Following the US Veto of a Security Council ceasefire resolution, the UN General Assembly called for a special session on Gaza.
The United Nations General Assembly is gearing up for a pivotal meeting on the ongoing crisis in Gaza.
The 193-member body announced a special session on the escalating humanitarian crisis in Gaza, set for Tuesday, as confirmed by a press statement from the General Assembly’s President Dennis Francis.
The emergency session, convened by General Assembly President Dennis Francis, aims to address the critical issue that has seen a stalemate in the Security Council.
This special session follows a formal request by Egypt and Mauritania, invoking the significant Resolution 377, known as “Uniting for Peace”.
This notable resolution, adopted in 1950, empowers the General Assembly to act in cases where the Security Council fails to uphold its primary responsibility for maintaining international peace and security.
The urgency of this session is underscored by the recent veto by the United States, blocking a Security Council resolution that called for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza.
The veto has raised significant concerns about the effectiveness of the Security Council in handling critical international crises, leading to this meeting of the General Assembly.
In October, the General Assembly had shown a strong inclination towards addressing the crisis in Gaza by adopting a resolution with 121 votes in favour.
This resolution emphasised the need for “an immediate, durable and sustained humanitarian truce leading to a cessation of hostilities.”
However, the recent veto by the United States has necessitated further action.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, in a rare move, exercised Article 99 of the UN Charter earlier this week.
This provision, last used over half a century ago, allows the Secretary-General to alert the Security Council to issues that may threaten international peace and security.
Guterres’s invocation of this article signals the severity of the “humanitarian catastrophe” unfolding in Gaza, despite the real power lying with the veto nations.
