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United Nations (UN)

With US Support, Netanyahu Threatens Lebanon With Destruction

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on 8 October called on the people of Lebanon to “free [their] country from Hezbollah,” threatening them with “destruction and suffering” if they refused to do so. “You have an opportunity to save Lebanon before it falls into the abyss of a long war that will lead to destruction and suffering like we see in Gaza. It doesn’t have to be that way,” Netanyahu said as his country’s air force continued to launch non-stop raids across Lebanon. “We have degraded Hezbollah’s capabilities; we took out thousands of terrorists, including [Hezbollah secretary-general Hassan] Nasrallah himself, and Nasrallah’s replacement, and the replacement of his replacement,” the Israeli premier added before calling on the people of Lebanon to “take back your country, and return it to a path of peace and prosperity.”

People Of South Asia Reaffirm Solidarity With Palestine

Thousands of people participated in rallies and protest gatherings all across the South Asia region as part of international calls for mobilization to commemorate a year of Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza, express solidarity with the Palestinian people, and to raise the demand for an immediate ceasefire. Protesters carried Palestinian flags, banners condemning the genocide, and chanted slogans in support of the Palestinian resistance. A large number of young university students joined the protests as well, defying various restrictions imposed by their respective governments on the display of such solidarity with Palestinians.

Imperialism Makes Mockery Of The United Nations General Assembly

Next year will represent the 80th anniversary of the formation of the United Nations Organization in San Francisco which took place in the immediate aftermath of World War II. Since 1945 the composition of the organization has been transformed as a direct result of the successes of the national liberation movements and socialist revolutions that came to power from the late 1940s through the modern period. In its earliest phase, the overwhelming number of governments represented at the UN were colonial powers which welded political and economic power based upon the outcomes of the victories of the war. The bulk of the military clashes during the Second Imperialist War were in Europe, North Africa, Asia and the Asia-Pacific.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov Speaks At UN General Assembly

A few days ago, this building hosted a forum called the Summit of the Future. Russia was supportive of the idea of the Secretary-General to convene it, since the crisis of our Organisation is deepening and something needs to be done about this. We devoted our efforts to preparing the summit. However, we were realistic in our expectations. There have been many ambitious events in the modern history of the United Nations which ended up with loud declarations which were soon forgotten. The Millenium Summit proclaimed the goal to “free the peoples from the scourge of war”. Two years later the United States of America, at the head of the coalition of the willing, invaded Iraq – the country which has yet to get over the devastating consequences of this affair – under a ridiculous pretext, without the mandate of the UN Security Council.

African Nations Push For Urgent United Nations Reforms

In the ongoing 79th session of the UN General Assembly, heads of state from African countries reiterated their demand for an urgent reform in global decision making and greater representation of their continent in the Security Council. The African leaders claim that their current exclusion from the crucial decision making institutions is a legacy of colonialism and demanded urgent changes. They underlined that highlighting their exclusion is not merely an attempt to claim representation but to gain real say in crucial decision making on issues directly affecting the African countries and their future, such as peace and security challenges, conflict resolution, climate change, and sustainable development.

Can The UN Fulfill Its Mission In An Imperialist-Dominated World?

During the months of September and October the United Nations is holding its 79th General Assembly, which is the space of broadest participation of the international body. The United Nations’ legitimacy, credibility and capacity to fulfill its founding mission to ensure peace and security have been questioned for decades, and 2023-24 was no different. Still, never before has the world witnessed a genocide unfolding before its eyes. In this context, the United Nations’ inability to do anything to stop it shines a bright and unforgiving light on the limitations of this body. Shaky Foundations Throughout its history the United Nations has been subjected to intense efforts at control or sabotage by colonial powers and US imperialist interests.

Defending Humanity

Anyone taking up the question of our shared humanity in the late summer of 2024 must begin with mention of the Gaza crisis, or — with the escalating violence in the West Bank — the wider Palestine crisis. These events are of world-historical magnitude. They challenge any idea of humanity we may have until now held as truths held to be self-evident, as we Americans would say. That seems to be over now. It is as if an era in the human story has ended, and we enter upon one that requires us to think again, maybe for the first time since the 1945 victories, when those who came before us looked back upon the wreckage of the 1930s and 1940s and asked, “Where is our humanity?”

UN Overwhelmingly Votes To Sanction Israel, Impose Arms Embargo

The UN General Assembly voted on 18 September overwhelmingly in favor of ending Israel’s illegal occupation in the West Bank. The Palestinian-drafted resolution called on Israel to end “its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory” within 12 months, including the presence of illegal settlements and hundreds of thousands of illegal settlers. The vote passed with 124 in favor and 43 abstentions. Washington and Tel Aviv voted against the resolution, along with 14 others. The resolution urged states to “take steps towards ceasing the importation of any products originating in the Israeli settlements, as well as the provision or transfer of arms, munitions and related equipment to Israel ... where there are reasonable grounds to suspect that they may be used in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.”

The World’s Chance To Confront US-Israeli Genocide

On Wednesday, the General Assembly is scheduled to debate and vote on a resolution calling on Israel to end “its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory” within six months. Given that the General Assembly, unlike the exclusive 15-member Security Council, allows all members to vote and there is no veto in the General Assembly, this is an opportunity for the world community to clearly express its opposition to Israel’s brutal occupation of Palestine. If Israel predictably fails to heed a General Assembly resolution calling on it to withdraw its occupation forces and settlers from Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem, and the United States then vetoes or threatens to veto a Security Council resolution to enforce the ICJ ruling, then the General Assembly could go a step further.

US Mobilizes Allies To Reject UN Resolution Against Israeli Occupation

The US government is lobbying its western allies to reject a draft resolution set to be presented at the UN on 18 September calling on Israel to end its illegal occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. “Joe Biden’s government is urging Australia to say no to a draft UN resolution by the Palestinian Authority (PA),” Sky News Australia reported on Tuesday, adding that Washington is calling on its allies “to either reject or abstain from the vote.” The UN General Assembly (UNGA) will vote on Wednesday on the landmark resolution that demands Israel end “its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory” within 12 months.

The United Nations Summit Of The Future Appears Stuck In The Past

The United Nations is hosting world leaders on September 22 and 23 for a “Summit of the Future.” Unfortunately, the draft action plan for the summit, while full of lofty language and some good intentions, does not challenge the neoliberal model or corporate control of the global economy. On the contrary, it proposes, for example, to “facilitate access of developing countries to the WTO and promote trade and investment liberalization.” It’s astounding that this plan, which is supposed to serve as the basis for an inter-governmental agreement, is so stuck in the past. For decades now, social movements and elected officials in many countries have become increasingly opposed to trade and investment rules that grant enormous privileges and power to transnational corporations.

A Radical Way To Change The UN Security Council, Including Its Name

What conditions might compel the permanent members of the United Nations Security Council to relinquish their veto power? In exchange, what conditions might the other member states agree on to make it happen? These are important questions to pose to the public as the 193 member states negotiate a Pact for the Future for the upcoming Summit of the Future to ensure the organization’s usefulness for generations to come. Let us hope that the P5 — Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States — as well as other member states have the wisdom to institute reforms as soon as possible. Some Council reform proposals consider adding individual countries as permanent members, such as India or Brazil.

Palestine Takes Seat At UN General Assembly In ‘Historic First’

Palestine was seated for the first time among UN member states on 10 September during the first session of the 79th General Assembly in New York. Permanent Observer to Palestine at the UN, Riyad Mansour, was seated at a table labeled “State of Palestine” between Sri Lanka and Sudan. The seating was approved by UN General Assembly president Philemon Yang. “This is not merely a procedural matter. This is a historic moment for us,” said Egyptian ambassador to the UN Osama Mahmoud Abdelkhalek Mahmoud. Israel’s representative at the UN strongly denounced the seating of Palestine among the UN member states.

BAP Condemns US Plans For Another UN Military Occupation Of Haiti

Once again, the Haiti/Americas Team of the Black Alliance for Peace (BAP) strongly denounces the latest attempts by the U.S. to push for yet another UN military occupation of Haiti. We condemn this action and the relentless assaults on Haitian self-determination by the US and its criminal allies. We also urge Caribbean and Latin American governments to stand in solidarity with Haiti – just as they have stood with one another against violations of national sovereignty in Venezuela, Cuba, Honduras, etc. – as the Haitian people continue to bear the brunt of U.S. imperial policies and actions in the region.

Tel Aviv Threatens To ‘Dissolve PA’ Over UN Push To End Occupation

Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz has threatened to “break and dissolve” the Palestinian Authority (PA) if it moves forward with non-violent diplomatic measures at the UN to end Israel’s occupation of Palestine, the Times of Israel reported on 9 September. Katz made the threat after the PA submitted a draft resolution to the UN General Assembly demanding that Israel be forced to implement the decisions of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague. The General Assembly will vote next week on the draft resolution, which calls for an Israeli withdrawal from the occupied Palestinian territories within six months, dismantling the illegal Jewish settlements, and facilitating the return of Palestinians to their land.

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Urgent End Of Year Fundraising Campaign

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Keep independent media alive. 

Due to the attacks on our fiscal sponsor, we were unable to raise funds online for nearly two years.  As the bills pile up, your help is needed now to cover the monthly costs of operating Popular Resistance.

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