The death toll in the Gaza Strip has reached 19,500 people. 2 million people are displaced, hungry and afraid. At the same time, Israel warns that the war against Hamas could continue for months.
The Arab countries Egypt and Mauritania have used an old UN resolution, Resolution 377, to put pressure on Israel. It reports Al Jazeera.
The UN General Assembly will therefore have to vote again on a ceasefire on Tuesday.
– One of the tense moments now will be whether more Western countries will vote for a ceasefire, says UN expert Tove Gravdal.
VOTE AGAIN: The UN General Assembly will vote again on Tuesday 12 December to support a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
Photo: KENA BETANCUR / AFP
Resolution 377 is a safety valve that exists to avoid paralysis of action by the Security Council.
On Friday, the Security Council voted to call for a ceasefire. The proposal did not go through, after a veto from the United States. This despite the fact that 13 out of 15 countries voted for the proposal.
– Tragic, was the conclusion from Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide (Ap).
DISAGREEMENT: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will meet Norway’s Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide at the end of November. The two strongly disagree about the extent to which a ceasefire is needed in the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
Photo: POOL / Reuters
Believe in greater support for a ceasefire
Last time the UN General Assembly voted on a ceasefire, 120 countries were in favor and only 14 countries were against. Norway voted in favor, while the other Nordic countries abstained from voting.
The second UN General Assembly vote on support for a ceasefire will take place during a special session in New York on Tuesday.
– I have seen speculation that Iceland and Finland, among others, may vote for this time, says Tove Gravdal.
UN EXPERT: Tove Gravdal was previously press manager for the Norwegian UN delegation in New York, and has written a book about Norway’s role in the Security Council.
Photo: Spartacus publishing house
Resolution 377 may even ask member states to use military force to stop the war in the Middle East.
Gravdal believes it is unlikely in this case.
– The decisions from the general assembly may well ask for it, but the problem is that the decisions are not binding under international law, she says.
In other words, the vote will not force concrete actions, no matter what happens – even if all 193 member states voted in favor.
The “uniting for peace” resolution
The UN General Assembly’s Resolution 377 is nicknamed “To unite for peace”, and states that:
“If the Security Council, due to a lack of unanimity among the five permanent members, is unable to ensure world peace and security, the General Assembly may discuss the matter immediately, with the aim of making appropriate recommendations to the member states for collective measures, including the use of military force when necessary.”
25 YEARS OF SPECIAL SESSION: Regarding the Middle East conflict, Resolution 377 was first used in 1997 to open a so-called special session. This extraordinary session has now been open for over 25 years.
Foto: DESMOND BOYLAN / Reuters
The resolution was originally proposed by the United States in 1951 in connection with the Korean War, when Russia vetoed an international intervention in the conflict between North and South.
– The aim was for the General Assembly to take over responsibility in the event that the Security Council failed to fulfill its obligation to safeguard peace and security in the world, explains Gravdal.
As a result, China was singled out as an aggressor in the Korean War. It was the first time the UN had done something similar.
The resolution has also been used a handful of times in connection with the Ukraine war.
2023-12-11 20:37:43
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