What you may not know is that UN Secretary-General António Guterres recently did something that shocked the world. He went so far as to invoke Article 99 of the UN Charter to report to the Security Council his views on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and to call for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire.
What does this mean?Why did Guterres do this?What is his purpose?What impact will his actions have on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and international peace and security?Why did the Israeli side ask him to resign again?These questions are worth pondering.
What is Article 99 of the UN Charter?
It is in an emergency that the Secretary-General can take the initiative to raise issues with the Council, rather than waiting for a request or authorization from the Council. This power is known as the power of "early warning" or "preventive diplomacy".
This authority is important because it allows the Secretary-General to alert the Council to issues that may trigger or exacerbate conflicts in a timely manner, thereby facilitating effective action by the Council to maintain international peace and security.
Why?
Guterres invoked Article 99 of the UN Charter because he was extremely worried about the situation in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He believes that if the violence is not stopped immediately, it will not only create more human and humanitarian crises, but also trigger broader regional conflicts and even threaten global peace and security. Guterres also stressed the importance of achieving a two-state solution, that is, the establishment of two independent, sovereign and peaceful coexistence between Israel and Palestine.
Guterres' purpose is to arouse the Security Council's sense of urgency and responsibility through his report, urge the Security Council to adopt a unified position and action, and promote the resumption of dialogue and negotiations between Palestine and Israel to achieve the goal of a peaceful settlement of the conflict.
What will be the impact of Guterres' actions?
Guterres' actions are undoubtedly an act of courage and responsibility, exemplifying his leadership and ethics as Secretary-General of the United Nations. He used facts and reason to show the world the truth and crisis of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, and called on the international community to unite and support peace and justice.
Guterres' actions were also effective and forceful, as he succeeded in drawing the attention and response of the Security Council. Following his report, the Council adopted a resolution on 25 October calling on the Palestinian and Israeli sides to immediately cease all hostilities, avoid civilians** and resume the peace process.
This is the first time since the outbreak of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict that the Security Council has reached an agreement on this issue and adopted a resolution. This is also the first time in the past 10 years that the Security Council has adopted a resolution on the Palestinian-Israeli issue. This resolution is considered an important signal of the Council's ability and willingness to fulfil its responsibilities for the maintenance of international peace and security.
What did Israel do?
However, Guterres' actions have not been recognized and respected by the Israeli side. On the contrary, Israel is angry and dissatisfied with Guterres' report, believing that Guterres is defending the Palestinian side and the Hamas terrorist organization, interfering in Israel's right to self-defense, and undermining Israel's security and interests.
In the debate of the Security Council, Israeli representative Giladan openly accused Guterres of being "unjust, unprofessional, and irresponsible", a "betrayal of the values and mission of the United Nations," and a "violation of the spirit and principles of the UN Charter."
Israel's prime minister, Eli Cohen, also accused Guterres of justifying terrorism and canceled a bilateral meeting with the secretary-general scheduled for Tuesday. These remarks and actions by the Israeli side are undoubtedly a great insult and provocation to Guterres and the United Nations, a great challenge to and undermining international law and order, and a great threat and danger to international peace and security.
What should we do?
What should we do in the face of Israel's unreasonableness and shamelessness?Should we sit idly by?Should we be silent?Should we sit idly by?No, we can't do that. We must stand up and support Guterres, support the United Nations, support peace and justice.
We owe Guterres our respect and gratitude for being a leader with conscience, courage and wisdom, a true messenger of peace and a Secretary-General worthy of our trust and respect.
We should express our trust and support to the United Nations, because it is an organization that represents all mankind, it is an institution for the maintenance of world peace and security, and it is a platform for promoting international cooperation and development. We should express our sympathy and concern to both the Palestinian and Israeli sides, because they are all our brothers and sisters, they are all victims, and they all need peace and dignity. We should condemn and condemn the Israeli side, because it is a country that ignores international law, it is a country that violates human rights, and it is a country that obstructs peace.
We should act, make our voices heard, take a stand, and show our strength. We should put pressure on Israel through various channels to stop violence, respect the United Nations and accept peace. We should help Guterres and the United Nations in every way, support their work and commend their contributions. We should convey love and peace to both Palestinians and Israelis through various means, encourage their dialogue and wish them the future.