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UN adds 61 firms to settlements blacklist over alleged human rights violations against Palestinians
The Guardian • • world
Key Points:
- The UN human rights office has expanded its blacklist to include 61 additional companies accused of violating Palestinian human rights through business ties to Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, bringing the total to 214 firms from 11 countries.
- Most of the companies on the list are Israeli, with five companies removed from the previous year's list of 158.
- The blacklist, initiated in 2020 by the UN Human Rights Council, aims to publicly identify businesses linked to settlements but lacks enforcement power to compel corporate action.
- The UN emphasizes companies' human rights responsibilities and due diligence, while Israel strongly rejects the blacklist, calling it an unfair attempt to target Israeli firms.
- The UN has notified the listed companies and allowed them a right of reply, amid increasing international scrutiny of Israeli settlements in Palestinian territories.
