During the UN Sixty-seventh General Assembly Third Committee meeting held from 24th to 25th October, a United Nations expert called for boycotting businesses that were profiting from Israeli settlements on occupied Palestinian lands.

As reported by the Department of Public Information, the expert called for the action to be continued until Israel brought its operations in line with international human rights and humanitarian law.

Richard Falk, the Human Rights Council’s Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, also encouraged civil society to bolster efforts to hold those businesses accountable through legal and political initiatives at the national and international levels. He also drew attention to important developments in international law concerning businesses and human rights, including the United Nations Guiding Principles on Businesses and Human rights and the United Nations Global Compact.

“Businesses should not breach international humanitarian law provisions,” he commented. They might otherwise be subject to criminal or civil liability.

As Falk was preparing his report, he received information from civil societies documenting the involvement of businesses in Israeli settlements. He stated that the companies highlighted in the report constitute a small number of the many which are profiting from the Israeli settlement enterprise. His report also recommended that an advisory opinion should be sought from the International Court of Justice, particularly on the responsibility of businesses in relation to and in violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention:

“The scale of Israel’s settlement enterprise, especially the massive financial investment in it, appears to confirm Israel’s intention to retain control over much, if not all, of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. Between 500,000 and 600,000 Israeli citizens had already been settled in Palestinian territory, 200,000 of whom had settled in East Jerusalem. In the last year alone, the settler population had increased by over 15,000 people.”

At this point it is unclear if the UN will embrace, and under which course of action, the United Nations expert called for boycotting businesses that are profiting from Israeli settlements on occupied Palestinian lands.

“These individuals are protesting against their detention without charges and are suffering immensely for it,” said the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, Richard Falk, in a news release. “There is no acceptable basis for continuing to hold these persons, and Israel will be responsible if any permanent harm results.”

The two prisoners are Mahmoud Sarsak, who is on the 82nd day of his hunger strike, and Akram Rikhawi, who is on the 58th day of his hunger strike.

“Mr. Sarsak has lost one third of his body weight and Mr. Rikhawi is suffering from aggravated diabetes and asthma,” Mr. Falk said. “If Israeli officials cannot present evidence to support charges against these men, then they must be released immediately.”

“Israel must end the appalling and unjust treatment of Palestinian prisoners and the international community needs to raise its voice and take steps to end Israel’s flagrant misuse of administrative detention,” the Special Rapporteur added.

In December last year, Palestinian prisoners began a series of hunger strikes, Mr. Falk noted, adding that the strikes have “called attention to Israel’s abusive reliance on administrative detention, but also to conditions that fail to meet legal standards of international humanitarian law for the more than 4,000 Palestinians imprisoned.”

According to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Israel currently has approximately 300 Palestinians detained without charges.

“I have requested information regarding each of these persons and I will follow up on each case and address this matter in my forthcoming report to the Human Rights Council,” Mr. Falk said. His report to the Council is due on 2 July 2012.

Independent experts, or special rapporteurs, are appointed by the Geneva-based Council to examine and report back on a country situation or a specific human rights theme. The positions are honorary and the experts are not United Nations staff, nor are they paid for their work.