United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday invoked the rarely used Article 99 of the UN Charter urging its Security Council to stop the war in Gaza.
This is the first time in Guterres’ tenure that this provision has been invoked.
Article 99 is the “only independent political tool” that allows the UN secretary general to initiate a meeting of the Security Council on “any matter which in his opinion may threaten the maintenance of international peace and security”, reported Al Jazeera.
“Facing a severe risk of collapse of the humanitarian system in Gaza, I urge the council to help avert a humanitarian catastrophe and appeal for a humanitarian ceasefire to be declared,” Guterres posted on X.
In a letter to the 15-member UN Security Council, Guterres said that amid constant bombardment by the Israel forces and civilians lacking shelter or essential goods, he was expecting public order to break down soon in Gaza “due to the desperate situation, rendering even limited humanitarian assistance impossible”.
He cautioned: “Nowhere is safe in Gaza.”
The council can ensure that a ceasefire is implemented by imposing sanctions on Israel or by sanctioning the use of international force. However, the council’s five permanent member nations can veto this resolution. They are China, Russia, the United States, the United Kingdom and France.
On October 18, the US had vetoed a resolution in the council on the grounds that the text did not recognise Israel’s right to self-defence after Palestinian militant group Hamas attacked the country on October 7, killing 1,200 people, reported Al Jazeera.
In response to Guterres’ letter, the United Arab Emirates mission to the UN posted on X that the country has submitted a new draft resolution to the Security Council. UAE is a member of the council.
“The situation in the Gaza Strip is catastrophic and close to irreversible,” it said. “We cannot wait. The council needs to act decisively to demand a humanitarian ceasefire.”
On Wednesday, Guterres highlighted to the Security Council that over 15,000 people in Gaza have been killed amid Israel’s offensive against the besieged enclave with children comprising over 40% of the toll. Around 2.2 million people have been displaced from their homes.
Deputy United States Ambassador to the United Nations Robert Wood said that his country is not in favour of the Security Council taking any further action on the situation in Gaza, reported Reuters.
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