New York: With Pakistan abstaining, the U.N. General Assembly Thursdayadopted a western resolution that blames Russia for the escalatinghumanitarian crisis in Ukraine and demanded an immediate halt tohostilities, especially attacks on civilians and their homes, schools andhospitals.
The resolution, which was backed by more than 90 countries, received 140votes in favour to five against, with 38 abstentions, including China.
Russia had denounced the resolution as “anti-Russian” and accused itssupporters of not really being concerned about the humanitarian situationon the ground, saying they want to politicize aid.
The resolution, introduced by Ukraine, deplored the “dire humanitarianconsequences” of Russia’s aggression which it says is “on a scale that theinternational community has not seen in Europe in decades.” It deploredRussia’s shelling, airstrikes and “besiegement” of densely populatedcities, including the southern city of Mariupol, and demands unhinderedaccess for humanitarian aid.
The 193-member Assembly vote followed the Security Council’s failure onWednesday to pass a Russian resolution that would have acknowledgedUkraine’s growing humanitarian needs — but without mentioning Russia’sinvasion.
The 15-member Council acted few hours after the General Assembly startedconsidering a separate resolution titled “Humanitarian consequences of theaggression against Ukraine,” which was drafted by Ukraine and two dozenother countries.
Also on Thursday, the 193-member Assembly took no action on a competingSouth African resolution, which didn’t mention Russia but focused onproviding humanitarian aid to the people affected by the Ukrainian conflict.
Ukraine, citing rule 91 of Assembly’s rules of procedure, said that noaction be taken on the South African resolution as one text has alreadybeen adopted.
The motion, which was put to vote, received 50 votes in favour to 67against, with 36 abstentions, thus failing to get the required majority andconsequently the Assembly took no action on the South African draft.Pakistan and China voted in favour that the Assembly act on that resolution.
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Pakistan UN Ambassador Munir Akram, in his speech before the vote, calledfor an an “agreed outcome,” which can facilitate the promotion ofhumanitarian help to civilians in Ukraine, to the refugees and displacedpeople, including foreign nationals and students, on the basis ofhumanitarian principles and without discrimination.
The Pakistani envoy also briefed the General Assembly about position takenby the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of IslamicCooperation (OIC) at its meeting in Islamabad on Wednesday. ,
The OIC Islamabad Declaration said, in part: “We urge both sides to engagein meaningful dialogue with the purpose of finding a solution to thepresent conflict. We express the willingness of OIC member states tosupport and facilitate the dialogue process between all sides, ifrequested.”
“Such an agreed outcome,” Ambassador Akram said, “should not be impeded bypolitical considerations.”
“A divided outcome will not yield the humanitarian objectives we alldesire,” the Pakistani envoy added.
Before and after the vote, Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia and U.S.Ambassador Linda Thomas Greenfield argued about Russia’s military actionand its decision to even draft a humanitarian resolution.
