A resolution is a document that can be passed by the UN Security Council, which is tasked with keeping the world safe and peaceful. The resolutions it passes can be substantive or procedural. Substantive resolutions describe the what and why of a matter, while procedural resolutions deal with how a substantive issue is made and administrated.
A lot of the work the Security Council does is related to issues of peace and security, such as promoting economic development and protecting civilians from conflict. The council can also be called upon to help resolve disputes between member states, though that is not always easy.
Occasionally, the Security Council cannot agree on what to do about a specific situation, which is why the council has a mechanism in place that allows it to veto resolutions that have been proposed. Whenever a veto is used, the proposal automatically becomes non-binding and unenforceable.
Some of these resolutions are highly controversial, including those dealing with Gaza. Those resolutions criticize Israel for its policies of building settlements in Palestinian territory. The US abstained on the resolution, which is one of a series of similar resolutions.
But some people argue that the resolutions themselves aren’t binding on Israel because they don’t use the word “decide.” But Craig Martin, an international law professor at Washburn University, tells RS that the language in these resolutions is clear enough to create an obligation on member states. “It’s hard to understand how anyone could suggest that this does not create an obligation,” he says.
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