A UN resolution is a formal text passed by one of the UN’s main deliberative bodies, the Security Council or the General Assembly. Resolutions may be substantive or procedural.
Almost all UN resolutions follow a common format. The title and preambular clauses are unnumbered, end with commas (not semicolons), and do not start with adjectives; the operative clauses are numbered, end with semicolons and a period, and never start with words such as “should”, “may”, or “must”. Resolutions are usually single sentences long, though the name of the issuing body may be moved above the preambular clauses or below.
The resolution is a call for an urgent, comprehensive arms embargo on Israel. It also reiterates the demand for Israel to withdraw armed forces from territories occupied in the recent conflict, and reiterates that the right of return for Palestinian refugees should be guaranteed. It is the latest in a series of resolutions that have addressed these issues.
The Advisory Group of Experts report gave impetus to these twin resolutions, which are known collectively as the’sustaining peace’ resolutions. They map implementation of the women, peace and security recommendations made in the three 2015 peace and security reviews, with a focus on those areas that are not yet fully implemented.
The resolution calls for a more effective response to the threats of modern conflict, and for a renewed international partnership in the pursuit of lasting peace and security. It also reaffirms the importance of the role of UNHCR, and stresses its commitment to implement policy directives issued by the General Assembly and Economic and Social Council.
About the Author
