UN General Assembly president warns US veto on Gaza ceasefire undermines body’s credibility

​​​​​​​By Merve Aydogan

HAMILTON, Canada (AA) - The president of the UN General Assembly on Wednesday criticized the US' latest use of its veto on a resolution for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, warning that it undermines the organization's credibility.

"A veto can extinguish hope for those trapped in conflict. It falls hardest on those who turn to the United Nations for peace, for relief, for a path out of suffering, for hope. And when it results in constant blockages, it can damage the credibility of this whole institution," Annalena Baerbock said at a plenary session addressing the US veto at a Sept. 18 Security Council meeting.

Denmark proposed the draft resolution on behalf of the Council's 10 elected members, namely Algeria, Denmark, Greece, Guyana, Pakistan, Panama, South Korea, Sierra Leone, Slovenia, and Somalia.

While 14 of the 15 Council members voted for the resolution, it was blocked when the US voted -- the latest in a series of similar American vetoes of resolutions calling for a Gaza ceasefire.

Stressing that the effects of using the veto are "consequential," Baerbock said: "The situation in Gaza is precisely the kind of crisis where the United Nations is called upon to act, where failure to act undermines the credibility of this organization itself."

"Therefore, we owe it not only to the people of Gaza, but also to our institution, if we are to preserve faith in it, to act now, especially as it's clear what must be done," she said.

Baerbock, a former German foreign minister, noted that the vetoed resolution's "core demands" had already been adopted by the General Assembly.

"The good news is that since the moment the veto debate has been put on the agenda, these demands, together with last week's High-Level International Conference on the two-state solution, have already had an impact, including the clear call that annexation will never be accepted," she added.

She affirmed her support for the two-state solution for a lasting peace in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as opposed to " endless war, permanent occupation."

Meanwhile, US envoy Mike Waltz defended Washington's decision, claiming that the resolution failed to meet basic requirements.

"The United States vetoed this resolution as it failed in a very fundamental task," he said, blaming the resolution for not condemning the Palestinian resistance group, Hamas.

Palestine's UN envoy Riyad Mansour called for immediate action and stressed that a ceasefire must be ensured "without any delay."

"Palestinian lives are not less sacred. They are not less worthy. They are not less valuable. Over 2 million lives wait to be saved in Gaza," he said.

Mansour welcomed diplomatic efforts, including mediation by Qatar, Egypt and Türkiye, and praised US President Donald Trump's rejection of annexation and displacement.

"There is a critical role for regional and international actors and mechanisms in support of Palestinian governance and independence statehood," he said.