Urge NSPCC to ditch JCB

We have enormous respect for the work of the NSPCC, but are deeply concerned by their continuing partnership with JCB - a company directly involved in the suffering of children in Palestine. JCB provides Israel with the machinery to demolish Palestinian villages and build illegal Israeli settlements... they are one of three British companies listed by the UN as complicit in Israeli crimes.

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Chair of Trustees, NSPCC

CEO of NSPCC

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I would like to start by thanking the NSPCC for the work you do. It is as someone who recognises the value of that work that I’m writing today, but wish to express my deepest concern about your continuing partnership with JCB - a company directly involved in the suffering of children in Palestine. JCB supplies Israel with machinery in full knowledge that it’s being used to demolish Palestinian homes and build illegal Israeli settlements. A thorough investigation by the <a href="https://undocs.org/en/A/HRC/43/71">United Nations</a> led them to put JCB on a database of companies complicit with Israel’s illegal activities. Every Israeli settlement is considered a war crime under international law, and JCB is one of only three British companies included on this database. I understand JCB have asked to be removed from this database, but the fact remains they are still on it. The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights diligently investigated JCB and decisively concluded, after first giving JCB the opportunity to provide a response to the overwhelming evidence against them, that the company should be included on this database of companies complicit in war crimes. It should surely be raising alarm bells for the NSPCC when the world’s most authoritative human rights body reaches this conclusion about a donor. <a href="https://www.amnesty.org.uk/statement-release-un-database">Amnesty International</a>, Palestine Solidarity Campaign, <a href="https://waronwant.org/sites/default/files/Stop%20the%20Bulldozers%2C%20JCB%20report%2C%202012.pdf">War on Want</a>, and <a href="https://lphr.org.uk/latest-news/jcb-to-be-investigated-after-uk-government-body-accepts-lphr-complaint-is-material-and-substantiated-relating-to-involvement-in-israels-human-rights-violations-against-palestinians/#:~:text=The%20UK%2Dbased%20construction%20equipment,its%20heavy%20machinery%20in%20Israel's">Lawyers for Palestinian Human Rights</a> have all condemned JCB’s complicity in crimes against Palestinians. In Parliament, 47 MPs have signed an <a href="https://edm.parliament.uk/early-day-motion/57719/demolition-of-palestinian-homes">Early Day Motion</a> stating they are “alarmed that JCB equipment is being supplied to Israeli forces for the destruction of Palestinian structures, and that the UN Human Rights Office has listed the British company as sustaining illegal settlements”. A complaint against JCB has led to an investigation from the National Contact Point – a Government’s arms length body. The conclusion of the of the NCP report states it: “has decided to accept the complaint for further examination on the issues related to JCB’s obligation under Chapter 4, Paragraphs 3,4, and 5” (of the OECD guidelines). This acknowledges the validity of complaints against JCB in failing to meet OECD guidelines where companies are expected to: 1) Seek ways to prevent or mitigate adverse human rights impacts that are directly linked to their business operations, products or services by a business relationship, even if they do not contribute to those impacts. 2) Have a policy commitment to respect human rights. 3) Carry out human rights due diligence as appropriate to their size, the nature and context of operations and the severity of the risks of adverse human rights impacts. Just last month, JCB bulldozers <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3OCNUuk3kA&t=29s&ab_channel=PSC">featured on channel 4 news</a> demolishing the entire Palestinian community Khirbet Humsah in the Jordan Valley. This has left over 40 children homeless in winter and during a health pandemic. Palestinian children are especially vulnerable to the consequences of Israeli occupation, and in particular to Israel’s devastating practice of demolishing civilian homes. For families and their children, the impact of a house demolition is both financial and psychological. Long periods of instability follow a demolition. These periods affect children psychologically, through the destruction of normal family life, and practically, through the disruption of schooling. A child’s mental health is profoundly affected by the psychological state of their parents, which is severely tested following a demolition. There is now overwhelming evidence of JCB’s complicity in war crimes and the suffering of Palestinian children, which makes it an entirely inappropriate partner for the NSPCC. You risk grave reputational damage by continuing to work with such a company. Please don’t ignore this. I entirely support the NSPCC statements that “Every Child Matters” and “Every Child is Worth Fighting For.” Please make sure that this extends to Palestinian children. This can only be done by ending your partnership with JCB.

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Urge NSPCC to ditch JCB