Global Policy Forum

Voting against efforts to establish a United Nations observer force to protect Palestinian civilians, the United States last night vetoed a draft resolution expressing the Council's readiness to set up such a mechanism.

By the terms of the draft, which received nine votes in favour, one against (United States) and four abstentions (France, Ireland, Norway, United Kingdom), the Council would have requested the Secretary-General to consult the parties - Israel and the Palestinians - on immediate steps to implement the resolution. Voting in favour were Bangladesh, China, Colombia, Jamaica, Mali, Mauritius, Russian Federation, Singapore and Tunisia.

Before introducing the text, Council President Volodymyr Yel'chenko (Ukraine), speaking in his national capacity, said his country would not take part in the vote. The voting on the draft, which was sponsored by Bangladesh, Colombia, Jamaica, Mali, Mauritius, Singapore and Tunisia, took place just before midnight during an 80-minute meeting that ended at 12:13 a.m.

By the text, the Council would have expressed its full support for the work of the Fact-Finding Committee established at Sharm el-Sheikh and would have called upon all parties to cooperate fully with it, and to resume contacts on implementation of reciprocal security commitments. The Council would also have called for an end to the closures of the occupied Palestinian territories; full cessation of settlement activities; the transfer by Israel to the Palestinian Authority of all due revenues; and the institution of additional confidence-building measures, including unequivocal public statements supporting all commitments made at Sharm el-Sheikh.

Explaining his country's vote against the draft, the representative of the United States asked why it had been put to the vote now in the absence of a consensus. The draft resolution demonstrated an unrealistic approach by ignoring the basic need to have the agreement of both parties, he said, adding that it was "unbalanced and unwise." He said his country would have supported the text if it had called for an end to incitement and violence, as well as for the implementation of all agreed commitments, including the agreements reached at Sharm el-Sheikh. The Palestinian Authority had never made an unequivocal call, in the Arabic language, for an end to the violence, he said.

Israel's representative said the resolution reflected a one-sided perspective on the violence that had occurred over the last six months. His country, he said, was disheartened that the resolution appeared to take the Palestinian side with no mention of Israeli casualties and no condemnation of Palestinian "terrorism." Israel remained opposed to an international observer force in the region and reiterated that no negotiations would take place in a climate of violence. The Palestinians must end the violence they had instigated, he said.

The Observer for Palestine said that tonight's negative result meant that the Council had been prevented from following through with its duties in maintaining international peace and security. Palestine had made every possible effort to arrive at a positive conclusion, even at the expense of its own position. Ultimately, it could not give up the legitimate needs of the Palestinian people, including the need for international protection, especially since no alternative text had been tabled. Palestine would be present at a later date to see what could be done in cooperation with the Council members who were ready to work for peace, justice and legitimacy.