Novalpina statement re: NSO Group

A Novalpina Capital spokesperson said: “Novalpina Capital is committed to operating under the highest standards of corporate governance, acting with integrity and a respect for human rights at all times. We are a signatory to the UN Principles on Responsible Investing, and we also believe that NSO Group should be - and can be - operated in accordance with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.

“NSO Group is a world-class business whose technology plays a vital role in helping intelligence agencies and law enforcement investigate and protect the public from terrorism and crime. The due diligence process that we undertook on this transaction was very thorough and conducted over several months. It included a comprehensive assessment of NSO’s approach to vetting potential customers and its process for addressing questions of misuse.

“At the same time, we understand the concerns expressed by a number of NGOs that this technology has the potential to undermine human rights.

“Over the coming months, we will build upon the existing ethical conduct and governance framework for NSO Group to ensure that this is grounded in the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and underpinned by a commitment to full transparency in line with those Principles.

“We intend to work closely with human rights activists and other civil society groups in designing that framework to ensure that the critical life-saving technology supplied by NSO Group to intelligence agencies and law enforcement is used responsibly and ethically.”