United Nations General Assembly Resolution ES-10/22

UN General Assembly Resolution ES-10/22
In favour  Against  Abstentions  Absent  Non member
Date	12 December 2023
Meeting no.	10th Emergency Special Session (continuation)
Code	A/ES-10/22 (Document)
Subject	Protection of civilians and upholding legal and humanitarian obligations.
Voting summary	153 voted for 10 voted against 23 abstained
Result	Adopted

United Nations General Assembly Resolution ES-10/22 is a resolution of the tenth emergency special session of the United Nations General Assembly calling for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza war, "immediate and unconditional" hostage release, "ensuring humanitarian access" and that "all parties comply with their obligations under international law".

Procedures and background

On 27 October 2023, the General Assembly passed resolution ES-10/21 calling for a humanitarian truce with a 121 votes for, 14 against and 44 abstentions. ^[1]

ES-10/22 followed a similar motion calling for an immediate ceasefire and release of hostages in the UN Security Council (UNSC) proposed by the UAE. The resolution received 13 votes for and 1 abstention with the US vetoing it. ^[2]

The resolution proposed by Egypt received an amendment by Austria, which inserted the phrase "held by Hamas and other groups," in relation to the hostages held by Hamas and other groups in Gaza, and inserting the word "immediate" when referring to ensuring that humanitarian access be maintained, ^[3] which did not gain the two-thirds majority required, with 89 votes for, 61 against and 21 abstentions, so was not adopted. ^[4] An amendment from the United States of America, calling for wording rejecting and condemning "heinous terrorist attacks by Hamas that took place in Israel starting 7 October 2023 and the taking of hostages" in resolution's first paragraph, garnered 84 votes for, 62 against and 25 abstentions so did not reach the two-thirds threshold to be carried. ^[3]

Voting record

In favour (153) States sponsoring (marked †) [5]	Abstaining (23)	Against (10)	Absent (7)
Afghanistan † Albania Algeria † Andorra Angola † Antigua and Barbuda † Armenia Australia Azerbaijan † Bahamas † Bahrain † Bangladesh † Barbados † Belarus † Belgium † Belize † Benin † Bhutan Bolivia † Bosnia and Herzegovina † Botswana † Brazil † Brunei † Burundi Cambodia † Canada Central African Republic † Chad † Chile † China † Colombia † Comoros † Congo † Costa Rica † Côte d'Ivoire Croatia Cuba † Cyprus Democratic Republic of the Congo Denmark Djibouti † Dominica † Dominican Republic Ecuador Egypt † El Salvador † Eritrea † Estonia Ethiopia † Fiji † Finland † France Gabon Gambia † Ghana Greece Grenada † Guinea Guinea Bissau † Guyana † Honduras † Iceland † India Indonesia † Iran Iraq † Ireland † Jamaica † Japan Jordan † Kazakhstan Kenya † Kuwait † Kyrgyzstan † Laos † Latvia Lebanon † Lesotho † Libya † Liechtenstein Luxembourg † Madagascar Malaysia † Maldives † Mali Malta † Mauritania † Mauritius Mexico † Monaco Mongolia Montenegro Morocco † Mozambique † Myanmar † Namibia †    Nepal New Zealand Nicaragua † Niger Nigeria † North Korea † North Macedonia Norway † Oman † Pakistan Peru † Philippines † Poland Portugal † Qatar † Moldova Russia † Rwanda Saint Kitts and Nevis † Saint Lucia † Saint Vincent and the Grenadines † Samoa San Marino † Saudi Arabia † Senegal † Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore † Slovenia † Solomon Islands Somalia † South Africa † South Korea Spain † Sri Lanka † Sudan † Suriname † Sweden   Switzerland Syria Tajikistan † Tanzania Thailand † Timor-Leste † Trinidad and Tobago † Tunisia † Tuvalu Turkey † Uganda † United Arab Emirates † Uzbekistan † Vanuatu Vietnam † Yemen † Zambia † Zimbabwe †	Argentina Bulgaria Cabo Verde Cameroon Equatorial Guinea Georgia Germany Hungary Italy Lithuania Malawi Marshall Islands Netherlands Palau Panama Romania Slovakia South Sudan Togo Tonga Ukraine United Kingdom Uruguay	Austria Czech Republic Guatemala Israel Liberia Micronesia Nauru Papua New Guinea Paraguay United States	Burkina Faso Eswatini Haiti Kiribati São Tomé and Príncipe Turkmenistan † Venezuela † [a]
Observer States: Holy See and State of Palestine †

Response

On December 13, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said that Australia supported the resolution out of concern for civilians in Gaza Strip, adding that "Australia has consistently affirmed Israel's right to defend itself...in doing so, we have said as Israel must respect international humanitarian law, civilians and civilian infrastructure, including hospitals." Reuters described this as it as "a rare split with...the United States" and noted that Canada, Australia and New Zealand released a joint statement on December 12 supporting the ceasefire. ^{[7] [8]} Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian Ambassador to the United Nations, described the vote as "historic" and said the resolution demands an end to the conflict, and said "we will not rest until we see compliance of Israel with this demand." The Israeli Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan argued that the resolution was "disgraceful" attempt to restrain Israel, and claimed that "continuing Israel's operation in Gaza is the only way any hostages will be released." ^{[9] [10]} He also claimed that supporting the resolution gave terrorists "a free pass," declared that "a ceasefire will prolong the death and destruction in the region" and said the resolution was "hypocritical". ^{[11] [10]}

Mathu Joyini, South Africa's UN representative, invoked South Africa's painful experience with apartheid and said that countries need to take action "in accordance with international law" and called the resolution "an opportunity...to illustrate that the [UN]...is not tone-deaf to the suffering of the most vulnerable." Munir Akram, the Pakistani permanent representative to the U.N., denounced the amendments proposed by the US and Austria as "condemn[ing] only one side but exonerate the other" and arguing that blame "has to be placed on both parties, especially on Israel," and noted that if Hamas was named, but not Israel, it "provide[s] a justification to the Israeli war machine to continue its roulette wheel of death." ^{[11] [9]} Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the US ambassador to the UN, stated that the US saw the humanitarian situation in Gaza as "dire" and that "civilians must be protected with international humanitarian law," she urged nations to support an amendment condemning Hamas, and said that a "ceasefire...would be temporary at best, and dangerous at worst...to Israelis...and...Palestinians." Izzat Al-Rishq, member of the Hamas Political Bureau welcomed the resolution and condemned what he described as a "war of genocide and ethnic cleansing" against Palestinians. ^[9]

Abdulaziz Alwasil, the Saudi ambassador to the UN, supported the resolution, saying Saudi Arabia was voting in favor to end "the suffering caused by an inhumane military attack by the Israeli occupation forces," called for an immediate ceasefire to end the conflict, and the need for "a comprehensive and just solution for the Palestinian question" aligned with the Arab Peace Initiative, the two-state solution, and establishment of "a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital." ^[11] The Chinese Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Zhang Jun stated that the events in Gaza "is a tragedy, and we must do more." ^[8] In a press release on December 12, Council on American–Islamic Relations National Executive Director Nihad Awad expressed support for the resolution and called on the US government to "change course" and for countries across the world to "pressure the Israeli government to end its campaign of terror in Gaza." ^[12] In a statement to reporters supporting Canada's vote in favor of the resolution, Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly said "from the very beginning we have said that Israel has the right to defend itself. How Israel defends itself matters...What is unfolding before our eyes will only enhance the cycle of violence. This will not lead to the durable defeat of Hamas." The Canadian Ambassador to the UN, Bob Rae told CBC that the "status quo" of the fighting is not sustainable "from a humanitarian perspective" while Liberal Party parliament members Anthony Housefather and Marco Mendicino disagreed with Canada's UN vote. ^[13]

See also

• United Nations General Assembly Resolution ES-10/21
• United Nations General Assembly Resolution ES-10/23
• United Nations Security Council Resolution 2712

Notes

1. Venezuela was suspended from voting in the 76th session and the 11th emergency special session owing to its failure to pay dues in the previous two years, for which it did not receive a special waiver from the Assembly. ^[6]

References

1. "General Assembly Adopts Resolution Calling for Immediate, Sustained Humanitarian Truce Leading to Cessation of Hostilities between Israel, Hamas". UN Press. United Nations. Archived from the original on November 12, 2023. Retrieved December 13, 2023.
2. Nichols, Michelle (8 December 2023). "US blocks UN Security Council demand for humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza". Reuters . Archived from the original on December 10, 2023. Retrieved December 13, 2023.
3. "UN General Assembly votes by large majority for immediate humanitarian ceasefire during emergency session". UN News. United Nations. December 12, 2023. Archived from the original on December 13, 2023. Retrieved December 13, 2023.
4. Masih, Niha (13 December 2023). "U.N. resolution on Gaza cease-fire: Which countries voted for and against it". The Washington Post . Archived from the original on December 13, 2023. Retrieved December 13, 2023.
5. Algeria; Bahrain; Comoros; Djibouti; Egypt; Iraq; Jordan; Kuwait; Lebanon; Libya; Mauritania; Morocco; Oman; Qatar; Arabia, Saudi (2023-12-10). "Protection of civilians and upholding legal and humanitarian obligations :: draft resolution /: Algeria, Bahrain, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Yemen and State of Palestine". United Nations Digital Library.
6. Guterres, António (27 February 2022). "Letter dated 27 February 2022 from the Secretary-General addressed to the President of the General Assembly". Archived from the original on 6 March 2022. Retrieved 12 October 2022.
7. Pal, Alasdair (December 13, 2023). "Australia backs UN resolution for Gaza ceasefire in rare split with US" . Reuters . Archived from the original on December 13, 2023. Retrieved December 13, 2023.
8. "UN adopts resolution for immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza". Palestinian Information Center. December 13, 2023. Archived from the original on December 13, 2023. Retrieved December 13, 2023.
9. Hu, Caitlin (December 12, 2023). "UN General Assembly votes to demand immediate ceasefire in Gaza". CNN . Archived from the original on December 13, 2023. Retrieved December 13, 2023.
10. "UN General Assembly overwhelmingly demands Gaza ceasefire". The New Arab . December 13, 2023. Archived from the original on December 13, 2023. Retrieved December 13, 2023.
11. Kossaify, Ephrem (December 13, 2023). "Overwhelming majority of 153 UN member states call for immediate ceasefire in Gaza". Arab News. Archived from the original on December 13, 2023. Retrieved December 13, 2023.
12. "CAIR Supports UN General Assembly Resolution Demanding Immediate Ceasefire In Gaza". Black Star News . December 13, 2023. Archived from the original on December 13, 2023. Retrieved December 13, 2023.
13. Woods, Michael; Major, Darren (December 13, 2023). "Canada supports UN resolution calling for ceasefire in Israel-Hamas war". CBC News . Archived from the original on December 12, 2023. Retrieved December 13, 2023.