A United Nations report titled ‘Economy of Occupation to Economy of Genocide’ has sparked backlash and concern, with critics alleging that Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese overstepped her mandate by endorsing BDS and making genocidal claims against Israel. The report, presented by Albanese, has drawn accusations of antisemitism and misuse of the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, leading to calls for its removal.
NGO Monitor Legal Advisor Anne Herzog claims that Albanese’s report goes beyond her role as an independent investigator, with Herzog accusing her of improperly endorsing the boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) movement. Herzog stated that Albanece’s report could be interpreted as the U.N. supporting the BDS movement against Israel, which is a significant overstep, given the U.N. Human Rights Council’s lack of authority to issue sanctions.
Albanese’s report has drawn fierce criticism, with Israeli Ambassador to the U.N. in Geneva Daniel Meron accusing her of ‘willingly spearheading the global efforts to promote terrorism propaganda.’ Meron called her report ‘riddled with inflammatory rhetoric and legally baseless,’ emphasizing her ‘obsession with demonizing Israel.’
Herzog also highlighted the ‘threatening and harassing’ letters sent by Albanese to companies and NGOs, warning them of inclusion on her boycott list and labeling them as complicit in international crimes like genocide, apartheid, blocking self-determination for Palestinians. Herzog believes that the misuse of the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights could potentially destroy the framework intended to ensure responsible corporate behavior.
Albanese’s report, presented to the UNHRC on Thursday, comes just days after the U.S. called for her removal over her ‘pattern of antisemitism and anti-Israel bias.’ The report claims that corporations have aided Israel’s ‘ongoing genocidal campaign in Gaza,’ and she repeated this claim at the UNHRC, charging Israel with being ‘responsible for one of the cruelest genocides in modern history.’