UN / GA GAZA VETO
STORY: UN / GA GAZA VETO
TRT: 04:30
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGES: ENGLISH / RUSSIAN / CHINESE / NATS
DATELINE: 08 APRIL 2024, NEW YORK CITY / FILE
FILE - NEW YORK CITY
1. Wide shot, UN Headquarters
08 APRIL 2024, NEW YORK CITY
2. Wide shot, General Assembly
3. Wide shot, GA President Dennis Francis walks up to rostrum
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Dennis Francis, President, General Assembly, United Nations:
“While I support the thrust of the veto initiative – as a pioneering tool for transparency and accountability – I express deep regret that we must routinely employ it due to the perennial inability of the Security Council to speak with one voice on matters of grave importance and sensitivity in relation to the maintenance of international peace and security.”
5. Wide shot, Francis at the rostrum
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Dennis Francis, President, General Assembly, United Nations:
“No one – I repeat, no one – should need to swim to retrieve food while food convoys are lined up outside the gate waiting to be let in. No one should ever know the hell of being kidnapped, indefinitely – and no family to the anguish of waiting for news of their fate. No humanitarian worker should ever be the target of an air strike – most outrageously in an area meant for safe passage.”
7. Wide shot, Russian Ambassador Dmitry Polyanskiy walks up to rostrum
8. SOUNDBITE (Russian) Dmitry Polyanskiy, First Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Russian Federation:
“We are faced with a situation where a veto cast by the Russian Federation in China clearly prevented the adoption of a resolution, a draft resolution which not only was not geared towards ending hostilities in Gaza, but which essentially gave Israel carte blanche to continue its inhumane operations which ran counter to international humanitarian law in the strip.”
9. Wide shot, China’s Ambassador Dai Bing walks up to rostrum
10. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Dai Bing, Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations, China:
“Facts have proven that it was because of China and relevant countries’ adherence to principles, justice and the resolute exercise of vetoes, that the United States has eventually realized that it cannot and is no longer able to continue to stop the Security Council from moving in the right direction and taking crucial steps.”
11. Wide shot, Palestine Ambassador Riyad Mansour walks up to rostrum
12. SOUNDBITE (English) Riyad Mansour, Permanent Observer to the United Nations, Palestine:
“How is it that the party colonizing and committing genocide can be a full member of these United Nations and the party committed to the role of international law and just and lasting peace cannot? Haven't we waited long enough? suffer enough, endured enough? I ask you, does the UN membership want us to be their fellow member? Do you want us to be a fellow member of you as a member of the United Nations? The answer is obvious. A resounding yes.”
13. Wide shot, Israel Ambassador Gilad Erdan walks up to rostrum
14. SOUNDBITE (English) Gilad Erdan, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Israel:
“The UN now in complete violation of its charter is considering to force the establishment of a Palestinian terror state. Yes, to force it. This won't be a regular state. I'm telling you, it will be a Palesti-Nazi state, an entity that achieved statehood despite being committed to terror and Israel's annihilation. If Hitler was alive today, he would be singing the UN's praises.”
15. Wide shot, US Ambassador Robert Wood walks up to rostrum
16. SOUNDBITE (English) Robert Wood, Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations, United States:
“The United States rejects Russia and China's decision to play petty politics. We will continue efforts to advance peace in the region. We will remain at the negotiating table to enable the release of hostages and a ceasefire. We will continue to provide massive support to the humanitarian effort at a time when starvation has set in, and millions of people are in dire need of assistance.”
17. Wide shot, General Assembly
The President of the General Assembly, Dennis Francis, today (8 Apr) expressed “deep regret” that the General Assembly is meeting again on the veto initiative due to “the perennial inability of the Security Council to speak with one voice on matters of grave importance and sensitivity in relation to the maintenance of international peace and security.”
Today’s GA session follows China and the Russian Federation use of the veto on 22 March on a Security Council Resolution tabled by the United States on a ceasefire in Gaza.
Francis reiterated his appeal for an end of the conflict whilst recalling that the violence has killed over 32,500 Palestinians since 7 October, the majority of them women and children.
He said, “no one – I repeat, no one – should need to swim to retrieve food while food convoys are lined up outside the gate waiting to be let in. No one should ever know the hell of being kidnapped, indefinitely – and no family to the anguish of waiting for news of their fate. No humanitarian worker should ever be the target of an air strike – most outrageously in an area meant for safe passage.”
Members States heard remarks by the Russian Federation and the People’s Republic of China on their use of the veto.
Russian Ambassador Dmitry Polyanskiy said, “we are faced with a situation where a veto cast by the Russian Federation in China clearly prevented the adoption of a resolution, a draft resolution which not only was not geared towards ending hostilities in Gaza, but which essentially gave Israel carte blanche to continue its inhumane operations which ran counter to international humanitarian law in the strip.”
China’s Ambassador Dai Bing said, “facts have proven that it was because of China and relevant countries’ adherence to principles, justice and the resolute exercise of vetoes, that the United States has eventually realized that it cannot and is no longer able to continue to stop the Security Council from moving in the right direction and taking crucial steps.”
Palestinian Ambassador Riyad Mansour commented on the Security Council's announcement that it has agreed to officially refer Palestine's membership application to the Committee on the Admission of New Members.
Mansour said, “how is it that the party colonizing and committing genocide can be a full member of these United Nations and the party committed to the role of international law and just and lasting peace cannot? Haven't we waited long enough? suffer enough, endured enough? I ask you, does the UN membership want us to be their fellow member? Do you want us to be a fellow member of you as a member of the United Nations? The answer is obvious. A resounding yes.”
For his part Israeli Ambassador Gilad Erdan said, “the UN now in complete violation of its charter is considering to force the establishment of a Palestinian terror state. Yes, to force it. This won't be a regular state. I'm telling you, it will be a Palesti-Nazi state, an entity that achieved statehood despite being committed to terror and Israel's annihilation. If Hitler was alive today, he would be singing the UN's praises.”
Finally, US Ambassador Robert Wood said the United States “rejects Russia and China's decision to play petty politics. We will continue efforts to advance peace in the region. We will remain at the negotiating table to enable the release of hostages and a ceasefire. We will continue to provide massive support to the humanitarian effort at a time when starvation has set in, and millions of people are in dire need of assistance.”