The International Office for Human Rights Action on Colombia

Day: 1 March 2026

Parliamentary question on the Commission participation in the First International Conference for the Just Transition Away from Fossil Fuels

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We would like to thank the Members of the European Parliament who highlighted the need to move toward a just transition in the European Parliament.


Here is the full text of the question submitted by the MEPs on 10 February, which can be found on the European Parliament’s website at this link. Social organisations will be following up on the European Commission’s response.

Commission participation in the First International Conference for the Just Transition Away from Fossil Fuels

The First International Conference for the Just Transition Away from Fossil Fuels will be co-hosted by Colombia and the Netherlands in Santa Marta, Colombia, on 28 -29 April 2026. The conference was announced by the Colombian Minister of Environment, Irene Vélez Torres, and the Dutch Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Climate Policy, Sophie Hermans, at COP30. It represents a critical opportunity to advance international cooperation on accelerating the phasing out of fossil fuels in line with climate science and justice imperatives and in particular the Bélem Action Mechanism for a Just Transition, approved by Parties at COP30 as part of the Bélem Package.

Given the EU’s stated commitment to global climate leadership and the objectives of the European Green Deal:

  1. How does the Commission view the Santa Marta conference’s role as an international forum for advancing a global, equitable and time-bound phase-out of fossil fuels, in line with the Paris Agreement and the EU’s climate objectives?
  2. Will the Commission be officially represented at the conference and if so at what political level?
  3. Has the Commission adopted a position in relation to the conference, does it intend to present concrete proposals, including timelines and commitments related to the phase-out of fossil fuels, both within the EU and at the international level, and will it publish these proposals?

Our solidarity is universal.

We are deeply concerned about all victims of armed conflict, repression and violence around the world — from Sudan to Syria, including the persecution of the Rohingya and so many other crises that often receive less international attention than they deserve. Each of these situations calls for solidarity, remembrance, justice and action.

However, we have decided to specifically highlight the message ‘Stop Genocide in Palestine’ because what is happening in Palestine represents not only a human tragedy of enormous magnitude, but also a direct challenge to the fundamental principles of international humanitarian law and to the rules-based international system itself. The indifference and complicity of much of the international community in the face of the apartheid regime imposed by the Israeli government on the Palestinian people represent one of the greatest moral and political contradictions of our time.

The persistent violation of essential norms — such as the protection of the civilian population, the prohibition of collective punishment and respect for proportionality in the use of force — not only has devastating consequences for the Palestinian population, but also erodes the global mechanisms designed to limit the power of states and prevent abuses.

When these rules are repeatedly breached without any effective consequences, the framework that protects all populations in conflict situations, anywhere in the world, is weakened. Therefore, speaking out in this case does not mean ignoring other forms of suffering, but rather emphasising the urgency of defending an international order which, if it collapses, leaves everyone in a more vulnerable position.

Drawing attention to this situation is, therefore, an act consistent with the universal values we uphold: the protection of life, human dignity and respect for international law, without exception.

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