Photo: Dan Vernon

On 6 July 2026, Ireland’s National Contact Point (NCP) for the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises on Responsible Business Conduct issued a decision not to accept the joint Complaint “at this time” submitted by Al-Haq and GLAN against Airbnb last year.

While satisfied that Al-Haq and partners have legitimate interests in the issues raised in the Complaint, that Airbnb Ireland is covered by the Guidelines, and that there is a sufficient link between Airbnb’s activities and the human rights issues raised in the joint complaint, the NCP has decided not to progress the complaint on the basis that to do so might prejudice parallel proceedings. This relates to a criminal complaint, filed by GLAN and the Ireland Palestine Alliance, Sadaka, against Airbnb. The Ireland NCP understands that An Garda Síochána is currently reconsidering investigation of that criminal complaint following the conclusion of a judicial review.

On 10 June 2025, Al-Haq, the Global Legal Action Network (GLAN), and Sadaka (Ireland Palestine Alliance) announced the launch of unprecedented trans-Atlantic legal actions targeting Airbnb’s listing in Israel’s illegal settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, and Palestinian refugee properties appropriated during the Nakba. The legal actions target Airbnb’s Irish and UK subsidiaries, as well as its US parent company, and highlight the major legal risks taken by companies and their senior executives which persevere in doing business in illegal Israeli settlements.

An initial criminal complaint was filed by GLAN and Sadaka against Airbnb’s Irish subsidiary, and its senior executives, with the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau (GNECB) in August 2023. The complaint alleged complicity in the war crimes underpinning Israeli settlements and related money laundering offences in connection with ‘Airbnb Ireland’s’ role in listing accommodation in the settlements. In November 2024, the GNECB declined to open an investigation, stating that the complaint disclosed no offence within the jurisdiction of Ireland.

A second Complaint was submitted by Al-Haq and GLAN against Airbnb Ireland Unlimited Company, to the Irish NCP under the OECD Guidelines on Responsible Business Conduct (Guidelines) on 10 June 2025. The Complaint highlighted that crimes against Palestinian property are broader than the illegal settlements in occupied territory and traverse both sides of the Green Line. All activities, including the provision of services which maintain the apartheid regime and illegal occupation, in addition to the settlement enterprise, must be brought to an end. The Complaint requested the NCP to find that Airbnb Ireland has not complied with its human rights obligations in respect of Chapter II (General Policies) and Chapter IV (Human Rights) of the Guidelines.

Al-Haq and GLAN specifically requested from the NCP the following:

• Airbnb Ireland Unlimited Company to delist from its platform all of the problematic listings and in particular, the listings located in the settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory, and the occupied Syrian Golan;

• Airbnb Ireland Unlimited Company must implement adequate due diligence mechanisms to prevent the re-listing of problematic listings;

• Airbnb Ireland Unlimited Company must issue a public statement announcing these measures and its intention to comply with its duties under the Guidelines;

• Airbnb Ireland Unlimited Company must, in addition to delisting, compensate Palestinian and Syrian individuals and communities whose land has been confiscated and subsequently listed on Airbnb’s platform.

In response, Airbnb Ireland Unlimited Company stated its operations are conducted responsibly, complying with all applicable laws, and in line with the recommendations in the Guidelines. Airbnb also requested the NCP to carefully consider the parallel proceedings and ensure there is no risk of prejudice or contempt of court created.

On 6 July 2026, the NCP issued the following decision: “The NCP has decided not to accept this Specific Instance based on the submissions from the parties at this time. The Ireland NCP is cognisant of ongoing parallel proceedings and does not wish to inadvertently impinge upon them.” These ‘ongoing proceedings’ concern the complaint first submitted by GLAN and Sadaka with the GNECB in August 2023, described above, which is currently undergoing judicial review before the High Court. While the NCP found that Al-Haq and partners have legitimate interests in the issues raised in the Complaint, that Airbnb Ireland is covered by the Guidelines, and that there is a sufficient link between Airbnb’s activities and the human rights issues raised in the joint complaint, the NCP did not determine whether these issues were material and substantiated.

The decision not to make such a determination was the concern that to do so would prejudice ongoing parallel proceedings. The NCP considered there to be a sufficient link between Airbnb Ireland Unlimited Company’s activities and the issues raised in this Complaint, but again noted the issues are being addressed through parallel proceedings. The Guidelines state that in the case of parallel proceedings, an NCP can proceed to evaluate whether the offer of good offices could make a positive contribution to the resolution of the issues raised and/or the implementation of the Guidelines and would not create serious prejudice for the parties involved in other proceedings.

In this case, noting the significant overlap, the NCP considered that progressing this Complaint could create serious prejudice, and therefore, could not accept the Complaint at this time while the parallel criminal complaint is active. The NCP therefore closed the Complaint, while noting that in the event that the criminal complaint is no longer active, the Ireland NCP may reflect on reopening this Complaint for consideration.

Al-Haq wishes to emphasise this final element, by which the Guidelines allow for the resumption of the Complaint should the parallel proceedings no longer be active. Al-Haq strongly encourages the NCP, as stated in their decision, to “reflect on reopening this Complaint for consideration” in the event that the parallel criminal complaint is no longer active.