Mohamad Hasan says international law cannot be an optional menu at UN

Malaysian Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan delivered a sharp rebuke to the international community at United Nations headquarters on Friday, declaring that international law cannot operate as an “optional menu” where rules apply only when convenient.

Speaking during his intervention at “The Hague Group Extraordinary Ministerial Meeting in Defence of International Law,” the minister warned that global impunity must end if the international system is to survive. His remarks came during his Sept. 23–27 visit to New York to lead Malaysia’s delegation to the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

Defending a Rules-Based Order Against Political Expediency

Mohamad stressed that defending international law requires treating global regulations as universal imperatives rather than selective tools. “Defending international law is not a matter of choosing sides,” he told delegates in New York. “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.”

The diplomatic gathering took place as the international legal order faces one of its most severe tests. Mohamad pointed directly to Gaza and the wider Occupied Palestinian Territory as arenas marked by persistent violations of international law, severe human suffering, and the systemic denial of basic human rights. Despite binding court rulings and clear UN resolutions, he stated that the Zionist regime continues its atrocities with impunity.

“We cannot allow these violations and breakdown in international norms to be normalised,” Mohamad said, adding that the credibility of global law depends not only on the existence of rules, but on the collective willingness of nations to enforce them.

Palestine as a Litmus Test for Universal Justice

Framing the question of Palestine as a litmus test for the global community’s commitment to the rule of law, Mohamad questioned whether international law truly applies to all nations equally or simply yields to the whims of those who believe that might makes right. He invoked the International Court of Justice’s Advisory Opinion of July 2024, which outlined clear state obligations concerning Israel’s illegal presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory—a stance subsequently echoed by the UN General Assembly.

Rather than inventing new legal frameworks, Mohamad argued that the international community must focus on enforcing existing instruments. He positioned The Hague Group as a vital mechanism for improving coordination, sharing legal tools, supporting enforcement bodies, and helping governments implement obligations within their own domestic legal systems.

Reinforcing the Multilateral System and Moving From Rhetoric to Action

Established in The Hague, Netherlands, on Jan. 31, 2025, The Hague Group brings together Global South countries to align diplomatic and legal strategies regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Mohamad emphasized that the group’s efforts must ultimately reinforce the broader United Nations system rather than create parallel structures.

For Palestinians, this enforcement translates into upholding inalienable rights, including self-determination and the realization of an independent, sovereign State of Palestine based on pre-1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital. Malaysia joined the coalition out of a sense of responsibility, seeking to transform shared legal obligations into concrete measures and actions.

Mohamad urged member states to use the platform to bridge the gap between policy statements and execution. “Our work should reinforce, rather than undermine the multilateral system,” he said, calling for a collective transition “from condemnation to execution, from fragmented statements to joint strategy, and from rhetoric to impactful actions.”