The Hague Group is a group of nations from the global south formed on 31 January 2025 to protect and uphold the rulings of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the International Criminal Court (ICC).[1]
The group, convened by Progressive International[2], included nine founding member states: Belize, Bolivia, Colombia, Cuba, Honduras, Malaysia, Namibia, Senegal and South Africa.[3][4] The founding members have invited several other countries to join, including Spain.[5] The Hague Group is chaired by Varsha Gandikota-Nellutla, Co-General Coordinator of the Progressive International, who said: "The Hague Group is born of necessity. In a world where powerful nations act with impunity, we must stand together to defend the principles of justice, equality and human rights."[6][7][5]
South Africa's international relations minister, Ronald Lamola, said: "The Hague Group's formation sends a clear message: no nation is above the law, and no crime will go unanswered".[1] According to its inaugural statement, the group upholds national obligations to "end the Israeli occupation of the State of Palestine and support the realisation of the inalienable right of the Palestinian People to self-determination, including the right to their independent State of Palestine".[3][8] The legal rulings supported by the group include all United Nations resolutions and International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrants against Israeli leaders, arguing that Israel's actions constitute genocide and violations of international law. They emphasize the legal duty of all states to prevent such crimes.[3][9]
According to their joint statement, these countries announced their intention to support the International Criminal Court regarding the arrest warrants it issued against Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister Yoav Gallant against the backdrop of the war of extermination in Gaza. They agreed to prevent the provision or transfer of weapons, ammunition and related equipment to Israel in all cases where there is a clear risk that these weapons will be used to commit or facilitate violations of International humanitarian law or Genocide. The nine countries announced that they would prevent ships used to transport weapons or military fuel to Israel from docking at any of their ports.[4][9] At the launch of The Hague Group, Chair Varsha Gandikota-Nellutla said, "By coordinating commitments across our ports, across our factories, across our courts, the Hague Group aims to build a bulwark to defend international law." [3][8] Supporters present at the launch event included members of independent UN commissions, human rights lawyers, and parliamentarians from several countries including Yanis Varoufakis and Jeremy Corbyn.[5]
| Name | Title | Member State |
|---|---|---|
| Ronald Lamola | Minister of International Relations and Cooperation | South Africa |
| Isaura Cabañas Vera | Counsellor, Cuban Embassy, Netherlands | Cuba |
| Roberto Calzadilla | Ambassador to the Netherlands | Bolivia |
| Roseli Bin Abdul | Ambassador to the Netherlands | Malaysia |
| Mariam Tavassoli Zea | Advisor to the Minister of Foreign Affairs | Honduras |
| Yvonne Dausab | Minister of Justice | Namibia |
| Assad Shoman | Special Envoy of the Prime Minister on Sovereignty Matters | Belize |
| Ramatoulaye Ba Epse Faye | Ambassador to the Netherlands | Senegal |
| Carolina Olarte-Bácares | Ambassador to the Netherlands | Colombia |
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