80th Year of the United Nations – UNSC Has Failed Humanity. Invoke the “Uniting for Peace” Mechanism Now!

Majlis Perundingan Pertubuhan Islam Malaysia (Malaysian Consultative Council of Islamic Organizations) – MAPIM
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PRESS STATEMENT
19th September 2025

80th Year of the United Nations – UNSC Has Failed Humanity. Invoke the “Uniting for Peace” Mechanism Now!

The 80th anniversary of the United Nations should have been a moment to reaffirm humanity’s collective commitment to peace, justice, and the protection of the vulnerable. Instead, it has been marred by the moral bankruptcy of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), whose paralysis in the face of genocide has rendered it worthless as a guardian of global peace.

Yesterday, the United States once again cast its veto – for the sixth time – blocking a resolution demanding an immediate, unconditional, and permanent ceasefire in Gaza. Fourteen of the fifteen Council members stood on the side of humanity. Yet one permanent member, abusing its veto power, chose to shield Israel’s ongoing atrocities. This decision has condemned millions of Palestinians to continued slaughter, starvation, and despair.

The figures are undeniable: nearly 65,141 Palestinians killed, including more than 18,000 children, 12,000 women, 1,400 doctors and nurses, and 250 journalists. Entire families erased, hospitals destroyed, a famine deliberately imposed on a besieged population. Independent UN-appointed experts have already concluded that Israel’s actions amount to genocide, driven by the intent to destroy a people. Still, the UNSC remains shackled to the interests of one state.

The Algerian Ambassador, Amar Bendjama, spoke truthfully when he told the Palestinians: “Forgive us, because the world speaks of rights, but denies them to Palestinians. Forgive us because our efforts, our sincere efforts, shattered against this wall of rejection.”

This “wall of rejection” is none other than the U.S. veto—an instrument that has stripped the Security Council of its legitimacy, credibility, and moral authority. When genocide unfolds in real time, the use of the veto is itself a form of complicity.

UN Must Invoke “Uniting for Peace”

In 1950, the UN General Assembly adopted Resolution 377A, known as the “Uniting for Peace” mechanism, to act when the Security Council fails to uphold its responsibilities due to the veto of a permanent member. That moment is now. The world cannot wait while Gaza is annihilated.

We therefore demand:

1. Immediate invocation of “Uniting for Peace” to transfer responsibility for Gaza to the UN General Assembly.
2. The convening of an Emergency Special Session of the General Assembly to pass a binding resolution for an immediate ceasefire, unrestricted humanitarian access, and accountability for war crimes.
3. The establishment of international protective measures, including peacekeeping or protective military deployments, to safeguard civilians in Gaza.
4. A global boycott and sanctions regime against Israel until it halts its genocidal campaign and complies with international law.

The credibility of the United Nations itself is on the line. If the UN cannot act against genocide, it betrays the very purpose for which it was founded in 1945.

Eighty years after its creation, the UN risks being remembered not as a defender of peace, but as an enabler of war crimes—unless it acts decisively through the mechanisms already available in its Charter.

The world must not remain paralyzed by a veto that protects genocide. The General Assembly must reclaim its authority and act.

Humanity cannot afford more silence. Gaza cannot afford more time. The UN must unite for peace – now.

Mohd Azmi Abdul Hamid
President MAPIM