LPHR has today submitted letters to G4S and and FIMI Opportunity Funds following the announcement by G4S, on 2 December 2016, that it had reached an agreement on the sale of its subsidiary, G4S Israel, to the Israeli private equity fund. Our letters will be submitted to these companies by the Business and Human Rights Resource Centre.
The letters request clarification on key business and human rights issues, including: G4S disclosure of its breach of human rights obligations to FIMI Opportunity Funds; the extent of its withdrawal from contracts in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory; and the required performance by FIMI Opportunity Funds of pre-acquisition human rights due diligence in light of the UK National Contact Point’s adverse human rights findings against G4S.
Our letter to G4S can be read here. And our letter to FIMI Opportunity Funds can be read here.
UPDATE: G4S provided a brief written reply on 27 March 2017 to our letter which was published by the Business and Human Rights Resource Centre. G4S’ reply does not fully clarify whether the Company will continue to be involved in the occupied Palestinian territory through its operations or business relationships. G4S’ reply then relies on commercial confidentiality to not disclose whether FIMI Opportunity Funds were made aware of the UK National Contact Point’s adverse business and human rights findings against G4S during sale negotiations.
FIMI Opportunity Funds did not provide a reply to our letter.