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United Nations

Egypt Invokes UN Resolution to Address Israel-Gaza Conflict: Expert Analysis

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

The University of Reading's Professor Rosa Freedman, an expert on the United Nations and international law, has provided insight into Egypt's decision to invoke Resolution 377A(V) (Uniting for Peace) to convene an emergency meeting of the UN General Assembly to discuss the Israel-Gaza conflict. This move comes after the UN Security Council failed to take action on Friday. According to Professor Freedman, this resolution does not enable the General Assembly to circumvent Security Council decisions, but rather allows the Assembly to make recommendations to restore international peace and security.

Key Takeaways:

  • Egypt has invoked Resolution 377A(V) (Uniting for Peace) to call an emergency meeting of the UN General Assembly to address the Israel-Gaza conflict.
  • The resolution was adopted in 1950 to address the issue of the Security Council being deadlocked due to Cold War politics.
  • The "Uniting for Peace" resolution has been used 13 times in 74 years, most recently in 2022 after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
  • The resolution allows the General Assembly to make recommendations to restore international peace and security, but it does not give the Assembly the Security Council's enforcement powers.
  • According to Professor Freedman, the resolution was intended to circumvent the veto power of the five permanent Security Council members, but it is unlikely that they would have left open a backdoor route to allow UN action without their consent.
  • The resolution has created a UN disengagement and supervising force, but with the state concerned's consent and monitoring powers, rather than enforcement powers.
  • The existing powers of the General Assembly include calling for an International Court of Justice advisory opinion, allocating funds from the UN budget, establishing investigative mechanisms, and calling for states to do or not do certain things.

Statistics:

  • 13: the number of times the Resolution 377A(V) (Uniting for Peace) has been invoked in 74 years.
  • 1950: the year the Resolution was adopted to address the issue of the Security Council being deadlocked due to Cold War politics.
  • 2022: the most recent year the resolution was used, after Russia invaded Ukraine.
  • 5: the number of permanent Security Council members with veto power.
  • 74: the number of years since the Resolution was adopted.

Sources:

  • Professor Rosa Freedman, University of Reading professor of law, conflict and global development, and author of Failing to Protect: The UN and the Politicisation of Human Rights
  • University of Reading news release
  • United Nations Security Council
  • United Nations General Assembly
  • Resolution 377A(V) (Uniting for Peace)

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