40 States Convene at UN to Defend International Law as US Targets ICC

2 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Sep 25

Ministers and representatives from 40 states are due to meet Friday at UN headquarters for The Hague Group’s Extraordinary Meeting in Defence of International Law.
The gathering is framed as a collective response to US pressure on the International Criminal Court, including planned sanctions targeting the court’s bank accounts, software, insurers and staff.
The report argues that impunity has widened beyond Gaza, citing Israeli operations in the West Bank, Lebanon and southern Syria, while Palestinian officials were absent from the UN session after the US denied visas.
It says legal findings already exist — the ICJ has deemed Israel’s occupation unlawful and the ICC has issued warrants — but enforcement now depends on states taking steps such as halting arms transfers and protecting court officials.