SecCo resolution 1860 not heeded, request for resumption of GA 10th emergency special session – Letter from Malaysia

    Letter dated 10 January 2009 from the Permanent Representative of Malaysia to the United Nations addressed to the President of the General Assembly

  I have the honour to forward herewith a letter dated 10 January 2009 from Mr. Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Prime Minister of Malaysia (see annex). The Prime Minister appreciated your decision to convene an emergency session of the General Assembly on 8 January 2009 to address the deteriorating situation in Gaza, which was deferred in light of the adoption by the Security Council of resolution 1860 (2009). In view of the fact that the call by the Council for an immediate, durable and fully respected ceasefire, leading to the full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza has not been heeded. The Prime Minister requests your personal intervention with members of the Security Council and with the leaders of the concerned parties to demand an immediate cessation of violence as well as the reconvening of the emergency special session of the General Assembly to address the situation in Gaza in the spirit of General Assembly resolution 377 (V), of 3 November 1950, entitled “Uniting for peace”.

(Signed ) Hamidon Ali

Ambassador

Permanent Representative of Malaysia

    Annex to the letter dated 10 January 2009 from the Permanent Representative of Malaysia to the United Nations addressed to the President of the General Assembly

  I was delighted to hear, after I had written a letter to you on 7 January 2009, that you had decided to convene an emergency special session of the General Assembly on 8 January 2009 to request the Security Council to address the deteriorating situation in Gaza and to take the necessary decisions to declare an immediate and unconditional ceasefire as well as to demand that the parties concerned comply with the multitude of United Nations resolutions concerning the question of Palestine.

  Then, in the wake of the action taken by the Security Council to meet and adopt resolution 1860 (2009) on 8 January 2009, you decided to defer the reconvening of the emergency special session of the General Assembly. I agree that your decision to defer the emergency special session was consistent with United Nations procedures and traditions.

  However, as you are aware, Security Council resolution 1860 (2009) did not have the desired effect of putting a stop to the killing and destruction taking place in Gaza. The call by the Security Council for an immediate, durable and fully respected ceasefire, leading to the full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, has not been heeded. I fear that the situation in Gaza will only get worse.

  We all know that the main weakness of Security Council resolution 1860 (2009) is the absence of any provision in the resolution for an implementing mechanism such as the establishment of an international monitoring team or a United Nations peacekeeping force that can enforce the ceasefire and prevent the outbreak of new hostilities.

  In view of the latest developments, and in your capacity as President of the General Assembly, I would like to seek your personal intervention with members of the Security Council and with the leaders of the concerned parties to demand an immediate cessation of violence and that they work to re-establish stability in Gaza.

  I would also like to request you to reconvene the emergency special session of the General Assembly which you had postponed on 8 January 2009. I believe the circumstances prevailing on the ground in Gaza, and the uncertainty prevailing in the Security Council, require that you take this necessary action. In my view, the only option available to the general membership of the United Nations to play their part of upholding the principal role of the United Nations in averting war and maintaining international peace and security is to assemble and address the situation in Gaza in the spirit of General Assembly resolution 377 (V), of 3 November 1950, entitled “Uniting for peace”.

(Signed ) Abdullah Ahmad Badawi

____________