The United States vetoed a United Nations resolution on Friday, December 8, backed by almost all other Security Council members and dozens of other nations, demanding an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza. In this emergency meeting, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres invoked Article 99, a rare move to force a vote on the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza, where two million people are displaced and more than 18,000 people have been killed.
Calls are growing for the UN Security Council to be reformed after the US used its veto power to block a Gaza ceasefire resolution, a move welcomed by Israeli PM Netanyahu ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/MvnplAht8z
— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) December 10, 2023
The vote in the 15-member council was 13-1, with the United Kingdom abstaining.
The US is facing criticism from all over the world and domestic backlash, but there is a way to sign a petition to appeal to the respective ambassador to the UN asking them to invoke article 377 A to get around the US Veto and call for a permanent ceasefire.
What is Article 377 A?
The United Nations General Assembly Resolution 377 A is known as the ‘Uniting for Peace Resolution’ states that in any case 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 the UN members for collective measures, including the use of armed forces when necessary, to maintain or restore international security and peace.
How is this done?
Using social media is effective but there are other concrete ways to invoke Article 377 A.
EVERYONE: write to your country’s UN Ambassador and demand that they invoke UNGA resolution 377A to get around the US Veto and call for a permanent ceasefire. You can find a template letter here https://t.co/sfH8WMUjdo then post and tag your country’s ambassador online. pic.twitter.com/DX3auIZw70
— fatima bhutto (@fbhutto) December 11, 2023
This can be done by writing to the UN Ambassador to demand they invoke UNGA’s resolution 377A.
A copy of the email needs to be sent to the undesa@un.org and inquiries2@un.org
The petition has to be signed and available on the @call2actionnow page.
Here’s the link to the petition for Pakistan: https://chng.it/qdb9VVqtwt
