The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) is set to conduct a plenary meeting on January 9, 2024, to address the United States' veto of Russia's proposed amendment to the UN Security Council (UNSC) resolution focused on enhancing humanitarian access to the Gaza Strip.
In late December, the UN Security Council endorsed a resolution formulated by Arab nations to facilitate the smooth flow of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip. Before voting on the resolution, Russia put forward an amendment seeking to incorporate a plea for an immediate cessation of hostilities in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict zone. However, the amendment was blocked by the United States.
A statement from the spokesperson for the President of the 78th session of the GA, Monica Grealy, announced the plenary meeting following the US veto on December 22, 2023. The meeting aims to address the impasse caused by the rejection of Russia's proposed amendment.
Vasily Nebenzya, Russia's permanent representative to the UN, had earlier highlighted that the United States, alongside Israel, stands alone in opposing the widespread international consensus advocating for a cessation of hostilities in the Gaza Strip. Nebenzya attributed Washington's stance to a "unilateral and self-centered approach aimed at dominating the Middle East settlement process and shielding actions of its regional ally, Israel."
In May 2022, the UNGA passed a resolution outlining procedures for situations where a veto is employed by one or more permanent members of the Security Council. The resolution stipulates that the President of the General Assembly will convene a formal meeting within 10 working days to hold a debate on the situation, provided that an emergency special session is not already underway.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Patrick Gruban/Creative Commons 2.0
Based on materials from TASS