Tok Mat: International law cannot be an 'optional menu'

International law cannot be an “optional menu” where rules apply only when convenient. If the international system is to survive, impunity cannot be tolerated, and accountability must prevail.

Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan conveyed this strong message at his intervention at “The Hague Group Extraordinary Ministerial Meeting in Defence of International Law” at the United Nations (UN) headquarters on Friday.

Mohamad further stressed that “defending international law is not a matter of choosing sides”.

“It is about defending a rules-based order in which no state is above the law, and in which the rights of peoples are not subject to political convenience,” he said.

Mohamad is in New York from Sept 23 to 27 to lead Malaysia’s delegation to the 81st session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA).

“We meet as the international legal order faces one of its most severe tests.

“In Gaza and across the Occupied Palestinian Territory, we continue to witness blatant violations of international law, immense human suffering, and the systematic denial of fundamental human rights,” he said.

And despite binding court rulings, United Nations resolutions and clear legal obligations, Mohamad said the Zionist regime continues its atrocities with impunity.

“We cannot allow these violations and breakdown in international norms to be normalised.

“The credibility of international law depends not only on the existence of rules, but on our collective willingness to uphold and enforce them,” he said.

Litmus test

Mohamad said the question of Palestine remained a litmus test for the international community’s commitment to the rule of law.

“It tests a fundamental premise: whether international law applies universally to all nations, or whether it yields to the whims of those who believe that might makes right.”

The International Court of Justice’s Advisory Opinion of July 2024 left no doubt regarding states' obligations concerning Israel’s illegal presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, he said, highlighting that the UNGA had echoed the decision.

Mohamad further stressed that there was no need to invent new legal frameworks, but rather to enforce those already in place, adding that this was where The Hague Group had an important role to play.

“Our task is to strengthen collective action in defence of international law - by improving coordination, sharing tools, backing international enforcement bodies, and identifying steps governments can take within their own domestic legal systems,” he said.

Reinforce UN system

He stressed that the group’s work must reinforce the UN system and help states deliver on commitments they had already made.

For the Palestinian people, Mohamad said this meant upholding their inalienable rights, including their right to self-determination, and supporting the realisation of an independent and sovereign State of Palestine based on the pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

He said Malaysia joined The Hague Group out of a sense of responsibility that demanded collective and consistent action grounded in international law, adding that the group provided a framework to turn obligations into concrete measures and actions.

“Our work should reinforce, rather than undermine the multilateral system. The UN remains the pillar through which the international community operates,” he said.

Mohamad also said that where the system was weakened by inaction or political paralysis, countries must work to strengthen its foundation through principled and lawful action.

He called on members to use The Hague Group to move “from condemnation to execution, from fragmented statements to joint strategy, and from rhetoric to impactful actions”.

“Malaysia stands ready to work with all members of this group in defence of international law.

“Let us act together, solidly, urgently, and resolutely, to uphold justice and the rule of law,” he said.

The Hague Group, established in The Hague, Netherlands, on Jan 31, 2025, brings together Global South countries to coordinate diplomatic and legal efforts aimed at upholding international law and addressing accountability in relation to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

- Bernama

COMMENT | Israeli occupation remains top health issue in Palestine

Palestine slams Israeli law for death penalty on its prisoners as a 'war crime'

Palestine ministry: Israel's land registration plan invalid

Groups call pro-Palestine protester's assault charge 'unjust'