IRIA News

An emergency meeting of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) was called this week to address the Israel-Palestine conflict after the October 7 attacks followed by Israeli bombings on Gaza. After two days of discussion, the UNGA approved a nonbinding resolution calling for a “humanitarian truce” in Gaza.

The 193-member world body adopted the resolution, drafted by Jordan, with a vast majority calling for an “immediate, durable and sustained humanitarian truce leading to a cessation of hostilities.” The resolution was passed with 120-14 votes, while 45 member states, including Australia, the UK, Germany, India, and Canada, abstained on their right to vote.

Israel, the United States, Austria, Croatia, Czechia, Hungary, and five Pacific Island nations were among the 14 countries that voted against the resolution. Eight EU member states, including France, voted in favor of the resolution.

France’s UN Ambassador Nicolas De Riviere said that his country supported the resolution “because nothing could justify the suffering of civilians.” He urged collective efforts to establish a humanitarian truce.

The resolution marks the first formal response of the United Nations to the hostilities and violent events since October 7. The United Nations Security Council failed on four occasions to reach a consensus on any action.

120 in favor

14 against

45 abstentions

Countries adopt resolution calling for immediate & sustained humanitarian truce in the Middle East during an Emergency Special Session of #UNGA. https://t.co/XjKyOXQqu8 pic.twitter.com/nDh3Qj3MtV

— United Nations (@UN) October 27, 2023

UNGA resolution to achieve peace

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Jordan Ayman Safadi tabled a motion at the 10th Emergency Special Session of the UNGA in New York urging the UNGA to pass the resolution regarding the war on Gaza.

Jordan, on behalf of 40 different countries including the Arab states, Russia, South Africa, Pakistan, Maldives, and Bangladesh, put forward a resolution to achieve peace and compliance with international law.

While Addressing the UNGA, Safadi said “Let the passing of the draft resolution be a message to Palestinians suffering the inferno of this Israeli war on them, let it be a message that the international community sees them, feels their pain and believes that Palestinian lives matter too.” 

The resolution, which was passed with a required two-thirds majority, calls for the “protection of civilians and upholding legal and humanitarian obligations.” It demands that all parties “immediately and fully comply” with obligations under international humanitarian and human rights laws, “particularly in regard to the protection of civilians and civilian objects.”

It also urged the protection of humanitarian personnel, humanitarian facilities, and assets, and to enable and facilitate humanitarian access for essential supplies and services to reach all civilians in need in the Gaza Strip.

Canada’s failed attempt at amendment

Prior to acting on the resolution, Canada’s UN Ambassador Robert Rae proposed an amendment backed by the United States. Canada proposed that the October 7 events should be highlighted in the resolution, which led to the current crisis. Rae proposed that a paragraph should be added to the resolution that condemns Hamas “which is responsible for one of the worst terrorist attacks in history.”

Pakistan’s Ambassador to the UN, Munir Akram, countered the attempted amendment by saying that if Canada wants to add Hamas’s name to the resolution, it should also add Israel’s name as the State of Israel is the second party in the conflict. “If Canada was really equitable,” Akram said, “it would agree either to name everybody, both sides who are guilty of having committed crimes, or it would not name either as we chose.”

Canada’s proposed amendment failed to attain the required two-thirds majority as the voting remained 88-55 with 23 members abstaining from voting. After failing to amend the drafted resolution Canada abstained from voting on it.