AGSEM Adopts the Palestinian BDS National Committee Guidelines

On November 20, the General Assembly, AGSEM’s highest governing body, overwhelmingly voted to adopt the Palestinian Boycott, Divest, and Sanction (BDS) Guidelines. 

Since 2005, the BDS movement, a broad coalition of organizations from Palestinian civil society, has called on “international civil society organizations and people of conscience all over the world to impose broad boycotts and implement divestment initiatives against Israel similar to those applied to South Africa in the apartheid era.” 

The Palestinian BDS National Committee (BNC) sets out clear guidelines for the economic, cultural, and academic boycott of Israel, as well as guidelines for pressuring organizations and governments to divest from and sanction Israel. Such measures are to be maintained “until Israel meets its obligation to recognize the Palestinian people’s inalienable right to self determination and fully complies by the precepts of international law”.

AGSEM calls on all other unions to adopt and implement similar positions on BDS, as well as McGill University itself, including a complete divestment of holdings in all companies listed under the BDS National Committee guidelines and an ending academic partnerships with Israel, such as the Sylvan Adams Sports Science Institute. 

Furthermore, AGSEM calls on the Canadian government to impose a complete embargo on any arms shipments to Israel, including so-called “non-lethal” equipment supplied to Israel which is then used in Israel’s aggressions. 

Finally, AGSEM calls on La Caisse de Dépôt et Placement du Québec (CDPQ) to divest its financial holdings in all companies falling under BDS guidelines. The CDPQ, valued at approximately $434 billion, receives contributions from over 6 million people in Québec. As of December 31, 2023, the CDPQ holds $14.2 billion in 87 companies complicit in the genocide in Gaza.