UN Adds 61 Companies to West Bank Settlements Blacklist

Expansion of the U.N. Settlements Blacklist

The updated registry includes companies spanning 11 countries, according to the U.N. human rights office. Five of the 158 companies listed during the previous update were removed in this latest cycle. The office stated that it formally advised all newly listed companies of their inclusion and provided them with an opportunity to reply.

The database originated from a 2020 vote by the United Nations Human Rights Council. The council lacks the enforcement power to compel companies to alter their business practices. Instead, the primary objective of the registry is to name and shame businesses maintaining commercial ties to West Bank settlements. Financial impacts stemming from inclusion on the list remain unclear.

Official Responses and Criticisms

“This report is another reminder to companies that they have human rights responsibilities and are expected to conduct due diligence to ensure that they do not become involved in human rights violations or abuses,” Türk said.

The Israeli diplomatic mission in Geneva stated that it categorically rejects the database, describing it as a political tool. “This database is meant to serve as a blacklist against businesses that have committed no wrongdoing,” the mission said, while calling on international allies not to yield to what it termed an “ugly attempt to blacklist Israeli firms” intended to advance a smear campaign.

Broader International Scrutiny

Earlier in the month, Britain announced a ban on trade with Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, citing actions by what it described as “settler terrorists” carrying out the “ethnic cleansing” of Palestinians. France and Canada subsequently announced plans to implement similar trade restrictions.