At a landmark summit in Bogotá this week, a coalition of countries led by Colombia and South Africa announced six coordinated measures to hold Israel accountable for its war on Gaza and violations of international law.
The gathering, hosted under the aegis of the Hague Group, saw twelve countries - Bolivia, Colombia, Cuba, Indonesia, Iraq, Libya, Malaysia, Namibia, Nicaragua, Oman, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and South Africa - pledge to implement the measures immediately, including the denial of arms transfers to Israel, bans on ships suspected of carrying weapons, and steps to pursue international criminal accountability.
The summit drew participation from over 30 countries, including Algeria, Brazil, Chile, China, Mexico, Portugal, Qatar, and Turkey. Two European nations – Ireland and Spain – also sent representatives to the conference.
“We came to Bogotá to make history — and we did,” declared Colombian President Gustavo Petro. “Together, we have begun the work of ending the era of impunity.”
The conference concluded with a commitment to implement the following six measures:
1. Prevent the provision or transfer of arms, munitions, military fuel, related military equipment, and dual-use items to Israel.
2. Prevent the transit, docking, and servicing of vessels in cases where there is a clear risk they are transporting military goods to Israel.
3. Deny carriage of such items by ships under national flags, and impose penalties including de-flagging for non-compliance.
4. Review all public contracts to ensure that state funds and institutions are not supporting Israel’s illegal occupation.
5. Pursue national or international investigations and prosecutions for serious international crimes.
6. Support the use of universal jurisdiction in domestic legal systems to enable prosecutions for crimes committed in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
These measures are intended to “break the ties of complicity with Israel’s campaign of devastation in Palestine,” according to the summit organisers. The participating states have pledged to begin implementing them through domestic legislation and regulatory reforms.
The Hague Group, which convened the summit, was formed in January 2024 and currently includes eight founding member states. It aims to coordinate state-level legal and diplomatic efforts from the Global South to challenge Israeli impunity and uphold international law.
A final deadline for additional states to sign on to the measures has been set for 20 September 2025, to coincide with the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly. The timeline aligns with UN General Assembly Resolution A/RES/ES-10/24, which calls for concrete state action, including sanctions and accountability, within one year of its adoption in September 2024.
“What we have achieved here is a collective affirmation that no state is above the law,” said South Africa’s Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Ronald Lamola. “The Hague Group was born to advance international law in an era of impunity.”
Varsha Gandikota-Nellutla, executive secretary of the Hague Group, described the event as “a turning point, not just for Palestine, but for the future of the international system.”
“For decades, states, particularly in the Global South, have borne the cost of a broken international system. In Bogotá, they came together to reclaim it, not with words, but with actions.”