The actions were taken at the Assembly’s resumed 10th emergency special session, following the failure of the Security Council to adopt a resolution demanding such a ceasefire and full hostage release.
Results of the General Assembly vote on the draft resolution A/ES-10/L.32 “Support for the mandate of the United Uations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East”.
Full support for UNRWA
In the second resolution adopted on Wednesday (A/ES-10/L.32), the General Assembly affirmed its “full support” for UNRWA, which has been under sustained pressure from Israel.
It “deplored” the legislation adopted by the Israeli Knesset on 28 October 2024, which – if implemented – would effectively prevent UNRWA from carrying out its mandate in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
The resolution was adopted with 159 Member States in favour and nine against (Argentina, Israel, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Tonga, and the United States), with 11 Member States abstaining.
Respect UNRWA’s mandate
The General Assembly called on the Israeli Government to “abide by its international obligations, respect the privileges and immunities of the Agency and uphold its responsibility to allow and facilitate full, rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian assistance in all its forms into and throughout the entire Gaza Strip, including the provision of sorely needed basic services to the civilian population.”
“[The Assembly] strongly warns against any attempts to dismantle or diminish the operations and mandate of the Agency, recognizing that any interruption or suspension of its work would have severe humanitarian consequences for millions of Palestine refugees who depend on the Agency’s services and also implications for the region,” the resolution stated.
Implement recommendations
The Assembly also called on UNRWA to fully implement the recommendations outlined in the independent review conducted by Catherine Colonna, the former French foreign minister.
It also took note of the report of the working group on financing of UNRWA, urging “immediate efforts” to address the financial and operational crises affecting the Agency.