Greenpeace today strongly supported calls from the Arab League
for an Emergency Session of the United Nations General Assembly to
call for a halt to the illegal, unilateral war in Iraq.
Today's UN Security Council 'open debate' will hear views from
all members of the General Assembly and is expected to result in a
resolution calling for a ceasefire and condemning the war in Iraq,
which seems certain to be vetoed by the US and the UK. According to
press reports (1), this will trigger a call by the Arab League for
an Emergency Session of the UN General Assembly, which can be
invoked under UN Resolution 377, known as Uniting for Peace.
'It's time that the US and UK governments are confronted by the
breadth and depth of global opposition to this illegal war,' said
Steve Sawyer, Greenpeace political advisor. "We believe that, if a
resolution is tabled, an overwhelming majority of UN member states
will support it, reflecting both a desire for the rule of law as
well as the overwhelming global public opposition to US
unilateralism and to the loss of life in Iraq."
Resolution 377 can be called either by a majority of the members
of the UN Security Council, or by a majority of the General
Assembly. It has been invoked 10 times in the last 50 years, when
the Security Council, due to a 'lack of unanimity' among the
permanent members, is unable to perform its primary task of
maintaining international peace and security. (2)
"We know that the US and the UK have already been threatening
countries with reprisals if they invoke 'Uniting for Peace' (3).
We're asking all countries to stand together against a new world
order dictated by the US, and use every legal instrument available
within the UN system to stop the war," added Sawyer.
Notes: (1) see: http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-war-un-iraq.story (2) Resolution 377 recognises that the Security Council has primary responsibility for keeping the peace, but notes that a failure of the Security Council to discharge its responsibilities "does not deprive the General Assembly of its rights or relieve it of its responsibilities under the Charter in regard to the maintenance of international peace and security". The operative part of Resolution 377 says: Resolves that if the Security Council, because of lack of unanimity of the permanent members, fails to exercise its primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security in any case where there appears to be a threat to the peace, breach of the peace, or act of aggression, the General Assembly shall consider the matter immediately with a view to making appropriate recommendations to Members for collective measures, including in the case of a breach of the peace or act of aggression the use of armed force when necessary, to maintain or restore international peace and security. If not in session at the time, the General Assembly may meet in emergency special session within twenty-four hours of the request therefore. Such emergency special session shall be called if requested by the Security Council on the vote of any seven members, or by a majority of the Members of the United Nations;"The full text of Resolution 377 can be found at http://nowar.greenpeace.org/ufp/For a legal analysis of the applicability of Resolution 377, see http://www.greenpeace.org/ufp(3) see: La Tercera, "Brownfield confirma que EE.UU. envió carta a Chile para evitar más problemas diplomáticos," March 19, 2001. (title in English: "Brownfield Confirms that U.S. Sent Letter to Chile to Avoid More Diplomatic Problems," on-line at: http://www.latercera.cl/lt/Articulo/0,4293,3255_5702_22593738,00.html or "Russian parliament calls on Putin to seek UN General Assembly meeting," AFP, March 20, 2003.