Again the United States has used its veto at the security council to allow Israel to continue slaughtering civilians. It is past time to enact chapter seven of the United Nations charter. Summary below.
Purpose: Chapter VII (Articles 39–51) gives the UN Security Council authority to maintain or restore international peace and security when there are threats, breaches of peace, or acts of aggression.
Key Points:
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Article 39 – The Security Council determines the existence of a threat to peace, breach of peace, or act of aggression.
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Articles 40–41 – The Council can impose provisional measures (e.g., ceasefires) and non-military sanctions (economic, diplomatic, transport, communication restrictions).
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Article 42 – If non-military measures are inadequate, the Council can authorize military action (blockades, air, sea, or land forces).
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Articles 43–47 – Member States agree to make armed forces and assistance available to the Council; a Military Staff Committee was envisaged but never became operational.
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Article 51 – Recognizes the inherent right of individual or collective self-defense if an armed attack occurs, until the Security Council acts.
Below is the Palestinian representative’s response to this disgraceful veto of a resolution that could have brought this horror to an end.
Sydney demo tomorrow. See previous post.