[Inside Chodong] The Lesson from the Failure of UN Charter Article 99

When will peace come to the Middle East? The Gaza Strip Ministry of Health, governed by Hamas in Palestine, announced on the 11th (local time) that "at least 18,250 people have died due to Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip." Since the war broke out on October 7, the total number of injured has been counted at 49,645. On the same day, the Israeli military reported that the number of its soldiers killed in the ground war in the Gaza Strip had risen to 104.

On the 6th, when UN Secretary-General Ant?nio Guterres invoked 'Article 99 of the UN Charter' and proposed the adoption of a 'ceasefire resolution between Israel and Hamas,' there was some hope for a warm conclusion.

Article 99 of the UN Charter grants the UN Secretary-General the authority to draw the attention of the Security Council to any matter that may threaten international peace and security. If the resolution passes, the Security Council must convene to prepare appropriate responses to resolve the issue at hand, which may include diplomatic measures and military intervention.

Among the 15 Security Council member states, at least 9 must vote in favor, and especially all five permanent members?the United States, China, Russia, the United Kingdom, and France?must agree, making it a stringent condition. However, who would not wish for peace?

Nevertheless, Article 99 of the UN Charter, invoked for the first time in 52 years since the India-Pakistan conflict that led to the establishment of Bangladesh in 1971, was vetoed by the United States. Earlier in October, the US also cast a negative vote against a Security Council resolution calling for a temporary ceasefire.

Moreover, on the 11th, US President Joe Biden reaffirmed at a Hanukkah reception held at the White House that military support for Israel would continue until Hamas is driven out.

Why does the US side with Israel despite facing accusations of being an "accomplice to Israel's war crimes"? The US political magazine Politico diagnosed that "continuing the war aligns with US interests in various aspects." The collapse of Hamas would ease US concerns regarding economic and security interests in the Middle East, and the US does not want to negatively affect its important partnership with Israel, the analysis followed.

Everyone would seem to 'naturally' support stopping the war and resolving issues through dialogue. However, in the international political and diplomatic arena, where sharply intertwined national interests and maximizing self-interest are paramount, there is no such thing as 'naturally.' Humanitarianism, rationality, and goodwill easily lose strength before thorough pragmatism.

John F. Kennedy, the 35th President of the United States, left the quotes: "If we do not end the war, the war will end us," and "If you make a mistake in domestic politics, you just lose the election. But a mistake in diplomacy can bring death to all of us." The war news arriving every moment makes us realize the gravity of 'diplomatic mistakes.'

The Yoon Suk-yeol administration's diplomacy over the past 20 months has been skewed toward the US and Japan, with frozen relations with North Korea, China, and Russia, and diplomacy focused on receiving state visits with a budget of 57.8 billion won. What were the actual achievements? It is time to acknowledge the shortcomings and demonstrate results in the competition for national interests through intelligence capabilities, building relationships with key personnel, and strategic and meticulously calculated diplomatic moves. We expect the professional image of learning from failure and moving forward.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.