RAMALLAH, May 5, 2012 (WAFA) – The Ramallah-based human rights group, Al-Haq, Saturday expressed grave concern about the participation of a subsidiary of the French Veolia Group in the public transport tender in the city of The Hague, according to a press release.
It said the Stadsgewest Haaglanden, the Dutch local authority of the city of The Hague, announced late on April 27 that transport companies HTMbuzz and Veolia Transport Nederland Openbaar Vervoer are taking part in the public transport tender that includes all public bus transportation in The Hague’s city district.
“Al-Haq strongly objects to the activities of Veolia Environment, a French multinational providing infrastructure through its subsidiary VeoliaTransdev to Israeli local authorities, for its involvement in the construction of a light rail tramway linking West Jerusalem to illegal Jewish settlements in occupied East Jerusalem and elsewhere in the West Bank,” said the press release.
“Such infrastructure contributes to Israel’s illegal annexation of East Jerusalem,” it said.
Veolia Transport Nederland is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the French parent company, Veolia Environment, which means that the latter exercises full control over the company tendering.
“Taking into consideration that the Veolia Group presents itself internationally as a company that operates as a single corporate entity, thus including all subsidiaries, the Veolia Group as a whole will benefit from profits generated through the exploitation of the public transport concession for The Hague city district, should Veolia Transport Nederland be awarded the contract,” warned Al-Haq.
“Participation of a company with a disputed reputation and involvement in illegal activities in the occupied Palestinian territory in The Hague's public transport tender is particularly problematic, due to the city's reputation as the ‘International City of Peace and Justice,’” added the statement.
Commenting on the issue, Al-Haq Director Shawan Jabarin stated: 'How can the city of The Hague consider allowing its citizens and employees of international institutions, courts and tribunals tasked with contributing towards peace and justice worldwide, to make use of a public transportation service which is operated by a company involved in violations of international law?'
Al-Haq called on the Stadsgewest Haaglanden to promptly reconsider its association with the Veolia Group's businesses and to immediately exclude Veolia Transport Nederland from the public transport tender.
“It is highly undesirable for the ‘International City of Peace and Justice’ to enter into a contract with one of the subsidiaries of the Veolia Group, as its aspirations cannot be reconciled with the violations of international humanitarian law to which the Veolia Group is associated,” it said.
M.S.
