While waiting for the PSOE to adopt the recognition of Palestine in an upcoming council of ministers, Sumar continues to take unilateral steps in the face of the military offensive deployed by Israel in the Gaza Strip for seven months. In this case it was the Minister of Social Rights, Consumption and Agenda 2030, Pablo Bustinduy, who has asked by letter to Spanish companies with interests in Israel to adopt all necessary measures to guarantee that their activity does not contribute to exacerbating a situation. which he has described as “genocide.”
As reported by his department in a statement, the ministry headed by Bustinduy has begun to send a series of letters to those Spanish companies that carry out “prominent” economic activity in Israel – no detailed list has been provided – with a view to guaranteeing that These do not contribute to “the flagrant violations of Human Rights that the State of Israel is committing in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, including the Gaza Strip, against the Palestinian population.”
In them, it calls on them to report to the Ministry the evaluations and studies carried out to avoid the main risks of abuse that their activities and business relationships could entail, including consultations with Human Rights experts or with potentially affected groups and other interested parties.
This is a mandatory requirement and, as requested by the Government of Spain, “there is no other scenario” other than for companies to respond and explain what measures they adopt to prevent the situation being experienced in Gaza and the West Bank from worsening. .
The minister, however, wants to know the mechanisms and provisions that have been put in place so that consumers have full knowledge of the actions they are carrying out and thus avoid participating directly or indirectly in the serious violations of Human Rights that they are suffering. the Palestinian people.
According to its department, “this is an initiative that seeks to find solutions to put an end to the genocide in Palestine and is framed as another action in the political line of the Government of Spain that seeks to recognize the State of Palestine and promote its entry.” as a full member of the UN.”
“I have not seen the statement specifically… but well, in general, I think that the Government is very clear about our vision regarding the situation in Gaza and the importance of maintaining humanitarian rights in the area,” he remarked. the head of Economy, Carlos Body, in statements to the media at the end of an AmCham Spain event.
As an argument, Bustinduy recalls in the letter that on January 26, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ordered Israel to adopt immediate and effective measures to prevent the genocide in the Gaza Strip, as well as the various resolutions of the Security Council and of the United Nations Human Rights Council that have shown that Israeli settlements in the West Bank represent a serious violation of International Law.
One of these latest resolutions, as recalled by the Ministry in its statement, urges States to adopt measures to prevent companies domiciled in Israeli territory and/or under their jurisdiction from refraining from committing serious violations of the Human Rights of Palestinians or contribute to them, in accordance with the standards established in the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
These principles, he adds, determine the responsibility of companies to exercise due diligence in matters of Human Rights, identifying, preventing and mitigating the adverse effects of their operations, including in their commercial relationships and value chains. Furthermore, he recalls that these principles are included in the National Action Plan for Business and Human Rights, approved in 2017.
They are also included in the obligations contemplated by the European Directive on due diligence of companies in matters of sustainability, recently approved by the European Parliament and which must be transposed into Spanish legislation within a maximum period of two years.
It stipulates the need to guarantee the right of consumers to have information that allows them to enjoy goods and services that fully respect Human Rights.
