The United Nations smells of death.

A few days ago, on 11 October 2023, the Fourth Committee of the United Nations (Special Political and Decolonization) approved nineteen draft resolutions as it wrapped up its general debate on decolonization.

Unsurprisingly, the three countries that consistently voted against several of these resolutions were Israel, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

The resolution requiring the administering Powers to terminate military activities and eliminate military bases in the Non-Self-Governing Territories under their administration. Approved by a vote of 102 in favor to 3 against: Israel, United Kingdom, United States

The resolution titled “Information from Non-Self-Governing Territories requires the administering Powers to regularly transmit to the Secretary-General statistical and other technical information relating to the economic, social, and educational conditions in their Territories. Approved by a vote of 135 in favour to 2 against (United States, Israel), with 2 abstentions (France, United Kingdom).

The resolution titled “Economic and other activities which affect the interests of the peoples of the Non-Self-Governing Territories” expresses concern about activities aimed at exploiting the natural and human resources of the Non-Self-Governing Territories to the detriment of their inhabitants. Approved by a vote of 135 in favour to 2 against (United States, Israel), with 2 abstentions (France, United Kingdom).

The resolution titled “Dissemination of information on decolonization” highlights the importance of continuing and expanding efforts to ensure the widest possible dissemination of information on decolonization. Approved by a vote of 136 in favor to 3 against (Israel, United Kingdom, United States) and 1 abstention (France).

So, if there is any doubt about who advocates for a post-colonial world, Doubt No More.

The message is clear: the governments of the United States, Israel, and the United Kingdom consider themselves superior colonies and would like to see that status quo extended indefinitely.

The worst is that this is happening inside the United Nations, the multilateral international organization that embodies the universal conception of progress and human rights.

It would only seem logical then that the United States will resort to its vetoing powers to torpedo any peace efforts, particularly regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Only yesterday, those same countries butchered yet another Security Council resolution that proposed a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza.

It should, therefore, come as no surprise that in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the United States has provided a diplomatic shield to its main ally by casting a record veto 53 times in the UN Security Council in favor of Israel and against anti-Israel resolutions or condemnations of Israel.

Of these 53 vetoes, 21 were under former President Obama’s administration. Before he departed from the White House, Obama instructed the US representative to the UN to abstain on a resolution condemning the settlements.

The United States has been sending a clear message to all. We will never allow any resolution against Israel inside the United Nations, and the United Nations isn’t the appropriate forum to agree on peace and security in the world.

In the right of reply, we have a Secretary-General who, by his statements, fails to call for a ceasefire out of fear of upsetting the United States and Israel.

A Secretary-General who fails to act on his predecessor’s (Kofi Annan) action plan to take timely and preventive actions to avert another bloody genocide in the world.

A Secretary-General who fails to use the word “condemn” when it comes to the large-scale atrocities committed against the Palestinian people, especially the Palestinian children, or to the total illegal blockade of Gaza or the forced internal displacement of 1 million Palestinian persons.

A United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mr. Volker Turk slapped by Israel’s permanent representative to the UN because he dared to condemn the siege of Gaza as “prohibited by international law”.

A Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, who, when asked by journalists about the UN staff who were killed in the Israeli airstrikes, dehumanizes them only because they’re Palestinians as if Palestinian victims do not have names, as if Palestinians are destined every day to die by an Israeli airstrike.

“Question: And final question. Do you have names or at least the nationalities of UNRWA’s employees who were killed?

Spokesman: My understanding is that they’re all Palestinians. Yeah.

Question: Names? No names?

Spokesman: I will give you the… I think UNRWA has released the names. I will make sure we circulate them, if we have all of them.

A Spokesperson for the Secretary-General who attempts to diminish the role and persona of the UN Special Rapporteur for the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Francesca Albanese, because she courageously addressed the Secretary-General asking him to call for an immediate ceasefire, which he still has not done.

“Question: I want to take you back to this issue of ceasefire. Francesca Albanese, the Special Rapporteur for the Occupied Palestinian Territory, tweeted and directly asked the Secretary-General. She said, I’m quoting, “Secretary-General, please call for a ceasefire now. If not now, when? If not you, who?” What’s your comment?

Spokesman: I mean, Ms. Albanese is Ms. Albanese. The Secretary-General is the Secretary-General. She’s an independent rapporteur with the right to say, of course, what she feels she needs to say. The Secretary-General’s position, I think, as I’ve been explaining it with some challenge here for the last days, is what it is”

If there is anything that the #Gaza war has shown, it certainly is the death of multilateralism and the death of the United Nations.

Palestine smells of death.

The Security Council smells of death.

The United Nations smells of death.

The international system that embodies the principles of peace, security, and human rights has failed.

It’s time to change the way the world is organized.

While conflicts worldwide might still require global collaboration, they must not be entertained within a dormant body that cannot reform its anachronic veto system of World War II.

There is no reason why the Arab world should continue paying their assessed contributions to an international body paralyzed and controlled by the Western powers.

The Arab countries must realize that only a new world order reshaped around new blocs and coalitions can solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and push the Middle East toward further integration and sustainable development.

There is no reason why the Secretary-General of an international organization must not pay tribute to the Palestinian United Nations staff who died from Israeli air strikes in their own homes.

To Mr. Guterres, we are reminded of the words of the former United Nations Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjöld in his speech in May 1954.

“The UN was not created to take mankind to heaven, but to save humanity from hell.”

Mr. Secretary-General, it is time to save #Gaza from hell.