Francesca Albanese, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories, has hailed an upcoming 30-nation conference in Bogotá, Colombia, as the most significant political development in nearly two years toward ending Israel’s occupation of Palestine. The conference, set to begin on Tuesday, comes amidst growing international momentum to implement the advisory opinion issued by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in July 2024, which declared Israel’s occupation unlawful.
Albanese, who was recently sanctioned by the United States, has vowed not to be silenced. She described the Bogotá meeting—attended by nations including China, Spain, Qatar, Algeria, Brazil, Indonesia, and host country Colombia—as taking place at “an existential hour” for both Israelis and Palestinians. The gathering aims to outline a concrete roadmap for participating countries to comply with a United Nations General Assembly resolution mandating member states to take action supporting an end to the Israeli occupation.
The resolution sets a deadline of September 2025 for action in accordance with the ICJ’s advisory opinion, which asserted that Israel’s security concerns do not override international legal principles prohibiting the acquisition of territory by force. The opinion further stated that Israel must end its occupation “as rapidly as possible” and called on UN member states to refrain from providing aid or assistance that sustains Israel’s presence in the occupied territories.
The United Kingdom has not yet indicated what steps, if any, it plans to take in response to the ICJ ruling.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro, who is hosting the conference, said the meeting signals a shift from verbal condemnation of Israel’s military actions to coordinated international action. The participating nations are expected to formulate a comprehensive set of political, economic, and legal measures. However, there are divergent views on the extent to which countries can or should isolate Israel—particularly given Israel’s ongoing support from the United States.
Originally launched by South Africa and Colombia, the Hague Group has now expanded significantly to include 30 nations. Albanese is expected to use the Bogotá platform to reaffirm her commitment to international law despite facing sanctions from the US State Department, which accused her of promoting action by the International Criminal Court against the US and Israel.
“These attacks shall not be seen as against me personally. They are a warning to everyone who dares defend international justice and freedom. But we cannot afford to be silenced – and I know I am not alone,” Albanese will say at the conference. “This is not about me or any other individual, but about justice for the Palestinian people at the most critical juncture in their history.”
In her remarks, Albanese will also condemn what she calls the double standards in applying international law. “For too long, international law has been treated as optional – applied selectively to those perceived as weak, ignored by those acting as the powerful. This double standard has eroded the very foundations of the legal order. That era must end,” she is expected to declare.
She will urge participating nations to return to a path grounded in legality, human rights, and justice. “The world will remember what we, states and individuals, did in this moment – whether we recoiled in fear or rose in defence of human dignity. Enough impunity. Enough empty rhetoric. Enough exceptionalism. Enough complicity,” Albanese will state, calling for immediate and principled action.
She will also stress the relevance of the UN Charter and universal human rights instruments, expressing hope that more countries will align their foreign policies with these foundational principles. “We move forward in this existential hour – for both the Palestinian and the Israeli people, and the integrity of the international legal order itself,” she will say.
The Hague Group conference follows an earlier meeting in January attended by only nine countries, which committed to implementing the ICJ’s provisional measures announced on 26 January, 28 March, and 24 May 2024. These measures included steps such as arms embargoes on Israel and prohibiting the docking of vessels suspected of carrying military equipment in national ports.
Varsha Gandikota-Nellutla, Executive Secretary of the Hague Group, emphasised that the Bogotá meeting carries a “twin imperative: to end Israel’s impunity and sever the cords of complicity.” She noted that the ICJ has already provided legal clarity, and the current focus is on enforcement.
“States will now deliberate how to enforce their obligations – from ceasing arms exports and preventing harbour for vessels carrying military equipment to ensuring justice for all victims,” she said.
In an article published last week in The Guardian, President Petro framed the stakes of the Bogotá conference, warning that the international system risks collapse if legal principles are not upheld. “We can either stand firm in defence of the legal principles that seek to prevent war and conflict, or watch helplessly as the international system collapses under the weight of unchecked power politics,” he wrote.
As the conference begins, it signals a potentially pivotal moment in international efforts to address the long-standing Israeli-Palestinian conflict through the framework of international law and multilateral action.