Amnesty UK to challenge Cooperative over bank account closures

Amnesty International UK members have passed a resolution to “challenge decisions of the Co-operative Bank and related government regulations which have led to the bank closing the accounts of many human rights organisations including the Palestine Solidarity Campaign.”

The resolution, passed overwhelmingly by 1,895 votes to 237, instructs the AIUK board to “express serious concerns publicly about the adverse impact of the Co-operative Bank’s account closures on human rights organisations and other NGOs”, and to “seek further explanations and information from the Cooperative Bank on the grounds and motivation for these account closures.

The National Conference and AGM, held over the weekend in Nottingham, brought together AIUK activists from all over the country. The gathering is an opportunity for members to come together to debate and vote on some of the major decisions facing AIUK.

The resolution mandates the AIUK board to “take appropriate action to persuade the Co-operative Bank to give effect to its ethical principles and to adopt policies and practices that facilitate civil society organisations to operate freely, to undertake advocacy, and to support individuals and communities at risk, including Human Rights Defenders.”

The board will also “raise its concerns about the human rights impacts of regulatory requirements with relevant ministers, departments and representatives of the UK Government, and with the UK Charity Commission”, and “review AIUK’s relations with the Co-operative Bank and other banks in view of the above evidence.”