Several states vow to take six ‘concrete’ steps against Israel at Bogota summit
State representatives attending The Hague Group summit gather at the Colombian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bogota, Colombia, on 16 July 2025
Laura Gamba in Bogota reports in Middle East Eye on 16 July 2025:
A coalition of states from around the world gathering in Bogota on Wednesday agreed to implement six measures to stop Israel’s onslaught on Gaza and prevent violations of international law.
The announcement came as part of an “emergency summit” in the Colombian capital, co-hosted by the governments of Colombia and South Africa as co-chairs of The Hague Group, to coordinate diplomatic and legal action to counter what they describe as “a climate of impunity” enabled by Israel and its powerful allies.
The Hague Group is currently a bloc of eight states, launched on 31 January in the eponymous Dutch city, with the stated goal of holding Israel accountable under international law.
The conference brought together more than 30 states, including Algeria; Bolivia; Botswana; Brazil; Chile; China; Cuba; Djibouti; Honduras; Indonesia; Iraq; Ireland; Lebanon; Libya; Malaysia; Mexico; Namibia; Nicaragua; Norway; Oman; Pakistan; Palestine; Portugal; Spain; Qatar; Turkey; Slovenia; Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; Uruguay; and Venezuela.
“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 the deliberations at the Bogota conference, all 30 participating states unanimously agreed that the era of impunity must end – and that international law must be enforced without fear or favour through immediate domestic policies and legislation – along with a unified call for an immediate ceasefire,” the Hague Group said in a statement.
To kickstart that process, the group said that 12 states from across the world – Bolivia; Colombia; Cuba; Indonesia; Iraq; Libya; Malaysia; Namibia; Nicaragua; Oman; Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; and South Africa – have committed to implementing the six measures immediately through their domestic legal and administrative systems.