A controversial plan in the Human Rights Council of the United Nations (UNHRC) to produce a discriminatory list of companies doing business with companies in Israeli settlements has been delayed.
The blacklist is being compiled by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, pursuant to UNHRC Resolution 31/36 from last year.
"There is a need for more time, it is a very complex issue," a Western diplomat told the ‘Reuters’ news agency. "You need to have a clear vision of how you list the companies, what is the exact criteria." On Monday, a meeting decided to postpone the report by several months.
The UNHRC last year called for a list of enterprises to be updated annually on the “human rights and international law violations involved in the production of settlement goods.” Israel and other critics fear the database will be used to implement boycotts of Israeli businesses. Goods produced in West Bank settlements include fruit, vegetables and wine.
