G4S facing allegations over human rights in Israel

2nd Jun 2014 20:43

Security group G4S is to be examined by a UK government-funded watchdog after a complaint made by a human rights group in Israel.G4S operates through subsidiaries in the country and has contracts with the Government of Israel to supply and maintain security equipment.Lawyers for Palestinian Human Rights (LPHR) claim that certain facilities and operations in which the equipment is used are "in breach of or associated with breaches of international human rights laws and principles", according to a statement by UK National Contact Point (NCP).The NCP said: "The complaint asks that the company provides information about where and how its equipment is used and what due diligence checks have been conducted in providing it. "The complaint also asks the company to stop servicing the equipment, to remove it, to agree to an independent audit of these actions, and to agree to identify ways to compensate people who have suffered adverse impacts."The NCP is part of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and makes sure that multinational companies operate within the guidelines of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).G4S has denied the allegations made by LPHR and has highlighted other activities of the complainant which it says show a political motivation for the allegations, the NCP said.Nevertheless, the watchdog assured that in accepting issues for further examination it does not mean that it considers that the company has acted inconsistently with the OECD guidelines.BC