UN approves proposal for arms embargo on Israel

UN approves proposal for arms embargo on Israel

    Wednesday, September 18, 2024   No comments

Ignoring the US plea for UN to reject the resolution, the UN overwhelmingly adopted resolution to impose sanctions, arms embargo on Israel. The US does not have the veto power it enjoys and always uses to shield Israel from UNSC resolutions.

The U.S. urged the General Assembly to reject the resolution demanding Israel end its 'unlawful presence' in the Occupied Palestinian Territory within 12 months, arguing it undermines the two-state solution, but lacked veto power. Only a handful of small nation-states joined the US to vote against it. Even other Western nations, including some European US allies voted for the resolution, or abstained. Although UNGA resolution are not binding, they represent a moral and ethical judgement by the world community, exposing US's double standard, and lack of principles in relations to human rights and respect to International Humanitarian Law, which has been violated by Israel many times.

Israeli media took notice of this development.

Saudi Arabia UAE--two allies no longer able to solve their problems on their own

Saudi Arabia UAE--two allies no longer able to solve their problems on their own

    Tuesday, April 16, 2024   No comments

Disagreements in secret come to light with the Saudi complaint to the United Nations due to a border dispute.. “Al Yasat” is showing that the two allies and regional economic powers no longer able to solve their problems on their own.

In a letter addressed to the United Nations, Saudi Arabia accused Abu Dhabi of encroaching on the Kingdom’s borders, through the UAE authorities issuing an Emiri decree in 2019, declaring Al Yasat a “marine protected area.”

The complaint indicated that Saudi Arabia does not recognize any measures or practices taken, or their consequences, by the UAE government in the area off the Saudi coast, the “Al Yasat area,” including the Kingdom’s territorial sea and the area of joint sovereignty on the two islands of Makasib.

The UAE demanded the completion of implementation of Article Five of the agreement demarcating the land and sea borders dated between the two countries in 1974.

Riyadh considered the memorandum official, and also called on the United Nations to circulate it to the members of the United Nations, according to established procedures.

This step, according to Gulf affairs experts, means that both Saudi Arabia and the Emirates are no longer able to solve their problems on their own, or within Gulf frameworks such as the Gulf Cooperation Council or Arab ones such as the Arab League, and that the dispute has reached the United Nations, the highest international body for conflict resolution. The issue of the “Al Yasat” region is not the only controversial issue between the two countries, as there is something bigger than it, according to what experts point out. The dispute over the “Shaybah” oil field is considered one of the most prominent headlines at the core of the border disputes, and the silent struggle between the two countries over influence in Yemen. Both Abu Dhabi and Riyadh were unable to hide it, or solve it through understandings, and it remained like fire under the ashes. The UAE’s support for the Transitional Council in Yemen, its efforts to divide it north and south, and its fight against the Islah Party, are all actions that worry Riyadh, and push it to thwart Emirati projects and stand up to them. Although the conflict has so far been in its silent and hidden context, most odds say that the clash is not coming. A dispute between groups affiliated with both parties in Yemen.

These are some of the forces that are reshaping a critical region in the world, Southwest Asia and North Africa, the center of gravity of human civilizations for thousands of years,

  

Guterres: Despite the start of Ramadan, killing, bombing and bloodshed continue in Gaza, and the attack on Rafah pushes the population to new depths in hell

Guterres: Despite the start of Ramadan, killing, bombing and bloodshed continue in Gaza, and the attack on Rafah pushes the population to new depths in hell

    Monday, March 11, 2024   No comments

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Monday he was "appalled" by conflict continuing in Gaza despite the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Speaking after the failure of attempts to negotiate a ceasefire, Guterres called for "silencing the guns" in Gaza and warned that "hunger and malnutrition" are taking hold.

"This is heartbreaking and utterly unacceptable," Guterres told reporters.

"I am appalled and outraged that conflict is continuing in Gaza during this holy month," he said, adding that "all obstacles" to aid delivery should be removed.

The United Nations says that lack of humanitarian aid means famine is a growing risk in Gaza, where 2.4 million people are under near-total siege by the Israeli military, as it battles Hamas militants.

"We cannot look away. We must act to avoid more preventable deaths," Guterres said.

"We have witnessed month after month of civilian killing and destruction at a level that is unprecedented in all my years as Secretary-General," he said.

But aid "is coming in trickles – if it comes at all. International humanitarian law lies in tatters."

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Monday that despite the start of the holy month of Ramadan, killing, bombing and bloodshed continue in the Gaza Strip.

Guterres warned, in a press conference, that “the threat of an attack on the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip may push the people of Gaza to new depths in hell.”

He urged action to avoid more “preventable” deaths in Gaza.

He stressed that “despite the month of Ramadan, killing, bombing and bloodshed continue in Gaza.”

Guterres said: “My strongest call today is to silence the weapons in Gaza and Sudan “out of respect for the spirit of the holy month of Ramadan.”

He also called for removing “all obstacles to ensure the rapid and widespread delivery of life-saving aid.”

He also called for the “immediate release of all hostages” held by Hamas.

Regarding life-saving aid, Guterres said that it “comes in drops, if it arrives at all.”

Since October 7, 2023, Israel has been waging a devastating war on the Gaza Strip that has left tens of thousands of civilian victims, most of them children and women, in addition to an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe and massive destruction of infrastructure, which led to Tel Aviv being brought before the International Court of Justice on charges of “genocide.” Collective.”

The Secretary-General of the United Nations also touched on the situation in Sudan, reiterating his call for “a cessation of hostilities during the month of Ramadan.”

“The fighting there must end for the sake of the Sudanese people who face hunger, horrors and untold hardships,” he said.

He stressed that “the time has come for peace” in Gaza, Sudan and beyond.

Guterres concluded his speech by saying: “We have witnessed, month after month, the killing and destruction of civilians at an unprecedented level throughout the years I spent as Secretary-General of the United Nations.”

Israeli Minister of Defense wished Muslims of Gaza a Ramadan Kareem

Meanwhile, Galant, the Israeli Minister of Defense wished Muslims of Gaza a Ramadan Kareem. Of note, the same official ordered food, water, electricity, gas cut off.

Ramadan Mubarak to you; blessed is the cherished month.

Every year and you are well. May God bring it back to you with good and prosperity.

 

G77 + China: The largest intergovernmental coalition within the United Nations meets at turning point

G77 + China: The largest intergovernmental coalition within the United Nations meets at turning point

    Sunday, January 21, 2024   No comments

 

The intergovernmental organization known as the G77 + China holds its summit this month in Africa. The summit is held during challenging time. UN secretary general was present to highlight some of these challenges including the war in Gaza and threat of spillover effect that could widen the conflict or increase its intensity.

The opening of the summit called the “South Summit” in Kampala, Uganda, was overshadowed by what Liu Kuo-chung called the continued influence of “the old international economic and political system, in undermining international peace and development,” amid a consensus among the participants on the importance of changing the global financial and economic system that emerged after World War II.

The summit is being held in Africa, which is witnessing increasing competition between the major powers to enter it, each according to its priorities. For China, the continent constitutes a cornerstone of its “Belt and Road” initiative, and the summit aims to enhance cooperation in the fields of economics and development among member states, develop and transfer technology, and bridge the gap. Science between North and South countries.

The Group of 77 (G77) is an international governmental alliance, the largest of its kind within the United Nations system. It was established in 1964 with the aim of defending the interests of developing countries, promoting the economy, and coordinating common issues affecting the countries of the South.

The group was established on June 15, 1964, at the end of the first session of the United Nations Trade and Development Program (UNCTAD) in Geneva, where the joint statement was announced and signed by 77 developing countries from around the world.

Between 10 and 25 October 1967, the group's first ministerial meeting was held in Algiers, during which the "Algiers Charter" was approved, which included the founding structure of the group.

Although the group has expanded and its members have increased to 134 countries, it still maintains its name due to the significance and symbolism of the event, and the strength and diversity of attendance it expresses at the founding conference.

The group includes two-thirds of the member states of the United Nations, representing 80% of the planet's population, and approximately 43% of the world's economy.

The group includes 134 countries from various developing countries, and the member countries are divided by continents; she:

Asia:

Afghanistan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, South Korea, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Laos, Lebanon, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Oman, Pakistan, Philippines, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Palestine, Syria, Tajikistan, Thailand, East Timor, Turkmenistan, UAE, Vietnam, Yemen and Azerbaijan.

Africa:

Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cape Verde Islands, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, etc. Kenya and Equatorial Guinea Rwanda, Sao Tome, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Sudan, South Sudan, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

North America:

Bahamas, Barbados, Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Nicaragua, Panama, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, and Trinidad and Tobago.

South America:

Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay and Venezuela.

Continent of Oceania:

Fiji, Kiribati, Tonga and Vanuatu.

International condemnation of the American “veto”... “History will not forget Washington’s actions”... Israel conducting mass-arrests of "military-aged" Gazan Men

International condemnation of the American “veto”... “History will not forget Washington’s actions”... Israel conducting mass-arrests of "military-aged" Gazan Men

    Saturday, December 09, 2023   No comments

Russian Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN Security Council, Dmitry Polyansky, announced that the United States, by using its veto power against the draft resolution presented by the Arab group in the UN Security Council calling for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, “sentenced the death penalty to thousands of civilians.”

Polyansky said during a voting session in the UN Security Council: “It will not be an exaggeration if we say that today is one of the darkest days in the history of the Middle East, as our colleagues in the United States have sentenced to death before our eyes thousands, if not tens of thousands, of civilians, including women and children. "By obstructing the call for a ceasefire."

Polyansky stressed that history will not forget Washington's actions in this regard.

The Russian deputy delegate continued, saying, "You can say as many empty words as you want about democracy, human rights, women, peace, security, and some rules, but we have seen their true price now, when two members of the Security Council chose to remain complicit in this genocide committed by Israel."

For his part, China's permanent representative to the UN Security Council, Zhang Jun, strongly supported the Arab draft resolution as a means to save lives, and criticized the United States for using the veto, saying that expressing grief for civilians and using the veto to continue the fighting is "the utmost hypocrisy."

John pointed out that "the ceasefire helps to achieve a two-state solution to establish lasting peace in the Middle East," pointing out that "the continuation of the war would increase the collapse of security in the region, and the Security Council must assume its responsibilities without delay."

He also called on "Israel" to stop the policy of collective punishment that it is committing against the residents of the Gaza Strip. He also described what is happening as a "humanitarian catastrophe," stressing that "any slowdown means more bloodshed."

For his part, Colombian President, Gustavo Petro, stressed that the “veto” in the United Nations cannot be used to allow massacres, noting that in order for “democracy and peace to shine on the American continent, America cannot allow genocide anywhere in the world.”

In turn, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian confirmed that as long as Washington supports the crimes of the occupation and the continuation of the war, the scope of the war will not be limited to the current situation only, but will expand, pointing to the possibility of an “uncontrollable” explosion in the situation in the region.

In a phone call with the Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres, the Iranian minister appreciated the latter’s activation of Article 99 of the United Nations Charter regarding developments in Palestine and the genocide in Gaza, describing it as a “courageous act.”

This comes after the UN Security Council failed to adopt a draft resolution submitted by the Arab group to the UN Security Council with a record sponsorship of 100 countries, calling for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, despite receiving 13 votes, after the United States used its veto power. Veto to block the draft resolution.

The draft resolution calls for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip for humanitarian reasons. It also stresses the need for the immediate and unconditional release of all prisoners, ensuring the arrival of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, and the entry of aid in sufficient quantities into the besieged Strip and from all crossings.

It is noteworthy that Britain abstained from voting, while the French representative, François de Rivière, regretted not adopting the resolution and wished it had included a condemnation of “Hamas.”

Israeli leaders thanked the United States for the veto, and attacked the UN General Secretary, once again invoking anti-semitism.

Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid said that the decision of United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to push for a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza is anti-Semitism.

Lapid said anti-Semitism was the only “logical explanation” for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ decision to push for a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza.

“Just when Israel was defending itself after our children were killed by brutal terrorists and our people were taken hostage, the UN Security Council suddenly decided to activate Article 99 to help Hamas,” Lapid wrote in a series of social media posts on Saturday.

“How do we know it is anti-Semitic?” he added. Because there is no other logical explanation.”

Lapid cited a number of other bloody conflicts, including in Sudan and Syria, in which neither Guterres nor any of his predecessors used Article 99 power to force debate in the Security Council.

Guterres used Article 99 of the UN Charter, which has not been used for decades, to force the UN Security Council to discuss a resolution calling for a ceasefire.

The United States used its veto power yesterday, Friday, against the draft resolution submitted by the UAE for a ceasefire in Gaza.

Meanwhile, a UN source confirmed to Sputnik that a delegation from the UN Security Council intends to visit the Rafah crossing on the border between Egypt and the Gaza Strip next Monday.

The source added that the delegation heading to the crossing will include the Russian permanent representative to the Security Council, Vasily Nebenzia.

In a related context, the American website “Axios”, citing an Israeli official, said that the United States is not “pressing the brakes” or giving “Israel” a specific deadline to stop the military operation in Gaza, but it points to the fact that time is running out.

The Israeli official said that the United States would be satisfied if Israel finished the high-intensity phase of the operation by the end of December, while Israel aims for the end of January.

“The message from the United States is that they want us to finish faster, with fewer civilian casualties and more humanitarian aid to Gaza,” the official explained, adding: “We want the same thing, but there is another player here and that is the enemy who does not agree.”

He continued by saying, "The United States understands this. We are working together. We need them and they need us."

General Assembly of the United Nations; 19-23 + 26 September 2023

General Assembly of the United Nations; 19-23 + 26 September 2023

    Wednesday, September 20, 2023   No comments

General Assembly of the United Nations; 19-23 + 26 September 2023: World Leaders Urge Transformative Solutions to Myriad Threats as Ukraine Conflict, COVID-19 Pandemic Compound Food, Fuel Crises, Worsen Climate Emergency

Information about speeches and news stories are archived by the UN; this year's speech can be accessed from these site and streaming platforms:

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