ResolutionCallingfortheUCRegentstoDivestfromCorporationsViolatingPalestinianHumanRights

Sponsor(s):
CaitlinQuinn(UCBAS)

WHEREAS, The University of California Student Association (UCSA)istheofficialrepresentationofthestudentbodyofthe

University ofCaliforniaand the various campus studentgovernmentstotheUniversityofCalifornia Office of the President,
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theUniversityofCaliforniaBoardofRegents,andotherUniversityrelatedentities

WHEREAS,
The UCSA seekstoadvancehighereducationbyempoweringcurrentandfuturestudentstoadvocateon their
own behalf for the accessibility, affordability, and quality of the University of California system and has a history of
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advocatingforissuescriticaltostudentstoinfluenceUniversityofCaliforniaadministrators,Regents,andelectedofficials

WHEREAS, The student body of the University of California has a long and proudhistory ofactivismforsocial justice in
which divestment campaignshave been andcontinuetobe used to reclaim political agencyandtochange UCpoliciesthat
maintain investments incompanies that demonstrate alackofaccountability,ethicality,andrespect fortherights anddignity
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ofothers, mostnotablyinthecontextofSouth Africaand mostrecentlyinthecontextoffossilfuels andthePrisonIndustrial
4
Complex

WHEREAS, In a 2012 resolution, the UCSA recognized the legitimacy of boycotts and divestment as important social
movement tools, and encourages all institutions of higher learning to cleanse their investment portfolios of unethical
investments in companies implicatedinor profitingfromviolationsofinternationalhuman rights law,without makingspecial
5
exemptionsforanycountry

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WHEREAS, Despite adopting the UnitedNationsPrinciplesfor ResponsibleInvestment in September2014
, whichinclude
guidelines statingthat businessesshould support andrespecttheprotectionofinternationallyproclaimedhumanrightsand
7
make sure thatthey are not complicitinhumanrights abuses, the University of California remains investedincompanies
thatdonotmeetthesestandards

WHEREAS, Six ofnine undergraduatestudentassociationsoftheUniversityofCaliforniahavepassedresolutionscallingfor

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divestmentfromcorporationsthatenableandprofitfromviolationsofPalestinianhumanrights

WHEREAS, The UC Graduate Student Worker Union,UAW2865, representingover13,000teachingassistants,tutors, and

otherstudent workersattheUniversityof California, votedbya65%margintosupportthecallfor theUCRegentstodivest
fromcorporationsimplicatedintheviolationofPalestinianhumanrights

WHEREAS, The following illustrative and nonexhaustive list of the corporations in which the UC Regents, through
endowment andretirement holdings, invest, profitfromandenablehuman rights abuses andviolence, whichtheUniversity
implicitlycondonesthroughitsinvestmentsand

UCSACharter

UCSAMissionandHistory
3

http://www.fossilfreeuc.org/
4
https://www.usac.ucla.edu/documents/resolutions/USACPrivatePrisonDivestmentResolution.pdf
5

Resolution:UCStudentAssociationopposesallracism,whetherantiSemitismoncampusorracismofIsraelihumanrightsviolations
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UCjoinsUNsupportedPrinciplesforResponsibleInvestment
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PrinciplesforResponsibleInvestmentAnnualReport2014

PrinciplesforResponsibleInvestment:WhatisResponsibleInvestment?
,and
TheUN
GlobalCompactsTenPrinciples
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UCIrvine:
http://www.asuci.uci.edu/legislative/legislations/print.php?cnum=r4815&gov_branch=asuci
UCSanDiego:
http://as.ucsd.edu/governing_documents/acts.php?show_id=464&session=201213
UCBerkeley:
http://senator.kleinlieu.com/wpcontent/uploads/2013/04/SB160FinalDraft.pdf
UCRiverside:
http://electronicintifada.net/blogs/norabarrowsfriedman/divestmentpassesuniversitycaliforniariverside
UCLosAngeles:
https://www.usac.ucla.edu/documents/resolutions/USAC%20Divestment%20Resolution%20(11132014)_no%20sponsors.pdf
UCDavis:
http://asucd.ucdavis.edu/wpcontent/uploads/2014/12/SR.9.Fall_.14.doc
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ResolutionCallingfortheUCRegentstoDivestfromCorporationsViolatingPalestinianHumanRights

10

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WHEREAS, Boeing
, Caterpillar
, Cement Roadstone Holdings
, CEMEX
, General Dynamics
, General Electric
,
15
16
17
18
19
HewlettPackard , Lockheed Martin , Northrop Grumman , Raytheon , and United Technologies have violated the
universal right to life,liberty, andsecurity of person to education to privacy, family [and] hometoownproperty, and
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...[notto]bearbitrarilydeprivedofproperty
.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, That the Board of Directors of the University of California Student Association, asthe
representative body of UC students, recognizes and respects the votes of the six undergraduate campuses and the UC
Graduate Student Worker Union, whichhavecalledfor divestmentfromcorporations that violatePalestinian human rights,
includingbutnotlimitedtotheaforementionedcompanies

THEREFORE BE ITFURTHERRESOLVED, That the BoardofDirectorsofthe UniversityofCaliforniaStudentAssociation

calls upon the UCRegents to respectand actuponthecall of University ofCaliforniastudents todivestfromcorporations
thatviolatePalestinianhumanrights,includingbutnotlimitedtotheaforementionedcompanies

THEREFORE BE ITFURTHERRESOLVED, That the BoardofDirectorsofthe UniversityofCaliforniaStudentAssociation

calls upontheUniversity ofCaliforniatowithdrawinvestmentsinsecurities,endowments,mutualfunds,andothermonetary
instruments with holdings in the aforementioned companies, at such time and in such manner as fund trustees may
determine and thattheUniversityofCaliforniamaintainthewithdrawalofinvestments,inaccordancewith trusteesfiduciary
duty, until thesecompaniesare nolonger engagedintheviolation of human rightsandother behavior thatfailtoadhereto
theUniversityofCaliforniaendorsedPrinciplesofResponsibleInvestment

THEREFORE BE ITFURTHERRESOLVED, That the BoardofDirectorsofthe UniversityofCaliforniaStudentAssociation

calls upon the University of California, in accordance with fund trustees fiduciary duties, to refrain from making further
investments in anycompaniesengagedintheviolationofhumanrightsorotherbehaviorthatfailstoadheretotheUniversity
of California
endorsed Principles of Responsible Investment, whether those violations occur in the United Statesor in any
othercountryaroundtheworld

THEREFORE BE ITFURTHERRESOLVED, That the BoardofDirectorsofthe UniversityofCaliforniaStudentAssociation

calls upon the UC Regents to implement socially responsible investment guidelines that uphold rather than denigratethe
principles of accountability, ethicality, equality and respect for human rights, widely embraced by the students of the
UniversityofCalifornia

THEREFORE BE ITFURTHERRESOLVED, That the BoardofDirectorsofthe UniversityofCaliforniaStudentAssociation

calls upon the UC Regents to incorporate student demands in its investment decisions, including demands specifically
relatedtoissuesofcorporatecomplicityinhumanrightsviolationsintheOccupiedPalestinianTerritoriesandelsewhereand

THEREFORE BE ITFINALLYRESOLVED,ThattheBoard of Directors of the University of California StudentAssociation

calls upon the University of California to dissociate itself from companies that engage or aid in systematic prejudiced
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SeeBoeingsreportonitsweaponssales
andspecifically,itssalesof
AH64Apachehelicopters
,
F15EStrikeEaglefighterjets
,
F16missiles
,
and
AGM114Hellfiremissiles
.
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HumanRightsWatchs
RazingRafah:MassHomeDemolitionsintheGazaStrip,
citesCaterpillarsviolationsAmnestyInternationalreport
IsraelandtheOccupiedTerritories:UndertheRubble:HouseDemolitionandDestructionofLandandProperty,
citinghowCaterpillarbulldozers
areusedtoviolatehumanrights.
11
See
ProjectCleanHandsreportonCementRoadstoneHoldings
,
WhoProfitsreportonCementRoadstoneHoldings
12

WhoProfitsreportonCemex
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SeetheAFSCsreportonarmssalestoIsrael
,citingGeneralDynamicssaleofweaponsusedinattacksoncivilians.
14
SeeGeneralElectricssaleof
enginesforBoeingsAH64Apachehelicopters
,and
engines
for
Blackhawkhelicopters
.
15

WhoProfitsreportonHPsinvolvementinsettlementsandoccupationinfrastructure
and
GlobalExchangesreportonHP
,whichincludes
informationonservicestodomesticprisonandimmigrationsystems
16
LockheedMartinsuppliesIsraelwith
F16fighterjets
and
missiles
,
LongbowHellfiremissiles
(withNorthropGrumman)and
AH64Apache
Longbow
helicopterparts.
17
SeeNorthropGrummanssalesof
missilesystems
,
gunships
,andservicesfor
F16
fighterjets.
18
SeedocumentationofRaytheons
armstransfers
,includingmissilesandbombsusedinhumanrightsviolations
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UnitedTechnologiesrenders
servicestotheIsraelimilitary
throughitsaviationsubsidiaries,PrattandWhitneyandSikorsky,whichmanufacture
enginesusedinF15sandF16s,andBlackhawkhelicopters,respectively.
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TheUniversalDeclarationofHumanRights


ResolutionCallingfortheUCRegentstoDivestfromCorporationsViolatingPalestinianHumanRights

oppression, whether this system targets people based on their religion, nationality, genderidentity,race ororientation,by
divestingfromcompaniesthatparticipateinorprofitfromhumanrightsviolations.