By Othukr Evroh
Last Friday, following a strong request from the United Arab Emirate Deputy Ambassador, Mohamed Abushaha to vote for a cease-fire in Gaza, the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for the first time in his tenure as the UN Secretary General, invoked Article 99, a seldomly used provision of the UN charter to draw the attention of the Security Council to the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza and entreated the council to demand a humanitarian cease-fire.
Article 99 is the last but also the most powerful tool of the Secretary-General of the UN to present before the Security Council any matter which in his opinion may threaten the maintenance of international peace and security.
The last time article 99 was invoked was during the conflict and fighting in 1971 that resulted in the creation of Bangladesh and its separation from Pakistan. Antonio Guterres, the UN Secretary-General, while invoking this powerful article stated that he believes the continuous and unending military attack on Palestines in Gaza by the Israeli government may aggravate existing peace and security. The situation in Gaza is at risk of a ”complete collapse” of the territory’s humanitarian system and civil order.
The Security Council of the United Nations is composed of 15 members; five permanent members and ten non-permanent members elected for a two year term by the UN General Assembly. The five permanent members are France, China, the United States, Russia and the United Kingdom. The Security Council has the primary responsibility of determining the existence of a threat to the peace and in addition, ensures the maintenance of global peace and security. Under the charter of the United Nations, all Member States are obliged to comply or accept the council’s decisions.
So, when the votes returned for the UN resolution for a pause in hostilities in Gaza last Friday, the vote in the 15 member council was 13-1, with the United Kingdom abstaining while the United States vetoed the resolution, thereby killing it.
Despite that the October 7 war which commenced after Hamas attacked Israel has killed about 1,100 israelis and more than 17,400 palestines, 70% of whom are women and children, the Israeli government primely aided by the United States has embarked on an unending bombardment of Palestines in Gaza thereby drawing serious criticisms from world leaders, international rights groups and the United Nations officials. Though the Israeli president has unconvincingly stated that his government is engaging Hamas strategically through what is termed ”the scorched-earth policy” in geopolitics, the United States recently vetoing a UN resolution calling for an Immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza against the other 13 members of the Security Council who voted in favour of an immediate ceasefire has convinced many other nations alike to believe that Israel aided by the United States is perpetrating ethnic cleansing of the Gaza Strip.
As the war rages on into the third month in Gaza, more civilian casualties are being recorded, over 60% of Gaza’s housing has been destroyed, about 80% of the population have become homeless, social and health facilities are being destroyed, educational facilities, critical infrastructures are also being destroyed and as Guterres, the United Nations Secretary-General puts it, ”nowhere in Gaza is safe”.
In concluding, I would like to state that at independence, the preamble to the American independence reads: ”We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness”.
So, does the war in Gaza today reflect the preamble of America’s independence? Does it settle the reason why the United Nations was created in October 1945 in San Francisco, after the collapse of the League of nations? Does it promotes the ideals of democracy? Is this what the Fundamental Human Rights as championed by the US is all about? Is it a replica of America, God’s own country? Only posterity will tell.
