| UNGeneral Assembly Resolution ES-11/2 | |||||||||||
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| Date | 24 March 2022 | ||||||||||
| Meeting no. | 11th Emergency Special Session (continued) | ||||||||||
| Code | A/RES/ES-11/2 (Document) | ||||||||||
| Subject | Humanitarian consequences of the aggression against Ukraine | ||||||||||
Voting summary |
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| Result | Resolution adopted | ||||||||||
TheUnited Nations General Assembly Resolution ES-11/2 is the secondresolution of theeleventh emergency special session of the United Nations General Assembly, adopted on 24 March 2022, followingResolution ES-11/1 which was adopted on 2 March 2022. Resolution ES‑11/2 reaffirmed the UN's former commitments and obligations under itsCharter, and reiterated its demand thatRussia withdraw fromUkraine's recognized sovereign territory; it also deplored, expressed grave concern over and condemned attacks on civilian populations and infrastructure. Fourteen principles were agreed.
Anemergency special session is an unscheduled meeting of theUnited Nations General Assembly to make urgent recommendations on a particular situation relevant for the maintenance ofinternational peace and security in any instance where theSecurity Council fails to act owing to theveto of apermanent member.
The mechanism was introduced in 1950 with theUniting for Peace resolution, which declared that:
...if the Security Council, because of lack ofunanimity 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.
The General Assembly's ability to recommend collective measures was the subject of an intense dispute in the 1950s and 1960s. In 1962, anadvisory opinion of theInternational Court of Justice stated that, while "enforcement action" is the exclusive domain of the Security Council, the General Assembly has the authority to take a wide range of decisions, including establishing a peacekeeping force.[1]
On 24 February 2022,Russia launched a large-scaleinvasion againstUkraine. A draft resolution deploring the invasion and calling for the withdrawal of Russian troops wasvetoed in the Security Council the following day, prompting the Security Council to convene an emergency special session on the subject of Ukraine withUnited Nations Security Council Resolution 2623.[2] Anemergency special session on 25 February issuedResolution ES-11/1 of 2 March which deploredRussia's invasion of Ukraine and demanded a full withdrawal ofRussian forces and a reversal of its decision torecognise theself-declaredPeople's Republics of Donetsk andLuhansk. The paragraph 10 of theUnited Nations General Assembly Resolution of 2 March 2022 confirmed the involvement ofBelarus in unlawful use of force againstUkraine.[3] The resolution wassponsored by 96 countries, and passed with 141 voting in favour, 5 against, and 35abstentions.[4] Military action by the Russian Federation continued and the 11th Emergency Session was resumed; on 24 March it issued Resolution ES-11/2, and on 7 April issuedResolution ES-11/3.[5]Theeleventh ESS has been 'adjourned' and 'resumed' on numerous occasions over the past several years, and remains temporarily adjourned. Indeed, over twenty separate 'plenary meetings' have been held by the Assembly, whilst sitting in the eleventh ESS, since 2022.
The resolution reaffirmed its former commitments and obligations under theUnited Nations Charter. It reiterated its demand that Russia withdraw from Ukraine's recognized sovereign territory; it also deplored, expressed grave concern over and condemned attacks on civilian populations and infrastructure. Fourteen principles were agreed. Briefly, the principles demanded the full implementation of resolution ES-11/1, immediate cessation of the hostilities by the Russian Federation against Ukraine, full protection of civilians, including humanitarian personnel, journalists and persons in vulnerable situations, and encouraged "continued negotiation". The 11th Emergency Session was adjourned.[6]
Part of theRusso-Ukrainian war (2022–present) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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