New York, 23 March 2024 (TDI): Permanent Representative of China to the United Nations, vetoed US sponsored UN Security Council draft resolution on the Palestine-Israel issue and reiterated the call for an immediate, unconditional, and sustained ceasefire.
Ambassador Zhang Jun explained the voting position of China along with relevant considerations as China veto Security Council draft resolution on the Palestine-Israel issue.
The ambassador highlighted that more than 160 days (about 5 and a half months) have passed since the Gaza conflict in which more than 32,000 civilians have lost their lives and millions are suffering from famine.
Therefore, the most urgent action to be taken by the Security Council is to promote an immediate, unconditional, and sustained ceasefire. This is the universal call of the international community, as declared during the emergency special session of the UN General Assembly.
Any action taken by the Security Council should stand the test of history and the scrutiny of morality and conscience. With a view to safeguarding fairness and justice, the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, and the dignity of the Council, and also based on the concerns… https://t.co/i2AL3Xf4qC
— Zhang Jun (@ChinaAmbUN) March 22, 2024
Furthermore, it was also appealed by the Secretary General of the United Nations to the Security Council while invoking Article 99 of the UN Charter. The ambassador stressed that the Council has dragged its feet and wasted too much time in this regard.
While commenting on the draft resolution, the Ambassador underscored that the US introduced its own draft resolution after vetoing on February 20 the overwhelming consensus among Council members on an immediate ceasefire.
Moreover, during past months the draft has undergone several iterations and contains elements that respond to the concerns of the international community. But it has always evaded and dodged the most essential issue, that is, a ceasefire.
The Ambassador pointed out that the final text remains ambiguous and does not call for an immediate ceasefire. Nor does it even provide an answer to the question of realizing a ceasefire in the short term.
This is a clear deviation from the Council members’ consensus and falls far short of international expectations.
An immediate ceasefire is a fundamental prerequisite for saving lives, expanding humanitarian access, and preventing greater conflicts.
Ambassador’s remarks on US resolution
The US draft, on the contrary, sets up preconditions for a ceasefire, which is no different from giving a green light to continued killings, and is unacceptable.
In addition, the Ambassador added that the draft is very unbalanced in many other aspects, in particular, regarding Israel’s recent and repeated declarations of plan for a military offensive on Rafah.
Subsequently, the draft does not clearly and unequivocally state its opposition, which would send an utterly wrong signal and lead to severe consequences.
Moreover, any action taken by the Security Council should stand the test of history and the scrutiny of morality and conscience.
Furthermore, the Ambassador said that if the US was serious about a ceasefire, it wouldn’t have vetoed time and again multiple Security Council resolutions and wouldn’t have taken such a detour and played a game of words while being ambiguous and evasive on critical issues.
With a view to safeguarding fairness and justice, the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, and the dignity of the Council, and based on the concerns and strong opposition from the Arab states regarding this draft resolution, China together with Algeria and Russia have voted against the draft resolution.
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Lastly, the Ambassador supported another draft resolution that was the result of collective consultations among elected members of the Council. This draft is clear on the issue of a ceasefire, in line with the correct direction of the Council’s action, and of great relevance.
The Ambassador called that If the US is serious about a ceasefire, then it should vote in favor of this draft resolution, clearly calling for a ceasefire, so that a ceasefire can be finally and immediately achieved, the Palestinians’ sufferings end, and hostages released at an early date.
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