Bogotá summit

For the 1948 Pan-American conferences, see Pan-American Conference § International Conferences of American States, and 1948 Pan-American Students Conference.

President of Colombia Gustavo Petro (left) speaks at the end of the Bogotá summit, 16 July 2025; also pictured (left to right): Varsha Gandikota-Nellutla (Acting Chair of The Hague Group),[1] Zane Dangor (Director-General of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation of South Africa), Rosa Villavicencio (Minister of Foreign Affairs of Colombia), Riyad Mansour (Permanent Observer of Palestine to the UN) and Francesca Albanese (UN Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories)

The Emergency Conference on Palestine,[2] more commonly referred to as the Bogotá summit,[a] Bogotá meeting[b] or Bogotá conference,[c] was a meeting of 32 countries held by the Hague Group in Bogotá, Colombia, on 15–16 July 2025. At the meeting, 12 of the attendees agreed to several measures intended to stop the genocidal acts committed by Israel during the Gaza war. It was hosted by Colombian president Gustavo Petro.[20]

Background

Main articles: Hague Group and Gaza genocide

The Hague Group is a group of countries that was created in order to uphold and protect the rulings of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the International Criminal Court (ICC) relating to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. The group was formed on 31 January 2025 by nine states from the Global South amid the Israeli offensive in Gaza.[21]

Since the start of the war in October 2023, an increasing number of experts and human rights organisations (including a United Nations Special Committee, Amnesty International and Médecins Sans Frontières) have described Israel's warfare as consistent with genocide.[22][23][24][25] In July 2025, amid weak international response, the Hague Group thus decided to convene an emergency meeting in order to counter Israeli escalations and halt the genocide; the Hague Group founders include South Africa, which in late 2023 formally accused Israel of genocide at the ICJ.[20][21][26]

Attendees

Group photo with the attending delegates

Nations whose representatives attended the summit include:[14]

Officials who attended included UN Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories Francesca Albanese, UNRWA commissioner-general Philippe Lazzarini, UN Special Rapporteur on the right to health Tlaleng Mofokeng, chair of the UN Working Group on Discrimination against Women and Girls Laura Nyirinkindi, and member of the UN Working Group on Mercenaries Andres Macias.[4]

Palestinian-American trauma surgeon Thaer Ahmad spoke about his experiences treating patients in Gaza during the summit.[3] Representatives from organizations such as the Hind Rajab Foundation also attended.[27]

Measures

Six measures against Israel were agreed to by 12 states at the summit. The measures are: stopping munitions, arms, fuel, military equipment, and dual-use technology from being sent or given to Israel; stopping ships that are at a high risk of being used to bring munitions, arms, fuel, military equipment, and dual-use technology to Israel from transiting, docking, or being maintained at ports; stopping munitions, arms, fuel, military equipment, and dual-use technology from being sent to Israel on ships bearing the flags of the states that agree to the measure, and guaranteeing liability for a lack of obedience with the measure; keep public money and institutions from supporting Israel's occupation of Palestine by examining public contracts; investigate and prosecute crimes under international law; and support mandates of universal jurisdiction in order to ensure justice for Palestinian victims of international crimes.[2][5][15][19]

Results

The summit resulted in Bolivia, Colombia, Cuba, Indonesia, Iraq, Libya, Malaysia, Namibia, Nicaragua, Oman, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and South Africa signing the statement promising to implement the six proposed measures.[6][16][19] Representatives of other countries at the summit stated that they were still considering their stance, and would provide commitments by 20 September 2025, shortly after the start of the 80th UN General Assembly.[3][6][16][19]

Reactions

Ahead of the conference, a US State Department spokesperson accused the Hague Group of attempting to "weaponise international law to push radical anti-Western agendas" and "delegitimize Israel", warning that they would "aggressively defend" their interests; this was dismissed by participants. Former State Department official Annelle Sheline, who had resigned earlier in 2025 over the US administration's involvement in Gaza, said that the attending states were upholding "their obligations under the UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide". The US had recently sanctioned UN Rapporteur and Bogotá meeting attendee Francesca Albanese for her reports on the Gaza genocide.[3][12]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Attributed to multiple sources:[3][4][5][6][7][8][9]
  2. ^ Attributed to multiple sources:[3][8][10][11][12][13]
  3. ^ Attributed to multiple sources:[5][6][9][14][15][16][17][18][19]

References

  1. ^ Varsha Gandikota-Nellutla, Foreign Policy, 2025, Wikidata Q135440641, archived from the original on 22 July 2025
  2. ^ a b "Joint Statement by the Hague Group on the Conclusion of the Emergency Conference on Palestine" (PDF). The Hague Group; Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Colombia; Department of International Relations and Cooperation. 16 July 2025. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
  3. ^ a b c d e Hall, Mick (17 July 2025). "12 countries agree to confront Israel collectively over Gaza after Bogotá summit". Asia Pacific Report. Archived from the original on 17 July 2025. Retrieved 19 July 2025.
  4. ^ a b Eichner, Itamar (15 July 2025). "Over 20 countries join emergency summit in Colombia over Israel's alleged international law violations". Ynet. Archived from the original on 15 July 2025. Retrieved 19 July 2025.
  5. ^ a b c Gamba, Laura (16 July 2025). "Members of The Hague Group declare six 'concrete' steps against Israel at Bogota summit". Middle East Eye. Archived from the original on 17 July 2025. Retrieved 19 July 2025.
  6. ^ a b c d "Hague Group announces steps to hold Israel accountable in Bogota summit". Al Jazeera English. 16 July 2025. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
  7. ^ Rakhmat, Muhammad Zulfikar (17 July 2025). "Indonesia stood with the Hague Group in Bogotá. It must go further for Palestine". Middle East Monitor. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
  8. ^ a b "Group of The Hague moves to halt arms supplies to Israel". EFE. 16 July 2025. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
  9. ^ a b "Hague Group Announces Steps to Hold Israel Accountable in Bogota Summit". ICTJ. 16 July 2025. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
  10. ^ Rueda, Manuel (16 July 2025). "UN rapporteur calls for global action to stop 'genocide' in Gaza". Associated Press. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
  11. ^ "UN rapporteur demands global action to stop Israel's 'genocide' in Gaza". Al Jazeera English. 15 July 2025. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
  12. ^ a b "Hague Group meets in Colombia to step up pressure on Israel over Gaza genocide". The New Arab. 17 July 2025. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
  13. ^ Esteban, Jimena (18 July 2025). "Nations urge arms embargo on Israel at Bogota meeting". China Daily. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
  14. ^ a b Gamba, Laura; Asem, Sondos (16 July 2025). "UN's Albanese calls out 'appalling' EU failure to sanction Israel as 32-nation summit in Bogota kicks off". Middle East Eye. Archived from the original on 16 July 2025. Retrieved 19 July 2025.
  15. ^ a b "Bogotá conference calls for action against Israeli violations of international law". Irish Legal News. 17 July 2025. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
  16. ^ a b c "States announce several measures to halt the Gaza genocide at Bogotá conference". SAnews.gov.za. Government of South Africa. 17 July 2025. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
  17. ^ Albanese, Francesca (17 July 2025). "Francesca Albanese: Cut All Ties With Israel". Jacobin. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
  18. ^ "PI Briefing | No. 25 | To Bogotá". Progressive International. 12 July 2025. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
  19. ^ a b c d States announce unprecedented measures to halt the Gaza genocide at Bogotá conference, Hague Group, 16 July 2025, Wikidata Q135439417, archived from the original on 22 July 2025
  20. ^ a b Wintour, Patrick (15 July 2025). "UN's Albanese hails 30-nation meeting aimed at ending Israeli occupation of Palestine". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 15 July 2025. Retrieved 19 July 2025.
  21. ^ a b Wintour, Patrick (31 January 2025). "South Africa and Malaysia to launch campaign to protect international justice". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 31 January 2025. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
  22. ^ "Rights expert finds 'reasonable grounds' genocide is being committed in Gaza". UN News. United Nations. 26 March 2024. Archived from the original on 28 March 2025. Retrieved 2 April 2025.
  23. ^ 'You Feel Like You Are Subhuman': Israel's Genocide Against Palestinians In Gaza (PDF) (Report). Amnesty International. 4 December 2024. Archived (PDF) from the original on 5 December 2024.
  24. ^ "UN experts accuse Israel of genocidal acts and sexual violence in Gaza". BBC News. 14 March 2025. Archived from the original on 15 March 2025.
  25. ^ "Gaza genocide". Médecins Sans Frontières. 10 July 2025. Archived from the original on 10 July 2025.
  26. ^ Stacey, Diego (15 July 2025). "Colombia hosts first Hague Group summit to finalize action against Israel's Gaza offensive". El País. Archived from the original on 15 July 2025. Retrieved 19 July 2025.
  27. ^ Olivares, Jose. "In Colombia, The Hague Group Charges Israel With Genocide". Drop Site News. Retrieved 20 July 2025.
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