The United Nations General Assembly calls for a ceasefire in Gaza

The call, announced over the weekend, will attempt to reverse the Security Council’s failure amid the increasingly aggravating context in the enclave, after the United States vetoed a draft ceasefire resolution.

The text failed despite a call by Secretary-General António Guterres, who invoked Article 99 of the UN Charter to demand an end to hostilities.

For the first time since assuming office, the President of the United Nations has used this resource that allows him to draw the attention of the Council to any matter that, in his opinion, could threaten the maintenance of international peace and security.

The project prepared by the Arab group received the approval of 13 out of 15 members of the body and the sponsorship of no less than 97 countries represented at the United Nations, including Cuba, but the opposite vote of the North American representative led to its failure.

Once again, the General Assembly meets in the face of the Council’s inability to fulfill its primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security.

In this case, the Forum may immediately consider the matter in a special emergency session and recommend collective action to its members, as stipulated in the Union for Peace Resolution of November 1950.

On Sunday, the Secretary-General of the United Nations himself expressed his regret at the lack of consensus in the security body to adopt the decision on the ceasefire.

Guterres warned during the opening of the Doha Forum in Qatar that “the main forum for the peaceful resolution of international disputes is paralyzed by geostrategic divisions.”

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The contradictions among the permanent members – China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States – have barely managed to achieve a solution closely focused on aid delivery since the beginning of the crisis.

The High Representative warned that even this rule is not being implemented due to the difficult conditions for the arrival and distribution of supplies.

He added that this delay comes at a cost and the Council’s authority and credibility have been severely undermined.

lam/ebr

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