News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Weds. Dec. 12, 2023: In a united front, 153 countries including most from the Caribbean, have thrown their support behind the UN General Assembly Resolution urging an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza. That’s more than three-fourths of the UN.
The resolution, titled “Protection of Civilians and Upholding Legal and Humanitarian Obligations,” received unanimous approval during the 10th Emergency Special Session (10th ESS) meeting of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in New York yesterday, December 12th.
They included Antigua & Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, St. Lucia, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago. Haiti did not vote.
Indonesia led the charge by garnering support from 11 nations across various regions, including South Africa, Bangladesh, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Namibia, Timor Leste, Turkiye, and Thailand. They submitted a Joint Letter to the UNGA President, endorsing the Arab Group’s request for an immediate Emergency Special Session, which was also backed by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
With only 10 countries voting against the resolution, the United States and Israel found themselves increasingly isolated, joined in the minority by Austria, Czechia, Guatemala, Liberia, Micronesia, Nauru, Papua New Guinea and Paraguay. Several steadfast U.S. allies, including Australia, Canada and Japan, which previously abstained in the Oct. 27 vote, shifted their stance to vote in favor of the latest U.N. resolution.
Since the cessation of the humanitarian pause in Gaza on December 1st, the humanitarian crisis has escalated significantly, with the death toll surpassing 18,000, with 70% of the casualties being children. Alarming statistics reveal that in Gaza, a child is killed every 10 minutes. The dire situation, coupled with mounting concerns over the crumbling healthcare and humanitarian infrastructure in Gaza, has prompted widespread expressions of distress, including from the UN Secretary-General and UNRWA Commissioner General.
At the commencement of the 10th Emergency Special Session, UNGA President Denis Francis underscored the primary objective, stating, “We have one goal here – only one: saving human lives.”
The resolution, “Protection of Civilians and Upholding Legal and Humanitarian Obligations,” submitted by Egypt on behalf of the Arab Group and the OIC, is concise in its demands, seeking an immediate ceasefire, the safeguarding of civilians, the release of all hostages, and the fulfillment of international humanitarian obligations. Indonesia, along with 104 other countries, serves as a co-sponsor of this resolution.
Earlier, on December 8, 2023, a similar resolution was presented to the UN Security Council. Despite receiving support from 13 out of the 15 member countries, the resolution was unable to pass due to a veto by the United States.
The successful adoption of this resolution by the UNGA, with overwhelming support, can be attributed to Indonesia’s unwavering efforts in mobilizing votes through various approaches, including member countries in Southeast Asia, the Caribbean, and Latin America. This time, a majority of European Union countries also lent their support to the resolution.
As previously reported, the Indonesian Foreign Minister, in collaboration with seven other OIC Foreign Ministers, engaged in shuttle diplomacy with permanent UN Security Council member countries such as China, Russia, the UK, and France to secure backing for an immediate Gaza ceasefire.
A UN General Assembly resolution carries significant political weight and serves as a collective expression by UN member states on matters of global concern. With the substantial number of co-sponsoring countries (104) and the backing of member states (153) for the ceasefire resolution, political pressure continues to mount on Israel to halt its attacks on Gaza, which have resulted in civilian casualties. This concerted international effort also aims to influence the United States to reconsider its support for Israel.
