A UN resolution is a formal expression of the opinion or will of a particular body within the United Nations (UN) system. Security Council, General Assembly, and Economic and Social Council resolutions are issued as individual documents and also compiled into annual or sessional compilations.
The UN has the authority to take action short of using force through a process called Uniting for Peace, which can be invoked by the Secretary-General to address situations that require urgent attention. This procedure has been used on ten occasions to bypass the use of the P5 veto in order to resolve crises.
Among the issues that were addressed by Uniting for Peace resolutions was the Israel-Gaza conflict, which has prompted calls for reform of the UNSC. Despite repeated attempts to convene the Council to discuss the situation, the permanent members have been unable to agree on draft resolutions, with Russia and China using their veto powers to block them.
In response to this inaction, Brazil’s Ambassador Mauro Vieira addressed the issue by urging that the US and the other five veto-wielding members reconsider their decision to support Israel in the face of Palestinian suffering. He warned that the inaction of the Council on the crisis threatens the credibility of the UN as a global actor. He called for the Security Council to rectify “historical injustices” in a range of areas, including its composition, its working methods, and its mandate. The adoption of a note on penholdership, which outlines guidelines for the designation of penholders tasked with shepherding resolutions on specific agenda items, was also noted as a milestone towards UNSC reform.