The United Nations Office at Geneva
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HRC 60: Report on OPT database - 29 September 2025
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Presentation of the report of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights entitled: Database of all business enterprises involved in the activities detailed in paragraph 96 of the report of the independent international fact-finding mission to investigate the implications of the Israeli settlements on the civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights of the Palestinian people throughout the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem – (A/HRC/60/19 - Advance edited version):
Speakers:
Nada Al-Nashif, UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights
Ibrahim Khraishi, Permanent Observer of the State of Palestine to the UN in Geneva (country concerned)
Teleprompter
Excellencies, distinguished colleagues.
So we will now hear the presentation of the High Commissioner's report under item two of the agenda on the database of all business enterprises involved in the activities detailed in paragraph 96 of the report of the Independent International Fact Finding Mission to investigate the implications of the Israeli settlements on the civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights of the Palestinian people throughout the Occupied Palestinian territory, including E Jerusalem.
It is my pleasure to give the word to the floor to Miss Nadal Nashif, the Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, to present the report.
You have the floor, Madam Merci, Monsieur President.
[Other language spoken]
I hope you will bear with my voice.
I am here today to present the report of the High Commissioner for Human Rights updating the database of business enterprises involved in certain activities in the Israeli settlements, as mandated by this Council.
The Council mandated the creation and updating of a database of business enterprises involved in one or more of 10 listed activities in Israeli settlements.
This work was to be done in close consultation with the Working Group on the issue of Human Rights and Transnational Corporations and Other Business Enterprises.
The last comprehensive update covered the period up to 1 August 2019.
The reporting period for this update therefore runs from 2 August 2019 to 30 April 2025.
The report is based on an established methodology drawn from the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, on technical assistance Assessment, sorry, and on factual determinations.
The Guiding Principles remain the key framework for assessing the potential involvement on companies in the activities falling within the scope of this mandate.
Those activities include supplying equipment and materials that facilitate the construction of illegal settlements and the demolition of houses and property of Palestinians.
That includes surveillance activities, the use of natural resources for business purposes, and the pollution and dumping of waste in Palestinian villages.
Throughout its work, our office has been guided by the principles of independence, impartiality and objectivity.
[Other language spoken]
President, in preparing this update, our office issued a public call for inputs in May 2024.
We received 733 submissions involving allegations of the potential involvement of 596 business enterprises in the listed activities.
With the resources available, we were able to analyse and fully assess allegations of the potential involvement of 215 companies in listed activities, including the 97 listed in the 2023 update.
These 215 companies were alleged to be conducting business activities with a direct physical link to land, such as construction, real estate, mining or quarrying.
We are continuing to assess the other 381 companies and will duly report on them.
Out of the 215 business enterprises reviewed, the Office found reasonable grounds to believe that 158 were involved in one or more of the listed activities during the assessment.
For seven of the enterprises listed in the 2023 update, we found that involvement had since ceased and therefore remove them from the database.
A business enterprise may be removed if credible information shows it is no longer involved in the activities that justified its inclusion.
Most of the business enterprises listed are domiciled in Israel.
The others are based in Canada, China, France, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States.
The database is available on our website.
In the interest of promoting transparency and dialogue, we will also post communications from companies requesting to have their comments shared publicly.
For the purposes of future updates, our office will only review determinations of involvement when we receive reliable new information.
[Other language spoken]
President, this report is designed as a tool to inform states, business enterprises and other stakeholders that there are reasonable grounds to believe that a company is involved in one or more of the listed activities and to assist companies in complying with their responsibilities under international law.
The report urges business enterprises to take action to address the adverse impact of their activities on human rights and to provide for remediation.
It underscores the due diligence responsibility of business enterprises, in particular when they are operating in areas affected by conflict.
The methodology used is one that is globally applicable.
The report also emphasises the duty of states to ensure that companies in their territory or subject to their jurisdiction do not contribute to serious human rights violations or abuses, particularly in areas affected by conflict.
Our office has informed all the business enterprises that were screened that we had received allegations about their potential involvement in the listed activities and invited them to provide relevant information.
Many have indeed taken this opportunity.
Since the presentation of the previous report last year, my office has actively engaged with 14 Member States, 38 business enterprises and 22 other stakeholders and we remain open to constructive dialogue.
We call on Member States, business enterprises and other stakeholders to make constructive use of this update and to uphold their human rights obligations and responsibilities.
Thank you very much.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
In keeping with our practise, so we will now hear the delegations of concerned countries.
I know that the delegation of Israel is not present in the room and I have been informed that the distinguished representative of the State of Palestine will make his declaration as concerned state at the same time as he will speak under Item 7.
I now declare open item seven of the agenda the human rights situation in Palestine and other occupied Arab territories.
We will now begin the general debate on item seven of the agenda.
I would remind you that requests for a right of reply will be given at well the end of the general debate.
I would remind all speakers to respect the speaking time.
A minute and 1/2 for each speaker, and the list of speakers will close in 15 minutes.
In compliance with our custom, we will first hear from countries concerned.
I note that the delegation of Israel is still not in the room, and therefore give the floor to the distinguished representative of the State of Palestine.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
President, I believe I will deal with this topic and Item 7, so I ask you kindly to group both times.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
I would like to thank Deputy High Commissioner and her office for the presentation of this update of the database of business enterprises involved in activities included in paragraph 96 of the 20/20/2012 Report of the Independent Fact Finding Mission.
The 1st Update No.
After the resolution 2016, the database was launched in 2024.
Years later, it was updated in 2023.
However, the resolution calls for an annual update.
We believe that the recommendations in this report must be implemented and that in accordance with the guidelines on businesses and human rights based on the responsibilities of states of corporations and business enterprises and they need to provide effective remedies to victims.
We refer here to the report of the Sr on businesses and enterprises that contribute directly or indirectly to genocide.
This include a number of corporations that shoulder legal and criminal responsibility.
We condemn the US sanctions on Sr Francesca Albanese.
They ring counter to all laws and applicable norms, in addition to punitive measures taken against Palestinian human rights associations.
[Other language spoken]
President, in a few years, two years would have passed since the crime of genocide that was announced by the criminal Gallant on the 9th of October 2023.
He ordered the cut of water, food, medication and fuel with regards to the people of Gaza after the attack of the 7th of October.
That we condemn, since we are in principle against any targeting of civilians before the 7th of October or after the 7th of October and the massacres that have been perpetrated against our people for the past 80 years.
For two years you have seen the magnitude of the crime against our people in Gaza, the West Bank and E Jerusalem.
The casualties exceed 250,000 people, martyrs, wounded, missing, mostly women and children.
Let alone the forced displacement of over 2 million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip for the 4th time under false pretexts of a safe haven without any necessities of life.
The Occupation Power uses a policy of starvation as a weapon of war, including what is called the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.
It has become a trap to kill the starving.
This is denied by the criminal head of the genocidal government.
He was allowed to address the General Assembly using lies, claiming that there is no famine in spite of hue and reports to the contrary.
He said he provides 3000 calories daily per person even though we know of over 400 death due to starvation.
He uses his army of criminals but says they do not target civilians.
We know that over 20,000 have died over 2 years of children and he has ordered the placement of loud speakers in the Gaza Strip so everybody can hear his speech.
This is what the Nazis did in concentration camps.
What's happening in the West Bank and E Jerusalem is no less.
It is ugly, such as the genocide as in Gaza we have seen killing, burning, destruction, attack on property, theft of resources, let alone 1200 electronic gates and checkpoints.
The Karama crossing is being closed continuously, not to speak of the brutality of the herds of settlers against civilians.
And with regards to settlements, we have seen recently the approval of the criminal Netanyahu, the building of E1 to totally separate the north from the South of the West Bank.
And in addition to all the above, they are stealing and withholding Palestinian funds to prevent the Palestinian Authority from discharging its duties towards its people.
Here we would like to thank Saudi Arabia for the emergency coalition, for the financial sustainability of the authority, in addition to a number of European countries.
[Other language spoken]
President, the Palestinian prisoners and detainees are not spared the brutality and treatment, deprivation of food, not to mention the provocative visits by the criminal Bengafir.
Lastly, he visited prisoner Marwan Al Baruti and threatened him inside his cell.
There are over 18,000 arrests, 4000 administrative detentions and unknown numbers of cases of enforced disappearance.
You have followed the last report of the fact finding mission on the genocide.
After two years, the Committee has concluded that a genocide is unfolding in Gaza using documentation, legal investigation and eyewitnesses.
Four of the genocidal actions were violated in accordance with the 1948 Convention.
The ICJ has issued a number of decisions last year to take temporary measures to prevent genocide and called on states to shoulder their responsibilities.
But the US representative in the Security Council, with all arrogance, has attacked the committee and to abolish this committee.
In the meeting where the veto was used against 14 votes requesting A ceasefire, the release of hostages and humanitarian aid.
You have followed last Monday the two State solution conference presided by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and France.
We appreciate their efforts.
We have seen that their recognition of 11 states before and during the conference, in addition to four states that recognise Palestine last May.
We welcome this step as an important step on the road to the two state solution.
These recognitions are not a reward to any party.
They are an entitlement, immoral, legal, historic and political delegation on all countries, even though it comes late and even though some countries have not recognised, and we hope they will soon.
In this context, we reaffirm the importance of implementing the New York Declaration, and we call on all states to take practical measures to put an end to the genocide and the settlement activities through a full series of export of weapons to Israel from any place and to reconsider diplomatic and business ties with the occupation government.
Here we refer to the important steps taken by Spain and Slovenia and other countries to reach a comprehensive boycott of the genocidal government, as we saw with the apartheid government in South Africa, in order to put an end to the illegal occupation and for Palestinians to exercise their right to self determination and sovereignty on their land in their state.
In conclusion, we would like to thank the international popular movements and solidarity everywhere around the world to stop the genocide and uphold the rights of the Palestinians.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
Excellencies, Distinguished colleagues.
I'd like to remind all of us.
To refer to.
Governments of member.
States and their representatives in terms that are accepted.
And consistent with the practise.
At the United Nations.