Copenhagen (Denmark) 15 June 2016 (SPS) - The Danish parliament has recently unanimously passed a motion that urges Danish companies and the Danish public sector not to trade with Western Sahara. Danish MPs tell companies to avoid Africa's last colony.
The resolution reaffirmed the Danish Parliament Stand B40 of 2014 that calls for Self-determination for the Saharawi through referendum and the UN efforts, stresses that all the parties to the conflict must help to move the process of the negotiations forward, and stresses the importance of improvement of the human rights situation in Western Sahara.
During the debate that preceded the vote, Danish Minister of Foreign Affairs, Kristian Jensen said he would talk to Danish companies to ensure that they know of the resolution and the position the Danish parliament has now taken on Western Sahara.
“We want Danish companies to know and comply with the laws that are adopted by the Danish parliament. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will contact Organisations, such as the Confederation of Danish Industry, to brief them on the Danish government and parliament’s position on Western Sahara," Jensen said during the parliamentary debate.
Six Danish MPs from different parties had proposed the motion and initiated the parliamentary debate, which ended with all Danish parties voting for the motion.
The motion is meant to make it much harder for Danish companies, municipalities, banks and pension funds that presently invest in Western Sahara to justify their investments to parliament, as well as to their investors and customers.
“This motion can really make a difference in relation to Western Sahara. Everything depends on the UN, which is sometimes an uphill battle. But it will be an even greater task if democratic countries such as Denmark do not act”, said chairman of the Foreign Policy Committee and former Minister for Food, Agriculture and Fisheries, Social Democrat Mette Gjerskov.SPS
125/090