UN Security Council rejects Brazilian resolution on Hamas-Israel conflict
Brazil, current holder of the rotating presidency of the United Nations (UN) Security Council, presented its proposal for a resolution on the conflict between the Islamic group Hamas and Israel, which was rejected, but the text was overturned due to a United States veto.
The Brazilian proposal ends up rejected at the UN after a US veto - Photo Reproduction/Social Networks
Brazil presented a resolution to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on the morning of Wednesday, July 18, with the aim of addressing the critical issue of the conflict between Hamas and Israel. However, the United States rejected the proposal. As the current rotating president of the Security Council this month, Brazil had modified a resolution that would represent the first formal manifestation of the UN Body in relation to the new conflict in the Middle East.
However, the United States exercised their veto power and voted against the proposal. As a result, the text was completely rejected. A new version will be prepared, but Itamaraty did not specify a deadline for this.
Brazilian Resolution
The text of the Brazilian resolution condemned the terrorist attacks attributed to Hamas. It accused Israel of the need for “humanitarian pauses” to ensure unhindered access to humanitarian operations in the Gaza Strip. Furthermore, also called for the revocation of the Israeli order which restricted the movement of civilians and UN personnel from the north to the south of the Gaza Strip. For a resolution to be implemented, it must be approved by at least nine of the 15 members of the Security Council, without any veto by one of the five permanent members (United States, United Kingdom, France, Russia and China).
Brazil's proposal received 12 detailed votes, while Russia and the United Kingdom chose to abstain. Previously, Russia had presented its own resolution, which was also rejected on Monday. The country attempted to make amendments to the Brazilian text, whose analysis, originally scheduled for Monday, ended up being postponed to allow for more negotiations. During the vote, Russia sought to include in Brazil's proposal a mention of the explosion of a hospital in the Gaza Strip and the implementation of a humanitarian ceasefire.
See how the votes were distributed
Voted in favor
Brazil;
China;
France
Albania;
Ecuador;
Gabon;
Enough;
Japan;
Malta;
Mozambique;
Switzerland and
United Arab Emirates
Two countries, Russia and the United Kingdom, chose to abstain, while only the United States was against it.
Why does the US have veto power?
The power of veto in the UNSC refers to the authority exercised exclusively by the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, known as the "P5" (China, United States, France, Russia and the United Kingdom). This power allows them to prevent the approval of any proposal through a Council Resolution, regardless of the international support the project may receive.
It is important to highlight that the veto power does not apply to procedural votes, which is significant because the permanent members of the Security Council can vote against a proposed procedural resolution without necessarily blocking its adoption by the Council. Any permanent member of the “P5” has the right to exercise the veto. Furthermore, the abstention or absence of a vote by a permanent member does not prevent the approval of a proposed resolution.
These resolutions issued by the Security Council are mandatory, which means that countries must comply with them. If they fail to do so, they may be subject to sanctions before international courts.
The Way Forward
After rejecting the resolution, the United States, now they are forced to justify the use of this veto. This is the first time that the US has faced this requirement, a measure that was broken at the start of the War in Ukraine in February 2022. On that occasion, the General Assembly of the Council approved a resolution that imposes the obligation on permanent members to explain their votes contrary to a resolution.
During the justification session, which must take place within ten days, the United States will have to respond to inquiries from other countries, and representatives from the Middle East are expected to present challenging questions. Palestine, which has observer member status on the council, will also have the opportunity to question the United States. So far, only China and Russia have provided justifications for using the veto.
The most recent failure in the search for a solution to the conflict between Israel and Gaza has further intensified pressure on the Security Council, the UN body responsible for preserving global peace and security. Since 2016, the Security Council has not approved resolutions related to the Middle East. These resolutions issued by the Security Council are mandatory, which means that countries must comply with them. If they fail to do so, they may be subject to sanctions before international courts.
