UN General Assembly
Resolution ES-11/2
  
In favour
  
Against
  
Abstained
  
Absent
  
Non-UN member
Date24 March 2022
Meeting no.11th Emergency Special Session (continued)
CodeA/RES/ES-11/2 (Document)
SubjectHumanitarian consequences of the aggression against Ukraine
Voting summary
  • 140 voted for
  • 5 voted against
  • 38 abstained
  • 10 absent
ResultResolution adopted

United Nations General Assembly Resolution ES‑11/2 is the second resolution of the eleventh emergency special session of the United Nations General Assembly, adopted on 24 March 2022, following Resolution ES-11/1 which was adopted on 2 March 2022. Resolution ES‑11/2 reaffirmed the UN's former commitments and obligations under its Charter, and reiterated its demand that Russia withdraw from Ukraine's recognized sovereign territory; it also deplored, expressed grave concern over and condemned attacks on civilian populations and infrastructure. Fourteen principles were agreed.

Background

An emergency special session is an unscheduled meeting of the United Nations General Assembly to make urgent recommendations on a particular situation relevant for the maintenance of international peace and security in any instance where the Security Council fails to act owing to the veto of a permanent member.

The mechanism was introduced in 1950 with the Uniting for Peace resolution, which declared that:

...if the Security Council, because of lack of unanimity of the permanent members, fails to exercise its primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security in any case where there appears to be a threat to the peace, breach of the peace, or act of aggression, the General Assembly shall consider the matter immediately with a view to making appropriate recommendations to Members for collective measures, including in the case of a breach of the peace or act of aggression the use of armed force when necessary, to maintain or restore international peace and security. If not in session at the time, the General Assembly may meet in emergency special session within twenty-four hours of the request therefore.

The General Assembly's ability to recommend collective measures was the subject of an intense dispute in the 1950s and 1960s. In 1962, an advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice stated that, while "enforcement action" is the exclusive domain of the Security Council, the General Assembly has the authority to take a wide range of decisions, including establishing a peacekeeping force.[1]

11th Emergency Session

On 24 February 2022, Russia launched a large-scale invasion against Ukraine. A draft resolution deploring the invasion and calling for the withdrawal of Russian troops was vetoed in the Security Council the following day, prompting the Security Council to convene an emergency special session on the subject of Ukraine with United Nations Security Council Resolution 2623.[2] An emergency special session on 25 February issued Resolution ES-11/1 of 2 March which deplored Russia's invasion of Ukraine and demanded a full withdrawal of Russian forces and a reversal of its decision to recognise the self-declared People's Republics of Donetsk and Luhansk. The paragraph 10 of the United Nations General Assembly Resolution of 2 March 2022 confirmed the involvement of Belarus in unlawful use of force against Ukraine.[3] The resolution was sponsored by 96 countries, and passed with 141 voting in favour, 5 against, and 35 abstentions.[4] Military action by the Russian Federation continued and the 11th Emergency Session was resumed; on 24 March it issued Resolution ES-11/2, and on 7 April issued Resolution ES-11/3.[5]

Resolution ES-11/2

The resolution reaffirmed its former commitments and obligations under the United Nations Charter. It reiterated its demand that Russia withdraw from Ukraine's recognized sovereign territory; it also deplored, expressed grave concern over and condemned attacks on civilian populations and infrastructure. Fourteen principles were agreed. Briefly, the principles demanded the full implementation of resolution ES-11/1, immediate cessation of the hostilities by the Russian Federation against Ukraine, full protection of civilians, including humanitarian personnel, journalists and persons in vulnerable situations, and encouraged "continued negotiation". The 11th Emergency Session was adjourned.[6]

Voting

Vote Tally States Percent of votes Percent of members
In favour 140 Afghanistan, Albania, Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Canada, Cape Verde, Chad, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Côte d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Kiribati, Kuwait, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Myanmar, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Niger, Nigeria, North Macedonia, Norway, Oman, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, South Korea, Romania, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, São Tomé and Príncipe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Sudan, Spain, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Tuvalu, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Yemen, Zambia 76.50% 72.54%
Against 5 Belarus, Eritrea, North Korea, Russia, Syria 2.73% 2.59%
Abstain 38 Algeria, Angola, Armenia, Bolivia, Botswana, Brunei, Burundi, Central African Republic, China, Cuba, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Guinea-Bissau, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Madagascar, Mali, Mongolia, Mozambique, Namibia, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Republic of the Congo, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Tajikistan, Togo, Tanzania, Uganda, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Zimbabwe 20.77% 19.69%
Absent 10 Azerbaijan, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Comoros, Dominica, Guinea, Morocco, Somalia, Turkmenistan, Venezuela[a] – 5.18%
Total 193 – 100% 100%
Source: A/ES-11/L.2 voting record[8][9]
  1. ^ Venezuela was suspended from voting in the 76th session and the 11th emergency special session owing to its failure to pay dues in the previous two years, for which it did not receive a special waiver from the Assembly.[7]

See also

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References

  1. ^ Binder, Christina (May 2017). "Uniting for Peace Resolution (1950)". Max Planck Encyclopedia of International Law. Oxford University. Archived from the original on 18 November 2018. Retrieved 2 March 2022.
  2. ^ "U.N. Security Council calls rare General Assembly session on Ukraine". Reuters. 28 February 2022. Archived from the original on 27 February 2022. Retrieved 2 March 2022.
  3. ^ "UN resolution against Ukraine invasion: Full text". Al Jazeera. 3 March 2022.
  4. ^ "Ukraine: UN General Assembly condemns invasion as Russia reports gains". Deutsche Welle. 2 March 2022. Archived from the original on 2 March 2022. Retrieved 2 March 2022.
  5. ^ "UN General Assembly votes to suspend Russia from the Human Rights Council". UN News. 7 April 2022.
  6. ^ "Humanitarian consequences of the aggression against Ukraine : resolution / adopted by the General Assembly". 28 March 2022. Retrieved 5 April 2022.
  7. ^ Guterres, António (27 February 2022). "Letter dated 27 February 2022 from the Secretary-General addressed to the President of the General Assembly".
  8. ^ "Ukraine: General Assembly passes resolution demanding aid access, by large majority". news.un.org. 24 March 2022. Retrieved 24 March 2022.
  9. ^ "Humanitarian consequences of the aggression against Ukraine: resolution". United Nations Digital Library. 24 March 2022. Retrieved 13 April 2022.

External links

Russian invasion of Ukraine
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