affect economic conditions in Western Sahara” on behalf of a firm that imports phosphates from the occupied territory.
The KLG lobby reports for Innophos, 2005-12
End Year 2005, 13.02.2006
Mid Year 2006, 20.07.2006
End Year 2006, 04.02.2007
Mid Year 2007, 10.08.2007
End Year 2007, 08.02.2008
Q1 2008, 16.04.2008
Q2 2008, 16.07.2008
Q3 2008, 16.10.2008
Q4 2008, 20.01.2009
Q1 2009, 20.04.2009
Q2 2009, 16.07.2009
Q3 2009, 20.10.2009
Q4 2009, 14.01.2010
Q1 2010, 20.04.2010
Q2 2010, 19.07.2010
Q3 2010, 20.10.2010
Q4 2010, 19.01.2011
Q1 2011, 20.04.2011
Q2 2011, 20.07.2011
Q3 2011, 18.10.2011
Q4 2011, 20.01.2012
The importer, US-Mexican company Innophos, has so far not replied to questions from WSRW regarding their trade from Western Sahara. The trade with phosphate rock is considered to be in violation of international law, as it is not done according to the wishes of the Saharawi people. The UN has made a legal opinion on the matter of resource exploitation of the territory.
Today, WSRW asked the Chairman of K&L Gates to halt its partnership with Innophos, and to clarify what role they have played in lobbying the Western Sahara issue in the US, as well as what they have done to find out whether the trade is according to the wishes of the Saharawi people.
"We do not think K&L Gates LLP wishes to be associated with the highly unethical robbery of the oppressed Sahrawi people. The phosphate belongs to the Sahrawis, not to Morocco, nor to your client", stated the WSRW letter to K&L Gates.
The information of K&L Gates’ lobbying on the issue of Western Sahara, appears from its quarterly submitted reports in through the searchable register of the House of Representatives. The latest report is dated 20 January 2012.
The Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995, requires those who have registered as lobbyists to file quarterly activity reports with the Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives and the Secretary of the U.S. Senate.
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