The proposal to ban Maersk from shipping arms to Israel, which was put forward by Danish shareholder group Kritiske Aktionærer, is on the agenda for Tuesday’s annual general meeting [GETTY]
Owners of shipping giant Maersk will vote on Tuesday on a shareholder proposal to halt any shipments of arms to Israel for as long as there is a war on Gaza, a proposition the Danish company has so far dismissed.
Maersk on Tuesday denied shipping arms or ammunition to Israel during its war in Gaza in response to a shareholder proposal at its annual general meeting (AGM) but acknowledged shipping military-related cargo.
“Maersk has a strict policy of not shipping weapons or ammunitions into any active conflict zone,” CEO Vincent Clerc told shareholders.
“We are fully compliant with all applicable laws,” adding that Maersk acts in accordance with United Nations guiding principles on business and human rights and OECD guidelines on responsible business conduct.
Maersk ships cargo to Israel for US government agencies with its US subsidiary Maersk Line, Limited (MLL).
Both shareholder proposals were dismissed by shareholders. The family-owned holding company Maersk Holding owns 41.5 percent of the shares and 54.5 percent of the votes in the Danish company.
Clerc said Maersk does transport military-related cargo, albeit in accordance with all laws.
“When we draw a line between what we accept to transport and what we don’t, it’s done after a very careful assessment and considering recommendations and regulations,” said Clerc. “We realize that our line may not coincide with the wishes of everybody.”
United Nations experts have called on countries to impose sanctions and an arms embargo on Israel, arguing that Israel’s military campaign on Gaza since 7 October, in which Gaza health officials say over 61,700 people have died, amounted to genocide.
Israel has strongly rejected the UN report and says it is combating Hamas.
The proposal to ban Maersk from shipping arms to Israel, which was put forward by Danish shareholder group Kritiske Aktionærer, is on the agenda for Tuesday’s annual general meeting (AGM).
Maersk said the company’s board did not support the proposal.
“The premise of the proposal is not correct, as the company is not transporting arms to Israel,” Maersk said.
Activist group Eko, in a separate proposal, called for Maersk to enact greater transparency in its human rights processes, particularly focusing on high-risk areas, including arms shipments.
Maersk’s board said it also did not support Eko’s proposal.
Eko said in a statement the company’s denial of arms shipments came despite Danish media pointing to the contrary.
Investigative media outlet Danwatch and Danish tabloid Ekstra Bladet have reported bills of ladings from Maersk, which showed it had shipped armoured combat vehicles and other military hardware to Israel.
Denmark, where Maersk is headquartered, does not currently have an arms embargo and has not imposed any restrictions on sending weapons to Israel.
Maersk’s general meeting will start at 1500 Central European Time (1400 GMT).
(Reuters)
