A resolution is a formal expression of the opinion or will of a UN body, such as the Security Council, General Assembly, Economic and Social Council and Human Rights Council. They are often accompanied by non-binding presidential statements and issued individually or in annual or sessional compilations.
The United Nations was created after World War II to establish a new international order and prevent future conflicts. The major Allied powers sought to ensure that they had a decisive role in maintaining global peace and security. To that end, they negotiated at the 1944 Dumbarton Oaks and 1945 Yalta conferences to create a body empowered to impose binding obligations on its members. They also enshrined in the Charter a power called the veto, which gives permanent members the right to block any draft resolution that they consider unfavorable.
The veto is criticized for fueling deadlock, protecting the geopolitical interests of the P5 and undermining the effectiveness of the UN in addressing issues like genocide, war crimes and humanitarian crises. The US has voted against over 300 resolutions since the establishment of the Security Council in 1945. In many cases, the drafts were aimed at Israel, but the US has also vetoed resolutions that were unfavorable to Iran and North Korea. Moreover, the United States has never supported any resolution that does not condemn Hamas as a terrorist organization or call for them to disarm and leave Gaza. We are therefore concerned that the Council is engaging in a performative process aimed at drawing a veto in a time when delicate diplomacy is underway to reach a lasting sustainable ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
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