At the end of September, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights added the Spanish rolling stock manufacturer CAF to its blacklist of companies conducting business in the Palestinian territories occupied by Israel.
CAF stands accused of exploiting natural resources for commercial purposes, supplying equipment and materials that contribute to the construction and expansion of Israeli settlements and the barrier separating Jerusalem from Arab neighbourhoods, and providing services that support the maintenance and existence of settlements, including transport.
The listing stems from CAF’s involvement in developing Jerusalem’s tram network. In 2019, the TransJerusalem J-Net consortium, owned equally by CAF and Israeli firm Shapir, was awarded a concession contract to build a new line and extend the existing route, part of which runs through disputed East Jerusalem. The contract also covers network operation, maintenance, the supply of 114 Urbos 100 trams (pictured), and the refurbishment of 46 Alstom Citadis vehicles. The works are scheduled for completion in 2027.
CAF has rejected the UN decision, stating that the project was preceded by consultations with independent international law experts, including UN specialists, who confirmed there were no violations related to its participation. The Versailles Court of Appeal also upheld this conclusion. The company further emphasises that its role in the project is helping to create socially important infrastructure supporting the human right to freedom of movement.
Being included in the UN sanctions list could negatively affect CAF’s ability to secure new contracts or retain existing ones. The company may lose a contract to supply 39 metro trains for Barcelona, as the tender documents prohibit participation by companies included on the UN blacklist. Alstom has already filed an appeal seeking CAF’s exclusion from the tender. Meanwhile, in August, a coalition of Belgian non-governmental organisations called for CAF to be barred from the country’s major train supply tender covering up to 600 trains.
