UN chief criticizes “Security Council paralyzed by geopolitical division”
As the war between Israel and the Palestinian armed faction Hamas enters its 66th day, the United Nations General Assembly is expected to vote on a resolution calling for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
Citing multiple diplomats, Arab News reported on the 10th (local time) that the United Nations General Assembly will vote on a draft resolution calling for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in the Gaza Strip on the 12th. This day’s report came after the Security Council failed to adopt a resolution to veto the U.S. on the 8th.
The Security Council has held several meetings regarding the war in the Gaza Strip since Hamas launched the so-called “Al-Aqsa Flood” surprise attack against Israel on October 7. However, the meeting ended empty-handed, mainly due to differences of opinion among the permanent members of the United States, China, and Russia.
On November 15, the Security Council adopted a related resolution for the first time with 12 votes in favor to 3 abstentions, but the United States, along with Russia and the United Kingdom, abstained. The resolution called for a ‘cease in fighting’ instead of a ‘ceasefire’ and also omitted the condemnation of Hamas’ terrorism.
On the 8th, the resolution submitted by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) was also voted on by the Security Council. 13 of the 15 members voted in favor, but the United States vetoed the resolution and the United Kingdom abstained. In the Security Council, a resolution cannot be adopted if any one of the five permanent members votes against it.
The United Nations General Assembly previously adopted a resolution on October 28 calling for a humanitarian ceasefire to stop the conflict between Israel and Hamas. At the time, a total of 120 countries voted in favor of the resolution, and 14 countries, including the United States and Israel, voted against it. 45 countries abstained.
Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres attended the Doha Forum after the failure of the Security Council resolution on the 8th and said, “The Security Council is paralyzed by geopolitical divisions,” and added, “The failure to pass a resolution calling for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip has weakened its credibility.” “I did it,” he criticized.
On the 6th, President Guterres invoked Article 99 of the UN Charter and requested the Security Council to intervene, including calling for a ceasefire to prevent a humanitarian disaster in the Gaza Strip. Article 99 of the United Nations Charter requires the Secretary-General to call the attention of the Security Council to issues that threaten international peace and security.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.