JakartaHerald.com - The United States has rendered the United Nations useless.
The Biden Administration has ignored UN resolutions calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, prompting questions about the relevance of the UN or the UN Security Council.
Representative of the US to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, was seen voting in favour of a ceasefire resolution in Gaza at the UN headquarters in New York City on March 25, 2024.
After vetoing three separate UN Security Council resolutions demanding a ceasefire in Gaza, the United States finally abstained from voting in the latest ceasefire resolution, allowing it to be adopted.
This marked progress in the US position and triggered a backlash from Israel (Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu immediately cancelled plans for a delegation to the US after Israel refrained from using its veto power for the fourth time.
However, President Joe Biden's administration quickly moved to undermine the significance of the resolution.
Just hours after the resolution was adopted, White House spokesperson John Kirby stated that the US abstention did not represent a change in policy.
During a press conference at the Department of State following the vote, UN spokesperson Matthew Miller claimed that "it is a non-binding resolution," clarifying the US position and suggesting that the ceasefire resolution was the opinion of the UN body, not a substantive rule.
In a heated debate with Miller, Associated Press reporter Matt Lee raised the question that many observers have about the Israel-Gaza conflict: "What is the point of the UN or the UN Security Council?"
Experts and commentators, such as former UN officials and human rights lawyer Craig Mokhiber, quickly voiced their criticism of the US for underestimating the resolution, which was already weak as it only called for a "ceasefire during Ramadan" that seemed to lead to a "fragile ceasefire that lasts."
Mokhiber made headlines in October 2023 after resigning from his position as director of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights office in New York, citing the UN's failure to prevent the "genocide" cases in Gaza.
While the resolution was watered down, its adoption was welcomed by the UN body due to the urgent need to address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, including the fastest acceleration of hunger ever seen, according to International Committee President David Miliband.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres explained that the resolution was not just a non-binding declaration, but that it "must be implemented," and failing to do so would be "unforgivable." However, when asked if he believed the resolution would push Israel to announce a ceasefire, spokesperson Miller replied, "I do not speculate."
There is no doubt that the adoption of the UN ceasefire resolution is significant. It provides further legal basis for holding Israel accountable for its actions in Gaza and legal standing for allegations of involvement by states—such as the United States—that continue to arm and support Israel's genocidal war.
Since its formation after World War II, the most basic principle of the UN is to protect future generations from the scourge of war and reaffirm the fundamental human rights of people in all countries.
While the international body can declare these laws and propose necessary actions, it is up to states to enforce them. Although Israel itself has shown disregard for the international system, other nations—especially its supporters and backers—have a responsibility to demand accountability from Israel.
Many things can be said about the hypocrisy of the West and the double standards that are common in power politics, but the disrespect shown by the Biden administration towards the international system it champions, to keep Israel above the law, has reached a new level of dishonesty.
The willingness of the Biden administration to isolate the US on the global stage, destroy the remaining shreds of US credibility, and essentially ignore the international community shows how eager US foreign policy is.
Despite statements from international bodies like the UN Security Council, World Health Organization, and International Court of Justice, testimonies from UN experts, evidence from international aid organizations and human rights groups like Doctors Without Borders, Oxfam International, and Human Rights Watch, and testimonies from journalists and aid workers in Gaza, the US continues to defend Israel's actions and deny any wrongdoing.
By using the UN as a tool for its own political agenda, rather than as a tool for international law and justice, the United States has made the organization meaningless.
The Biden administration's willingness to isolate the US on the global stage, destroy what little credibility remains, and fundamentally ignore the international community shows the eagerness of US foreign policy. The mask is truly off...
Source: trtworld.com
0 Komentar