The United Nations General Assembly is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN), serving as its main deliberative, policymaking, and representative organ. Currently in its 78th session, its powers, composition, functions, and procedures are set out in Chapter IV of the United Nations Charter.
A United Nations General Assembly resolution is a decision or declaration voted on by all member states of the United Nations in the General Assembly.
United Nations Security Council resolution 497, adopted unanimously on 17 December 1981, declared that the Israeli Golan Heights Law, which effectively annexed the Golan Heights, is "null and void and without international legal effect" and further calls on Israel to rescind its action.
A United Nations resolution is a formal text adopted by a United Nations (UN) body. Although any UN body can issue resolutions, in practice most resolutions are issued by the Security Council or the General Assembly.
The United Nations Security Council veto power is the power of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council to veto any "substantive" resolution. They also happen to be the nuclear-weapon states (NWS) under the terms of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. However, a permanent member's abstention or absence does not prevent a draft resolution from being adopted. This veto power does not apply to "procedural" votes, as determined by the permanent members themselves. A permanent member can also block the selection of a Secretary-General, although a formal veto is unnecessary since the vote is taken behind closed doors.
United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) resolution 377 A, the "Uniting for Peace" resolution, states that in any cases where the Security Council, because of a lack of unanimity among its five permanent members (P5), fails to act as required to maintain international security and peace, the General Assembly shall consider the matter immediately and may issue appropriate recommendations to UN members for collective measures, including the use of armed force when necessary, in order to maintain or restore international security and peace. It was adopted 3 November 1950, after fourteen days of Assembly discussions, by a vote of 52 to 5, with 2 abstentions. The resolution was designed to provide the UN with an alternative avenue for action when at least one P5 member uses its veto to obstruct the Security Council from carrying out its functions mandated by the UN Charter.
United Nations Security Council Resolution 157 was adopted on 17 September 1960. After a discussion of the Congo Crisis led to a lack of unanimity among the Security Council's permanent members and thus prevented it from exercising its primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security, the Council decided to call an emergency special session of the General Assembly to make appropriate recommendations.
United Nations Security Council Resolution 340 was adopted on October 25, 1973, during the Yom Kippur War. It was passed after the Security Council was informed of the apparent failure of UNSCR 338 and UNSCR 339 to end the fighting.
United Nations Security Council Resolution 362 was adopted by the U.N. on October 23, 1974. The Security Council decided that, although the Middle East remained quiet, the situation was still volatile, and therefore this Security Council resolution extended the mandate of the United Nations Emergency Force for another six months, until April 24, 1975. The Council commended the Force and those governments supplying men to it for their contributions and expressed its confidence that the Force would be maintained with maximum efficiency and economy. The Resolution also reaffirmed that the Force must be able to function militarily in the whole Egypt-Israel sector of operations without differentiation regarding the UN status of the various contingents.
United Nations Security Council Resolution 368, adopted on April 17, 1975, recalled previous resolutions and considered a report from the Secretary-General before calling upon the parties involved in the prevailing state of tension in the aftermath of the Yom Kippur War to immediately implement resolution 338. The Council then renewed the mandate of the United Nations Emergency Force for another three months until July 24, 1975, and requested the Secretary-General submit a report on the developments in the situation and the measures taken to implement the resolution.
The first emergency special session of the United Nations General Assembly was convened on 1 November and ended on 10 November 1956 resolving the Suez Crisis by creating the United Nations Emergency Force (UNEF) to provide an international presence between the belligerents in the canal zone. The emergency special session was convened due to the failure of the Security Council to resolve the instability at the Suez Canal, invoking "Uniting for Peace" resolution which transferred the issue from the Security Council to the General Assembly. On the fourth day of the session the Canadian representative, Lester B. Pearson, introduced the concept of a UN police force. The creation of the United Nations Emergency Force was approved by the General Assembly with 57 supports and zero opposes. The vote had 19 countries abstaining, including the United Kingdom, France, Egypt, the Soviet Union and several Eastern European countries.
United Nations Security Council Resolution 371, adopted on July 24, 1975, recalling statements from officials of the Arab Republic of Egypt and a report by the Secretary-General regarding the United Nations Emergency Force, the Council expressed its concern at the lack of progress toward a lasting peace in the Middle East.
United Nations Security Council Resolution 378, adopted on October 23, 1975, considered a report by the Secretary General and noted the developments in the situation in the Middle East. The Secretary General viewed any relaxation in the search for peace at that time to be especially dangerous and urged for a resolution to the situation, namely through the adaption of the plan laid out in resolution 338.
United Nations Security Council Resolution 438, adopted on October 23, 1978, after reaffirming previous resolutions, considered a report by the Secretary-General regarding the United Nations Emergency Force and noted the discussions the Secretary-General had with all the concerned parties to the Middle East situation.
United Nations Security Council resolution 836 was adopted on 4 June 1993. After reaffirming Resolution 713 (1991) and all subsequent resolutions on the situation in the former Yugoslavia, the Council expressed its alarm at the continuing situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina and decided to expand the mandate of the United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR) by allowing it to use force to protect the "safe areas".
Ukraine was one of the founding members of the United Nations when it joined in 1945 as the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic; along with the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic, Ukraine signed the United Nations Charter when it was part of the Soviet Union. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, the newly independent Ukraine retained its seat.
The eleventh emergency special session of the United Nations General Assembly opened on 28 February 2022 at the United Nations headquarters. It addresses the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Maldivian politician Abdulla Shahid served as President of the body during this time.
United Nations Security Council Resolution 2623 called for the eleventh emergency special session of the United Nations General Assembly on the subject of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. Albania and the United States introduced the resolution before the United Nations Security Council, which adopted it on 27 February 2022. Russia voted against while China, India and the United Arab Emirates abstained. As this was a procedural resolution, no permanent member could exercise their veto power.
United Nations General Assembly Resolution ES‑11/1 is a resolution of the eleventh emergency special session of the United Nations General Assembly, adopted on 2 March 2022. It deplored Russia's invasion of Ukraine and demanded a full withdrawal of Russian forces and a reversal of its decision to recognise the self-declared People's Republics of Donetsk and Luhansk.
United Nations General Assembly Resolution ES‑11/2 is the second resolution of the eleventh emergency special session of the United Nations General Assembly, adopted on 24 March 2022, following Resolution ES-11/1 which was adopted on 2 March 2022. Resolution ES‑11/2 reaffirmed the UN's former commitments and obligations under its Charter, and reiterated its demand that Russia withdraw from Ukraine's recognized sovereign territory; it also deplored, expressed grave concern over and condemned attacks on civilian populations and infrastructure. Fourteen principles were agreed.
