Article 99 of the UN Charter

Amid Israel’s ongoing military attacks on the Gaza Strip, United Nations (UN) has invoked Article 99 of the UN Charter in a bid to establish a ceasefire.

It has been invoked for the 1^st time in decades as Israel attacks Gaza.
Article 99 - “The Secretary-General may bring to the attention of the Security Council any matter which in his opinion may threaten the maintenance of international peace and security.”
It is seen as a discretionary power of the Secretary-General.

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) comprises 5 permanent and 10 non-permanent members appointed for specific periods. On a rotational basis, each of these 15 countries holds the presidency for a month. The South American country of Ecuador is the President for December 2023.

Impact – The President of the UNSC is under the obligation to call a meeting of the Council.
Earlier Invocations
- During the upheaval in the Republic of the Congo in 1960 following the end of Belgium’s colonial rule.
- During a complaint by Tunisia in 1961 against France’s naval and air forces launching an attack.

UN Charter

It is the founding document of the United Nations.
Launched in – June 1945 and came into force on October 1945.
It has been amended 3 times in 1963, 1965, and 1973.
Legality – It is an instrument of international law, and UN Member States are bound by it but in practice, there is little that member countries can be forced to do.
It consists of a preamble and 111 articles grouped into 19 chapters.
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) functions in accordance with the Statute of the International Court of Justice, which is annexed to the UN Charter.

For a UN resolution to be adopted, it needs at least 9 votes in favour and no vetoes by the 5 permanent members (US, UK, France, China and Russia).

Source:

Join Our Telegram

Cyclone Michaung

Global Climate 2011-2020:Decade of Acceleration

Oceanic Anoxic Event 1a and MASS EXTINCTION

25 Dec, 24
SHARE

Oceanic Anoxic Event 1a from the Paris Basin (Environment) Paper-3 PMP OAE 1a refers to a period during the Cretaceous Period (145 million years ago and ended 66 million years ago) when Earth's oceans became depleted of oxygen, causing a significant disruption in marine life. Cause: The event is believed to have been

Viksit Panchayat Karmayogi (Good governance)

26 Dec, 24
SHARE

Viksit Panchayat Karmayogi (Good governance) Governance GS PAPER-2 PMP Dr. Jitendra Singh launched the ‘Viksit Panchayat Karmayogi’ initiative on Good Governance Day, celebrated to mark the 100th birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The initiative, which is part of the broader ‘Prashasan Gaon

Major programmes to control Air Pollution

23 Dec, 24
SHARE

Major programmes to control Air Pollution National Clean Air Programme? It was launched by the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) in January 2019. It is the first-ever effort in the country to frame a national framework for air quality management with a time-bound reduction target. The

Air pollution and Air quality Measures in India

21 Dec, 24
SHARE

Air pollution and Air quality Measures in India (Environment) GS Paper-3 P-M-P Air pollution may be defined as the presence of any solid, liquid or gaseous substance including noise and radioactive radiation in the atmosphere in such concentration that may be directly and/or indirectly injurious to humans or other l

Geopolitical Significance of Ports

20 Dec, 24
SHARE

Geopolitical Significance of Ports (IR) Act as geopolitical assets: Ports enhance the projection of strategic reach, which helps strengthen the country’s control over important sea and energy supply routes. E.g. Indian Navy’s staging base at Agalega Islands will enable marine patrols