The Emergency Special Session of the General Assembly to Address Gaza Crisis

The Emergency Special Session of the General Assembly is scheduled to start at 3 PM (New York time).

Declaring the 10th Emergency Special Session open once more, President Dennis Francis highlighted the new request to meet again in light of the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

President Francis expressed concern over the onslaught on civilians, the breakdown of humanitarian systems, and the profound disrespect for international law and international humanitarian law by combatants.

President Francis emphasized the importance of adhering to core principles and values, stating that even in war, there are rules that must be followed.

He revealed that almost 70% of the dead are women and children, and described the collapse of the humanitarian system in real time as unprecedented.

President Francis insisted that the UN must bring an immediate end to the suffering of civilians and called for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire.

The President of the General Assembly, Dennis Francis, is now in his seat above the iconic podium and has just gavelled the meeting to order at 3:07 PM.

The UN General Assembly Hall is filling up with delegates, eagerly anticipating this latest emergency meeting of the world body in New York on the Gaza crisis at 3:05 PM.

So far, there are 21 co-sponsors of the resolution and two amendments tabled. The session is expected to continue beyond this evening with 79 scheduled speakers.

The General Assembly meeting follows the latest Security Council meeting on Friday, which failed to adopt a similar resolution demanding an immediate humanitarian ceasefire and unconditional release of hostages as well as humanitarian access.

The Security Council’s emergency meeting was convened following the Secretary-General’s invocation of Article 99 of the UN Charter, urging the body to help end carnage in Gaza.

The draft resolution is due to be voted on by the 193-member body, along with amendments proposed by Austria and the US, respectively.

The draft resolution takes note of the UNRWA Commissioner General’s letter warning about the severe limitations on humanitarian assistance in Gaza, as well as previous resolutions on the Question of Palestine and relevant Security Council resolutions.

Resolutions by the General Assembly carry moral weight and influence, although they are not legally binding. They lead to key legal frameworks and standards in the international rights regime.

The Emergency Special Session of the General Assembly is a continuation of the tenth emergency special session that last met on 26 October to address the crisis in Gaza.

The session is convened under the Assembly’s “Uniting for Peace” resolution, which allows the body to convene an emergency special session if the Security Council fails to exercise its responsibility for maintaining international peace and security.

This session was first convened in April 1997 and follows a series of meetings regarding the Israeli decision to build a housing project in East Jerusalem.