United Nations Secretary-Common Antonio Guterres says the Safety Council is an “outdated,” “unfair” and “ineffective system” whose failure to place an finish to Israel’s warfare on Gaza has broken the credibility of the organisation as an entire.
Talking to Al Jazeera Arabic in an unique interview, the UN chief decried the failures of the council, which was established within the aftermath of World Warfare II to make sure worldwide peace and safety however whose everlasting members’ veto energy has constantly confirmed to be an impediment to that purpose.
The council, Guterres mentioned, “doesn’t correspond to the world of at the moment”.
“The reality is that the Safety Council has systematically failed in relation to the capability to place an finish to essentially the most dramatic conflicts that we face at the moment: Sudan, Gaza, Ukraine.”
‘A extreme handicap’
Guterres, a former prime minister of Portugal who has helmed the UN since 2017, burdened that the organisation’s different our bodies and notably its humanitarian companies have continued to ship important providers to Palestinians all through Israel’s greater than 11-month assault on Gaza. However he famous that the council’s political failure to convey an finish to the battle has harm the UN’s different our bodies.
“The UN will not be the Safety Council,” Guterres mentioned. However he acknowledged that UN employees within the discipline — and notably these from the UN Reduction and Works Company for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in Gaza — “endure from the truth that the individuals have a look at them and suppose, ‘Effectively, however the Safety Council has failed us.’”
“For us, this failure of the Safety Council is a extreme handicap for our work within the discipline,” he added.
‘UNRWA stays the spine’
Guterres nodded to the 200 UNRWA employees killed by Israeli forces in Gaza because the starting of the warfare and pointed to a latest survey exhibiting recognition for the company’s efforts among the many Palestinians it’s reaching. He additionally expressed aid that after the company got here below assault early this yr when Israel accused members of its employees of hyperlinks to “terrorism“, main a number of nations to withhold funding, the company’s credibility appeared to have been restored.
“Many nations that at first hesitated and suspended the assist to UNRWA have come again, serving to UNRWA ship,” he mentioned. “UNRWA stays the spine of humanitarian assist to the individuals of Gaza.”
Nonetheless, he condemned the fixed challenges Israel continues to pose to that work.
“When circumstances are made for them to work, like in relation to polio, they instantly are very efficient,” Guterres mentioned. “If the identical circumstances can be given to our assist in relation to all different elements of humanitarian motion, if we hadn’t had the obstacles, the harassment, the issues, the difficulties that Israel has been systematically creating to the acts of UN humanitarian companies, specifically to UNRWA, we’ll be capable to do far more. And the individuals do want far more.”
‘No accountability’
Within the interview, Guterres additionally blamed the world’s “main powers” for fostering the tradition of impunity on show in Gaza.
Whilst he expressed confidence within the work of the Worldwide Courtroom of Justice and Worldwide Felony Courtroom, Guterres mentioned, “We dwell in an setting of complete impunity.”
“Everyone does what all people desires,” he added. “The geopolitical divide that exists among the many main powers has created a scenario wherein any nation or any motion anyplace on this planet feels that they’ll do no matter they need as a result of there will likely be no punishment, there will likely be no accountability.”
He additionally mentioned the US ought to put extra stress on Israel to finish its assault on Gaza.
“It’s vital to place stress on the US with the intention to be sure that the US places stress on Israel — as they’re supporting Israel — put stress on Israel to cease the warfare and on the similar time to recognise that the two-state resolution should not be undermined.”
“We’ve got been asking the US to be far more robust in relation to Israel,” he added.
‘The occupation will not be authorized’
Guterres additionally mentioned the continuing enlargement of Israeli settlements and outposts within the occupied West Financial institution, that are unlawful below worldwide regulation.
“We should completely reject any potential annexation of the West Financial institution,” he mentioned. “The West Financial institution, along with Gaza and East Jerusalem, which is a part of the West Financial institution, should be the state of Palestine sooner or later.”
“One of the regarding issues we’ve got at this time second is to see the systematic coverage of many within the Israeli authorities that attempt to undermine the two-state resolution, precisely by evictions, settlements, grabbing land and different actions within the West Financial institution, that are, in fact, completely in opposition to worldwide regulation,” he added.
“There may be an opinion of the Worldwide Courtroom of Justice. The opinion is evident: That is an occupation, and the occupation will not be authorized.”
