TheCable

The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has asked Israel and Hamas, a Palestinian militant group, to implement the recently adopted ceasefire resolutions.

Cheikh Niang, UNGA vice-president, spoke on Tuesday during a debate at the UNGA hall in New York, US, about the veto power held by the permanent member states on the UN security council — China, France, Russia, the UK and the US.

The veto is a special voting power held by the permanent member, whereby if any one of the five casts a negative vote, the resolution adopted automatically fails.

Amid the intense bombardment of Gaza by Israel, as retaliation for Hamas’ October 7 invasion, the UN security council has passed resolutions aimed at implementing a full ceasefire.

However, these resolutions have been annulled owing to previous vetoes by the US.  

Last month, the US also opposed the UN’s call for a ceasefire, saying it would empower Hamas to continue its acts of terrorism.

However, Niang, who was deputising for Dennis Francis, president of the UNGA, called on all parties involved in the Gaza conflict to fully implement the recently adopted ceasefire resolutions from the security council and UNGA.

The UNGA president’s call for compliance also comes amid controversy over the use of the veto power in the security council.

Earlier this month, the US used its veto to block a Russian amendment to the Gaza resolution, highlighting the potential for a single country to stall international action.

In response to this growing concern, the assembly adopted a separate resolution mandating a formal debate within 10 working days whenever a veto is used, allowing all 193 member states to voice their opinions and potentially make recommendations.

The intent is to strengthen accountability and pressure on the five permanent members who hold veto power.