Ismail Abramjee

ALT Page 1 of the statement from the High-Level Meeting in Defence of International Law, New York, 25 September 2026. South Africa and Malaysia convened the meeting at UN Headquarters. It brought together 40 States, represented by foreign ministers, justice ministers and senior diplomats, alongside intergovernmental organisations and legal experts, to consider how States can act collectively to ensure international law is enforced and that the institutions upholding it are protected from efforts to undermine their independence.

ALT Page 2 of the statement. Participants noted that international judicial bodies, including the International Court of Justice in its Advisory Opinion of 19 July 2024, have made their determinations on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, and the General Assembly acted on them in resolution ES-10/24. Yet grave violations continue and accountability remains elusive. Discussions focused on three priorities, beginning with a new multilateralism grounded in the sovereign equality of States, large and small.

ALT Page 3 of the statement. Participants expressed concern over efforts to intimidate, sanction or undermine international courts, judges, UN mandate holders and human rights organisations, particularly threats and sanctions against the International Criminal Court and its officials. They considered collective measures to protect the Court's independence, oppose retaliation, and support enforcement of its decisions, noting that international institutions depend on States to implement their rulings.

ALT Final page of the statement, signed by H.E. Ronald Lamola of South Africa and H.E. Mohamed Hasan of Malaysia. International law must apply equally, institutions must work without intimidation, and violations must carry consequences. The alternative is an order where power decides which laws are respected and whose rights are protected. That is not the order promised by the UN Charter. Defending international law is a common responsibility.