UN adds 61 firms to blacklist over alleged human rights violations in West Bank settlements

The United Nations Human Rights Office recently expanded its controversial blacklist of companies linked to Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, adding 61 new firms. This update brings the total number of businesses on the database to 214, with the majority being Israeli companies. The UN considers these settlements illegal under international law and aims to highlight businesses allegedly involved in activities that violate Palestinian human rights through their operations in these areas.

The blacklist, originally established in 2020, serves primarily to "name and shame" companies, as the UN Human Rights Council lacks the authority to enforce direct action against them. Volker Türk, the UN human rights chief, emphasized that the report reminds companies of their human rights responsibilities and the expectation to conduct due diligence to avoid involvement in abuses.

Israel has strongly condemned the updated list, with its diplomatic mission in Geneva labeling it a "political tool" and a "distorted mechanism" designed to "persecute" the Jewish state and advance a "smear campaign" against businesses that have committed no wrongdoing. The report emerges amid heightened international attention on Israeli settlements, with some nations, including Britain, France, and Canada, announcing measures to ban trade with such entities.