In the United Nations, a resolution is a formal expression of the body’s will and an enforceable international law. It can obligate parties to comply with its demands and, in some cases, impose sanctions or other penalties.
The council’s members, usually representing major countries in the world, first discuss a draft resolution on a particular topic or issue in what is known as informal consultations. These are held offsite, and are often arranged through the penholder’s office (in this case, the UAE). After back-and-forth discussions, a final draft is circulated. If all members agree, the draft is then considered for adoption.
Resolutions begin with preambular and operative clauses that define their scope and purpose. Almost all of the clauses start with verbs or, when the body is discussing matters of grave concern, with words like “deplorable” and “condemn”. The operative clauses then list a series of actions the council wishes to take to address the situation in question.
A resolution on Gaza calls for an immediate and lasting ceasefire, the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages and guaranteed humanitarian access. It also reaffirms its commitment to the unity of Jerusalem and the two-state solution and urges all states not to assist Israel with its settlement activities. It was adopted with 14 votes in favour and one abstention from the US.
This is the ninth time that the Council has adopted such a resolution on Israel since its founding in 1945. It is part of a broader set of resolutions that accuses Israel of war crimes and breaches of the Fourth Geneva Convention. The US has said it will continue to use its veto power on such resolutions.
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