UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres invoked Article 99 of the UN Charter. Its purpose was to alert the UN Security Council about the potential threat of Israel’s actions in Gaza. The Secretary-General has taken this step to draw attention to the urgent need to stop this major humanitarian disaster.
Article 99 of the United Nations Charter
- Article 99 is a provision within the United Nations Charter that serves as the constitution of the United Nations.
- It empowers the Secretary-General to draw the attention of the Security Council to potential threats to international peace and security.
- Article 99 is considered discretionary, allowing the Secretary-General to highlight important issues and requiring the involvement of the Security Council to implement it.
- This article has been used sparingly, with previous calls to address matters such as the 1960 revolution in the Republic of the Congo, Tunisia’s complaint against French military actions in 1961, and the formation of Bangladesh in 1971.
Charter of united nations
- The Charter of the United Nations is the founding document of the United Nations. It was signed in San Francisco on June 26, 1945 and came into force on October 24, 1945.
- The United Nations can act on a wide variety of issues because of its unique international functions and the powers contained in its Charter, which is considered an international treaty.
- Thus the UN Charter is an instrument of international law and UN member states are bound by it.
- The International Court of Justice (ICJ), the primary judicial body of the United Nations, operates by its own law, which is enshrined as an integral part of the UN Charter.