Colombia hosted the first ever “Emergency Conference” on Gaza this week, bringing together more than 30 countries that pledged to move beyond condemnation toward coordinated legal action to stop Israel’s genocide in Gaza. Over the course of two days, diplomats, activists, Palestinian organizations, and human rights lawyers participated in rallies, public symposiums, and closed door meetings to debate next steps forward. While the agreements reached were limited in scope, they marked an unprecedented show of international resolve. The conference was convened by South Africa and Colombia, co-chairs of the Hague Group, a coalition of Global South countries formed in January to pressure Israel to end its war and uphold international law. Composed of eight nations—including Bolivia, Honduras, and Cuba—the bloc invited countries from around the world to participate. As Israel’s genocide continued unabated, the list of attendees grew to 32 countries, including Global North nations like Ireland, Spain, and Slovenia. A U.S. State Department official, meanwhile, told Drop Site News that it “strongly opposes efforts by so-called ‘multilateral blocs’ to weaponize international law as a tool to advance radical anti-Western agendas.” During opening remarks on Tuesday, Riyad Mansour, the Permanent Observer of Palestine to the United Nations, thanked delegates for their “political courage” in coming together to fight for “the Palestinian people and upholding international law.” For many in attendance, the two goals are inseparable. In her speech, Francesca Albanese, UN Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories, described Palestine as a “the testing ground for a system where freedom, rights, and justice are made real for all.” Varsha Gandikota-Nellutla, the Hague Group’s executive secretary, urged delegates to act with “courage” to enforce international law in Palestine—which she described as neither “optional, radical, nor new.” In a later speech, Colombian President Gustavo Petro went further, calling Gaza “an experiment by the ultra-rich to show the impoverished people of the world how they will respond to humanity’s rebellion.” Delegates widely agreed that the conference represented a radical step forward in multilateral efforts to uphold international law. Albanese—who was recently sanctioned by the Trump administration for her alleged “unabashed anti-semitism”— contrasted the resolve of the assembled states with what she called the European Union’s “appalling” failure to hold Israel accountable. She called the moment a “revolutionary shift” that could one day be “remembered as a moment when history changed course.” Gandikota-Nellutla echoed that sentiment, calling the events “a turning point—not just for Palestine, but for the future of the international system.” On Wednesday, following a day of closed door meetings, the Hague Group announced a joint action plan that sought to turn the previous day’s pledges into concrete steps. The six-point plan included diplomatic, legal, and economic measures aimed at stopping Israel’s assault and defending international law. Twelve summit participants from around the world—Bolivia, Colombia, Cuba, Indonesia, Iraq, Libya, Malaysia, Namibia, Nicaragua, Oman, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and South Africa—immediately signed on. The measures included commitments to block the transfer of weapons to Israel, deny ports access to ships suspected of carrying weapons, and prevent the use of vessels bearing their own flags to transfer weapons. They also pledged to review public contracts to ensure no public funds support Israel’s illegal occupation, to “ensure accountability” for the most serious crimes under international law, and to support “universal jurisdiction mandates” that would allow Israeli officials to be prosecuted for their crimes outside of Israel. While the level of coordination marked diplomatic progress, the signatories represented fewer than half of the 32 participating countries, as well as some of the summit’s less powerful economies. The Hague Group nonetheless expressed optimism that more countries would join, setting a deadline of September 20 for additional endorsements. Yet as activists at a parallel event titled “Towards a Real Boycott” emphasized, there remains a large gap between the states’ rhetoric on holding Israel accountable and the actions they put into practice. Even Petro—who declared that “history” had been made—has struggled to move from words to concrete action when it comes to confronting Israel over its genocide in Gaza. |
