Political apartheid at the United Nations: The right of veto or vetoing the right
The United Nations started its work with 300 people in the early 1946 with the aim of connecting nations and bringing security, peace, human rights and human development. At the present time, the UN with about 44,000 expert personnel, has a budget of 5.5 billion dollars a year.
The organization has been derailed by U.S. and Russia’s inhuman interventions for years. It also has become a place for political apartheid to protect the interests of permanent members of the Security Council by using “the right of veto”. Over the past few decades, “the right of veto” has changed to “vetoing the right”. The permanent members of the Security Council, who were supposed to prevent war and establish peace, have fueled wars as they enjoy the right of veto.
The United Nations has pursued 63 peace missions around the word. However, the missions failed in many cases because of the right of veto by the Security Council permanent members. The first veto was used by the former Soviet Union for the withdrawing British and French troops from the territories of Syria and Lebanon in 1946, and vetoing resolutions concerning the Palestinian issue has been continuing for 70 years.
By 1968, a total of 84 resolutions were vetoed at the UN, 80 of which were exercised by the Soviet Union. All the cases that faced with the country’s veto, were in fact the scene of competition between Eastern and Western blocs. By vetoing the Security Council’s decisions, the Soviet Union tried to challenge the U.S. and protect its dominance and interests.
Many wars and killings in some countries, including the Czechoslovak coup, the Greek civil war, the Korean War, and War on Water between Syria and Israel, were triggered because the Soviets used their vetoes. On the other hand, the United States, Britain, and France used their right of veto to preserve their control over colonies.
Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the U.S., Russia and China have been the only countries that have used their right of veto to prolong wars in the Middle East. For the first time, the U.S. and Britain exercised their veto regarding to the independence of Rhodesia, one of countries that was under British colonization.
Since 1970, the U.S. has vetoed 81 resolutions, 44 of which have been in support of Israel which have led to an exacerbation of tensions between the Israelis and Palestinians. It also prompted Israel’s non-compliance with international standards and norms.
The Obama administration abstained to veto UN resolution 2334 against Israel that considered settlements in the occupied territories as illegal and condemned it. But Trump, with his “deal of the century” project proved that, unlike Obama, he did not believe in a two-state solution to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
On the 70th anniversary of the Israel foundation, Trump decided to relocated U.S. embassy to Jerusalem. Then 15 members of the Security Council voted on two proposed draft resolutions after Israel killed 58 Palestinians following protests in Gaza on May 14, 2018. One draft resolution was proposed by 14 members of the UN Security Council and one by the U.S.
The second draft proposed by the U.S., which blamed Hamas for violence in the Gaza Strip near the border with Israel, ended in failure as only the U.S. voted for it. That a permanent member of the Security Council propose a draft resolution and only itself vote for it was recorded as a rare and unprecedented event at the UN.
A resolution backed by 14 members of the Security Council denouncing recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel failed to be passed due to the U.S veto. The countries did not hesitate and called for the issue to be discussed at the UN General Assembly. Nikki Haley, Washington’s ambassador to the United Nations, had earlier warned that she would tell Trump the names of countries that vote against the United States. Trump also threated that if any country vote for the resolution, the U.S. would cut financial support for it.
But 128 nations at the UN General Assembly voted against Trump’s decision on Jerusalem, insisting that any decision that would lead to a change in Jerusalem’s identity, status or population is rejected. The votes were not bought by intimidation and dollar. In the procedure of the changes, Nikki Haley offered a confession about Israel that was more like a prayer worse than a curse. She asked the international community not to see Israel as a temporary entity. This means that in in view of Haley the international community looks at Israel as a temporary coutry.
In the course of developments in the Middle East, Russia has so far exercised its veto right 12 times in favor of Syria concerning the civil war in the country and Assad’s use of chemical weapons, moves which have resulted in the death of hundreds of thousands of Syrians and the displacement of 12 million citizens.
Following the terrorist attacks in Paris, the Security Council voted on a resolution proposed by France, regarding the fight against the Islamic State group, and France’s president declared war against them. But such terrorist attacks that have been continuing in other countries for years, have not been brought to the UN agenda.
Regarding protests in Venezuela, Russia and China prevented the adoption of a U.S. resolution on early election in Venezuela, thereby pushing the hard-hit people of Venezuela into a much deeper conflict in a clash of interests with the United States. Contrary to the NPT, the race for producing advanced nuclear weapons is continuing and Russia and the U.S. are competing for military superiority. In their new policies, they are also mulling possible atomic war confrontation.
Following the recent Russian military maneuvers and showcasing an advanced weapon, which is capable to challenge the U.S. naval and missile power, the U.S. continues to fuel the arms race. It is reviving the old Star War project known as Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) which threatens the security of the Earth and sky. In the silence of the United Nations and the political apartheid dominating the world body, the NPT has become irrelevant. Also, by leaving the INF, the U.S. and Russia have divided the world into two destructive nuclear poles.
By Adam Dentor (@Adamdentor)
