Daily Times

Pakistan’s top diplomat at the United Nations said on Wednesday the American decision to veto yet another resolution demanding a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza reflected the “paralysis” within the Security Council that had led to the killing of over 29,000 Palestinians, nearly two-thirds of them women and children. The draft resolution was prepared by Algeria and put to a vote a day earlier on Tuesday. However, the US became the only country to vote against it while the United Kingdom abstained. Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ambassador Munir Akram, who previously described the conflict as “a war against the Palestinian people,” regretted the development while pointing out it reflected weaknesses in the global governance system. Israel besieged the Gaza Strip and launched airstrikes after a surprise attack was initiated by Hamas last year in response to what it described as the deteriorating condition of Palestinian people living under Israeli occupation. However, its response to the killing of 1,200 Israelis was widely viewed as disproportionate by the international community after it flattened out much of the infrastructure in Gaza and led to the displacement of 80 percent of the area’s population. “Veto of an Algerian draft resolution calling for a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza is a sad reflection of the paralysis of UNSC,” Akram said in a social media post. “The Council is failing the beleaguered people of Gaza.” “It also validates Pakistan & the UfC’s [Uniting for Consensus’] opposition to the addition of new permanent members in UNSC,” he added. The UfC, also known as the Coffee Club, was formed in the 1990s. Led by Italy, it opposes the expansion of permanent seats on the UN Security Council, particularly countering the bids by the G4 nations comprising Brazil, Germany, India and Japan. Pakistan is also part of the group that advocates for a consensus-based approach to Security Council reform, emphasizing the expansion of non-permanent seats to make the Council more democratic and representative.