Dries van Agt Lecture 2026: Naledi Pandor & Noura Erakat

The annual lecture honours the legacy of Dries van Agt (1931–2024), former Prime Minister of the Netherlands and founder of The Rights Forum. After leaving office, Van Agt became a principled and unwavering advocate for Palestinian rights, insisting that Dutch and European policy be grounded in international law, human dignity, and equality. The lecture continues this commitment by inviting leaders and thinkers who exemplify the courage to uphold principles in the face of political pressure. 

Naledi Pandor

This year’s keynote will be delivered by Dr. Naledi Pandor, whose moral clarity and principled leadership have placed South Africa at the forefront of international efforts to address grave violations of international law in Palestine. Under her guidance, South Africa brought the landmark genocide case against Israel before the International Court of Justice, reaffirming the enduring relevance of the Genocide Convention and the responsibility of all states to prevent atrocity crimes. Dr. Pandor’s leadership has resonated far beyond the courtroom, offering a powerful example of how states can act on principle rather than political expediency. 

Noura Erakat

Following the keynote, Prof. Noura Erakat will offer a reflection informed by her acclaimed book, Justice for Some: Law and the Question of Palestine. Erakat argues that international law is not neutral terrain but a site of political struggle—one that can be used to either entrench injustice or advance liberation. Her analysis provides a vital framework for understanding both the promise and the limitations of legal strategies in the Palestinian context and offers an essential complement to South Africa’s state-led approach at the ICJ. 

Together, Dr. Pandor and Prof. Erakat will engage in a conversation moderated by Dutch historian Nadia Bouras (member of The Rights Forum’s Advisory Council), exploring the relationship between principled leadership, international law, and the ongoing pursuit of justice for Palestine. The discussion will examine how law can be mobilised in the service of accountability, what lessons can be drawn from the ICJ case, and how civil society, states, and international institutions might act collectively to uphold fundamental human rights principles. 

The event continues the legacy of Dries van Agt by creating a space for honest, rigorous, and hopeful dialogue on one of the most urgent questions of our time: How can international law serve justice rather than power in the case of Palestine? 

BASH event