Derry & Strabane Council to be first in Ireland to adopt ethical procurement policy after BDS deputation

The Council will be the first in Ireland to adopt the policy, which “takes into account the involvement of bidders [in] violations of human rights and allows the Council to exclude problematic bidders from its tender procedures”.

At a meeting of the Council’s Governance and Planning Committee on Tuesday, January 9, BDS Co-founder, Omar Barghouti, said that, due to support by “Western powers”, the Israeli Government had been given a green light to “continue its rolling massacres of tens of thousands of Palestinian children, women and civilian men”.

Mr Barghouti, who appeared at the meeting online ahead of a visit to Derry later in January, said: “The intensity of Israel’s bombing has not been seen since Vietnam and nearly two million Palestinians have been forcibly displaced, according to the U.N.

“The BDS movement calls for ending Israel’s military occupation, dismantling its system of apartheid, and respecting the right of Palestinian refugees to return home.

“It has compelled large multinationals to end their involvement in Israel’s human rights violations.

“If you love freedom, justice, dignity, and equality for all, mobilize pressure to help us dismantle Israel’s 75-year-old regime of settler-colonialism and apartheid.”

The motion calling for the EPP was put forward by Foyleside People Before Profit District Councillor Shaun Harkin.

Colr. Harkin said the Council passed a motion supporting BDS in 2016, but attempts to implement it have been stopped due to “legalities”.

He continued: “It’s been frustrating for us, and we want to take meaningful action to put pressure on corporations that are complicit in a system that carries out genocide and profit from apartheid and occupation.

“The proposal for an EPP seems right and just, and applies to Israel and any entity involved in crimes against humanity.”

Waterside Sinn Féin District Councillor Christopher Jackson said Mr Barghouti’s deputation was “powerful” given the “televised genocide” happening in Gaza.

Colr. Jackson said. “The breaches of international laws results in the scenes in Gaza and that can’t be acceptable, so if we all take a stand to promote peace and justice for all we need to ensure its respected.

“An EPP is one step this council could take to ensure corporations are mindful of the regimes they’re supporting.”

Ballyarnett SDLP District Councillor Brian Tierney said that the Council in the city has supported the BDS movement since 2008, and since the “escalation of violence” in Gaza in October, his party has advocated to do “anything we can do” to end it.

He said: “If that means adopting EPP to show our support, then we should be doing that.”

It emerged back in December that Derry City and Strabane Council had agreed to form a task and finish working group to support the pro-Palestine ‘Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions’ (BDS) campaign.

The motion was put forward by Sperrin independent District Councillor Paul Gallagher.

Andrew Balfour,

Local Democracy Reporter