OHCHR Updates Database Of Companies Linked To Israeli Occupation's West Bank Settlements

(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) GENEVA, Sept 26 (KUNA) -- The UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) on Friday issued a new update to its database of business enterprises involved in certain activities related to illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory listing a total of 158 companies from 11 countries including platforms Airbnb and Bookings as well as Motorola.
The report mandated by the UN Human Rights Council and issued from Geneva stressed the obligations of States "to act with diligence to ensure that business enterprises operating in conflictaffected areas are not involved in or otherwise materially contributing to serious human rights violations or abuses."
"This report underscored the due diligence responsibility of businesses working in contexts of conflict to ensure their activities do not contribute to human rights abuses" UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said commenting on the report.
He explained that the methodology used to prepare the report also serves as "an important tool to assess adverse impacts of business activities on human rights in other parts of the world."
The report called on companies to "take appropriate action to address the adverse human rights impacts" of their activities stressing that where businesses cause or contribute to such impacts "they should provide for or cooperate in remediation through appropriate processes."
According to the update most of the companies listed are based in Israeli occupation while others are headquartered in the United States Canada China France Germany Luxembourg the Netherlands Portugal Spain and the United Kingdom.
The report further emphasized that States must take the necessary judicial administrative legislative or other appropriate measures to ensure that victims of business-related human rights abuses have access to justice in line with international law.
The listed businesses were found to engage in activities from a prior Human Rights Council resolution, including supplying equipment and materials for illegal settlements, demolishing Palestinian property, conducting surveillance, exploiting resources commercially, and causing pollution or dumping waste in villages.
The UN Human Rights Office said it had received 596 submissions from companies following a public call but was able to review only 215 due to available resources.
The latest update added 68 new companies compared with 2023 and removed seven previously listed entities after determining they were no longer engaged in the activities concerned.
The businesses covered by the 2025 update focus primarily on business activities related to construction real estate mining and quarrying.
OHCHR confirmed that continued to review allegations regarding other companies that did not complete the assessment process in time for this update.
OHCHR stressed that it applied an established globally applicable methodology based on the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights in assessing company responses and information.
On this basis, it found "reasonable grounds" to conclude that 158 of the 215 enterprises reviewed were engaged in the listed activities. (end)
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