The worldâs largest security company G4S, has this morning announced that the company will end a number of its activities in the occupied West Bank. This happens after the independent Danish research center DanWatch has uncovered that G4S is supplying, among others, Israeli prisons and checkpoints, with security technology.
G4S writes in a statement today that their security services in the West Bank are not in compliance with the companyâs ethical policies, even though their activities âare not discriminating or controversialâ.
âWe have concluded that we, in order to ensure that our business activities are in compliance with our ethical policy, will work to withdraw from a number of contracts in the areaâ, legal director Soren Lundsberg writes.
The activities in question are among others servicing of security equipment at checkpoints at the wall, prisons and police stations in the West Bank.
G4S hired Professor of Law, Hjalte Rasmussen, from Copenhagen University to investigate the legality of their activities in the West Bank. He concluded that none of their activities are against international law. After criticism of this, G4S announced that it is not enough to merely assess the legality – as it is also a matter of ethics.
âThe legal assessment is necessary but not sufficient,” said Soren Lundsberg to DanWatch in February: “The ethical part is what takes time to discuss, both with the local leadership and with the region Israel belongs to.â
Therefore G4S has now decided that some of its activities in the West Bank go against their own ethical guidelines. And G4S will work to withdraw from these contracts in the coming time.
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For more information on G4S, read DanWatch articles on G4S involvement with Israeli prisons and settlements.