UoE must act on UN report

Divestment now!

UCU Edinburgh insists on immediate action to divest from companies and institutions involved in occupation and genocide in Palestine

The UCU Edinburgh branch welcomes the latest report by UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese, "From Economy of Occupation to Economy of Genocide," as a critical and urgent intervention. The report exposes the global economic and institutional infrastructure enabling Israel’s ongoing atrocities in Gaza, including war crimes, crimes against humanity, and violations of the 1948 Genocide Convention.

According to the UN report, the University of Edinburgh is directly implicated. With nearly £25.5 million—2.5% of its endowment—invested in companies such as Alphabet, Amazon, Microsoft, and IBM, our institution is financially entangled with corporations central to Israel’s surveillance regime and military aggression. Moreover, our University partners with arms manufacturer Leonardo S.p.A. and Ben-Gurion University through joint AI and data science research, further embedding our academic resources in systems used to target and oppress Palestinians.

This report confirms what students and staff have long been asserting: our University is complicit in the machinery of occupation and genocide. We call on University leadership to take immediate steps to divest, end all partnerships with institutions and companies involved in Israeli military operations, and align our practices with our professed commitments to human rights, justice, and international law.

UCU Edinburgh Branch Committee