Guyana abstained on US Gaza motion as it didn’t include immediate ceasefire, spared Israel -Rodrigues-Birkett

Guyana abstained on a US motion on Friday at the UN Security Council on the Gaza war as it did not call for an immediate ceasefire and spared Israel responsibility for the massive deaths and destruction in the Palestinian territory.

In a statement to the council following the abstention, Guyana’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett gave a number of reasons.

“First, contrary to some media and other reports, this resolution does not call for an immediate ceasefire. Instead, we note that it ‘determines the imperative for a ceasefire,’ and calls for support for diplomatic efforts that are ongoing outside of the UN. While those efforts must be commended, given the responsibility and mandate of this council, Guyana could not support a resolution that does not unequivocally call for an immediate ceasefire.

“Nearly 32,000 persons have been killed in Gaza since 7 October, the majority of whom are women and children. More than 74,000 have been maimed. Initial UN assessments have concluded that it would take years to clear 23 million tons of rubble and unexploded weapons scattered across Gaza. The latest IPC (The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification) report projects famine between now and May 2024. In summary, this man-made disaster cannot be halted without an immediate ceasefire, and it is this council’s responsibility to unequivocally demand one, even as it acknowledged the efforts of Qatar, Egypt and the United States”, she said.

Rodrigues-Birkett added that the demand for a ceasefire should not be linked to or conditioned on the release of hostages. The taking of hostages, she said, is strictly prohibited under international law and their release must be unconditional.“Guyana reiterates its call for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages. Two wrongs cannot make a right and the Palestinian people should not be collectively punished and themselves held hostage for the crime of others”, Rodrigues-Birkett added.

Without naming Israel she charged that it has escaped responsibility for what was transpiring in Gaza.

“Third, in our view, this text lacked attribution in a number of key areas. While the draft includes the condemnation of Hamas for the October 7 attacks, and demands they immediately grant humanitarian access to the hostages and rightfully so, there is no attribution or demand to the Israeli authorities for what is taking place in Gaza. For example, who is responsible for 1.5 [million] Palestinians taking refuge in Rafah, and who has announced a planned military ground offensive there? To whom is the demand for compliance with obligations under international law regarding the protection of civilians and civilian objects, humanitarian access and the protection of humanitarian relief and medical personnel, their assets and infrastructure and applicable? Who has erected and maintained existing barriers to the provision of humanitarian assistance at scale? Who is responsible for the forcible displacement of the civilian population in Gaza? Who is preventing the use of all available routes to and throughout the entire Gaza strip? Who does not respect the conviction and notification mechanisms? We know the answers to these questions. We have heard briefer after briefer, both from the UN system and civil society describe the situation on the ground, explaining where the problems are, and who is responsible for creating these problems. Why then were the relevant demands in the resolution not clearly addressed to the occupying power? Not even once was this done. Indeed, if one were to read this resolution without background knowledge, it would be difficult to ascertain which party in this conflict is committing the atrocities in Gaza, atrocities which necessitated this draft resolution being put forward. In a resolution of 41 paragraphs, 2036 words, the occupying power is mentioned once, in the penultimate paragraph”, Rodrigues-Birkett said.

She also expressed concern about the absence in the resolution of a prominent role for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).

“…we took note of the four paragraphs treating with the mandate of the senior humanitarian and restructuring coordinator for Gaza. While we applaud the coordinator’s efforts, we are of the view that the scale of efforts that would be required in Gaza after the war would warrant a key role for UNRWA, given its decades of experience in the strip and its capacity vis-à-vis other agencies operating there. This council has heard many times of the indispensability of UNRWA. It is the lifeline for Palestinians.

We were, therefore, disappointed that the only mention of UNRWA in the draft pertained to the investigations into the allegations against a small number of its staff. Guyana, supported by several delegations, had requested an affirmation of UNRWA’s important mandate in the text, but this was not taken on board”, she said.

While the majority of the UN Security Council members voted for the US resolution Russia and China vetoed it. Algeria also voted against it.

According to Reuters, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Friday that his country would work with Jordan and the United Arab Emirates to persuade Russia and China to back yet another alternative resolution at the United Nations for a ceasefire in Gaza.