Derry City and Strabane District Council members have asked for an update on council’s plans to adopt an Ethical Procurement Policy (EPP) which some representatives said would help facilitate the Council continuing to be ‘a loud advocate for Palestine solidarity’.

The EPP takes into account the involvement of bidders in violations of human rights, and would allow council to exclude ‘problematic bidders’ from its tender procedures.

During May’s Governance and Strategic Planning Committee, People Before Profit councillor Shaun Harkin said such a policy would allow council to continue to advocate for Palestine, following Israel’s ‘abduction’ of Palestine activists, including seven people form Ireland, from a flotilla last week, and the British Government’s continued attempts to ‘criminalise’ activists.

“It’s outrageous that Israel has felt that they could attack the flotilla in international waters and they have abducted members of that flotilla,” he added.

placeholder image — Councillor Shaun Harkin.

“And what has happened in Westminster has had an impact here, because we’ve seen Palestine Solidarity Movement activists criminalised, harassed.

“So it’s incumbent on this council to continue to be a loud advocate for Palestine solidarity and I’m not sure if we’re in a position to say where we are in relation to that EPP being unveiled and actually implemented, but given what’s happening in Palestine and given what the British government is attempting to do with this criminalisation approach, I think it’s important that we have an aggressive plan to bring that forward.”

Sinn Féin councillor Emma McGinley agreed that council needed to ‘get an update through as soon as possible’, while SDLP councillor Catherine McDaid it was important to resist criminalisation of the Palestine movement.

“We’ve seen it across the water and we’re seeing it here locally as well, so we just need to stand strong together and continue to kind of resist that with every tool we have,” she said.

In response, Derry City & Strabane DIstrict chief executive John Kelpie, said he had received a brief from council’s Lead Legal Services Officer, in charge of progressing the EPP, and an update would be given to council’s next BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions) group meeting and then to Committee.