NEW YORK: The State of Qatar has called on the United Nations General Assembly to take the necessary measures within its mandate to ensure an immediate halt to the ongoing Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, by implementing its relevant resolutions.
Qatar also urged the General Assembly to take responsibility in addressing the systematic campaign against the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), in line with the mandate granted to the agency by the General Assembly under Resolution 302 (IV) of 1949.
This came in a statement delivered by Permanent Representative of the State of Qatar to the United Nations HE Sheikha Alia Ahmed bin Saif Al Thani before the UN General Assembly under Agenda item 63, entitled "Use of the Veto," at the United Nations headquarters in New York.
She noted that the State of Qatar's keenness on the veto initiative reflects its deep awareness of its importance in embodying the vital role of the General Assembly under the UN Charter, which grants it the authority on matters related to the maintenance of international peace and security. She highlighted the "Uniting for Peace" resolution, adopted by General Assembly Resolution 377 (V), as a significant step in enhancing the Assembly's role in maintaining international peace and security.
She added that the State of Qatar emphasizes the need for the General Assembly to continue fulfilling this role and to keep discussing issues involving the use of the veto within the broader representative organ of the United Nations.
She also explained that the role of the General Assembly has grown significantly in maintaining international peace and security since the adoption of General Assembly Resolution 377, and that the initiative has helped foster a more effective and integrated relationship between the Assembly and the Security Council. This is particularly relevant given the Security Council's failure to respond to the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza, resulting from the use of the veto by permanent council members.
She added that the General Assembly's efforts to take responsibility in this context provided an important opportunity for serious discussions that reflected international consensus on the demand for an immediate, complete, and sustainable halt to the Israeli aggression on Gaza, to preserve the lives of innocent Palestinian civilians and protect them under international humanitarian law.
She underlined that it was emphasized upon the adoption of Resolution 76/262 that it does not seek to infringe upon the mandate or responsibilities of the Security Council, as the resolution's approach to the veto issue is confined to matters related to the role and duties of the General Assembly under its mandate as outlined in the Charter.It also does not impact the process of intergovernmental negotiations regarding Security Council reform concerning the veto issue, she added.
She stressed that the State of Qatar, based on its firm commitment to multilateralism, reaffirms the centrality of the General Assembly's role and underscores the importance of building on the veto initiative, by having the General Assembly make recommendations on issues where the Security Council has failed to fulfill its responsibilities, especially in cases of gross human rights violations and serious threats to international peace and security.