Colombia summit: What's next for The Hague Group?

 

State representatives tell MEE what to expect after the Bogota conference concluded with 12 nations committing to six measures against Israel

The two-day emergency summit of The Hague Group in Bogota concluded on Wednesday, culminating in a joint declaration by states demanding international sanctions against Israel and legal accountability for what participants described as "grave violations of international law" in Gaza. 

This gathering, bringing together representatives from more than 30 countries across Latin America, Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East, marks the most coordinated diplomatic effort yet by a coalition of states opposing Israel’s ongoing military onslaught in Gaza.

"We came to Bogota to make history - and we did," said Colombian President Gustavo Petro. "Together, we have begun the work of ending the era of impunity. These measures show that we will no longer allow international law to be treated as optional, or Palestinian life as disposable."

In their final declaration, 12 states specifically pledged to adopt a series of concrete measures aimed at increasing international pressure on Israel.

These actions include suspending military exports to Israel, refusing the transit of Israeli weapons through their ports and airspace, reviewing all public contracts to prevent state institutions and pension funds from supporting Israeli companies or the occupation of Palestinian territories, and actively supporting universal jurisdiction cases and International Criminal Court (ICC) warrants to pursue accountability for alleged war crimes.

"There were concrete commitments from the delegates of the states that are here, and the most important thing is that we were able to demonstrate that we can move from speeches, which are very important (...) to urgent actions, and I believe the success of the conference lies in that," Mauricio Jaramillo Jassir, Colombia's vice minister of multilateral affairs, told Middle East Eye.

Among the countries represented, approximately one-third of the attending nations formally endorsed the final declaration: Bolivia; Cuba; Colombia; Indonesia; Iraq; Libya; Malaysia; Namibia; Nicaragua; Oman; Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; and South Africa.

Proponents of this initiative indicated that the joint statement will remain open until 28 September, allowing more countries to endorse the declaration in the coming weeks.  (more...)

Colombia summit: What's next for The Hague Group?