UN Ukraine Resolution ES-11/1 Exposed National Interests Over Global Peace

Recalling that all States are required by Article 2 of the Charter to settle international disputes peacefully and to desist from using force or threatening to use it against the political independence or territorial integrity of any other State, or in any other way that would be in conflict with the goals of the UN. 

All Members shall fulfill in good faith the commitments they have taken on in line with the Charter in order to guarantee to each other the rights and advantages that come with membership. Resolving the issue raised in document S/Agenda/8979, the Security Council called for an urgent extraordinary session of the General Assembly on February 27, 2022, and issued resolution 2623 (2022).

Ukraine Crisis

Tensions with Russia have increased as a result of Ukraine’s efforts to establish closer links with the European Union and NATO since the Soviet Union fell apart in 1991. In 2014, Russia started supporting pro-Russian rebels in some areas of eastern Ukraine and unlawfully seized the Crimean Peninsula. After eight years of conflict, more than 3,000 people have died, more than 850,000 have been displaced, and over 3 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance. After eight years, the dispute turned into a full-scale war. 

On February 24, 2022, the crisis in Ukraine intensified and turned into a war. Continued bombing and shelling destroys civilian infrastructure, including schools, hospitals, and houses. Over 8 million people have fled to neighboring nations in search of safety, leaving over 5.4 million people internally displaced in Ukraine.

United Nations Security Council (UNSC)

The Security Council, which met today in the midst of the developing crisis in Ukraine, rejected a draft resolution meant to put a stop to the Russian Federation’s military assault on that neighboring State. Eleven nations supported the measure, which was presented by the US and Albania, but the Russian Federation rejected it.  

The United Arab Emirates, China, and India all refrained from voting. According to the draft, the 15-member Council would have also strongly condemned the aggression of the Russian Federation as being in violation of Article 2, paragraph 4 of the UN Charter, which forbids using force or threatening to use force against a state’s political independence or territorial integrity.

Global Peace

The UN Ukraine Resolution ES-11/1 would have also urged all sides to safeguard civilians, including humanitarian workers, and those in precarious situations, especially children, by permitting and facilitating the quick, safe, and unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid to those in need. Along with supporting de-escalation in the current situation, the Council would have urged the Secretary-General, Member States, the OSCE, and other international and regional organizations to keep up their efforts. It would also have encouraged the UN to continue responding to the humanitarian and refugee crisis that the Russian Federation’s aggression has created.

National Interests

It is anticipated that missile attacks across Ukraine would continue. 51 people were killed when a Russian missile struck a town in northern Ukraine in October 2023 as people had gathered to pay respects to a dead Ukrainian soldier. As winter approaches, humanitarians expect attacks on gas, water, and energy facilities, especially in close proximity to the front lines, to exacerbate the situation. Attacks against civilian infrastructure are prohibited by international humanitarian law. The global cost of living issue has worsened people’s health and wellbeing, particularly for the world’s poorest citizens, and raised the possibility of famine. Worldwide food security has been impacted by the conflict.

International Relations

The resolution ES-11/1 of the UN General Assembly is titled “Aggression against Ukraine.” In reaction to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the UN General Assembly approved this resolution on March 2, 2022, during its eleventh emergency extraordinary session. With an overwhelming vote of 143 in favor, 5 against, and 35 abstention, the resolution was carried. Resolution ES-11/1, the first resolution on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which called for Russia to remove its military from the country, received less votes than this one, which condemned Russia’s conduct.

ES-11/1 Implications

ES-11/1 condemned Russia’s incursion into Ukraine and called for the complete evacuation of the Russian military as well as a reversal of its decision to recognize the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics. The resolution ES-11/1 of the UN General Assembly is titled “Aggression against Ukraine.” In reaction to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the UN General Assembly approved this resolution on March 2, 2022, during its eleventh emergency extraordinary session.

Diplomacy and Negotiations

The eleventh emergency extraordinary session of the UN General Assembly was summoned by UN Security Council Resolution 2623 in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Persons in Ukraine and its surrounding regions are receiving emergency relief and support from the UN, with a focus on women, children, the elderly, and persons with disabilities.

Conflict Resolution

Each Security Council member is granted one vote per UN Charter Article 27. Procedural decisions need a minimum of nine “yes” votes. A minimum of nine “yes” votes, including the concurring votes of the permanent members, are needed for Security Council decisions on all other issues. The eleventh emergency extraordinary session of the UN General Assembly was summoned by UN Security Council Resolution 2623 in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Humanitarian Impact

ES-11/1 also carries significant humanitarian implications, instead of the diplomatic and political dimensions. Deploring the terrible humanitarian effects of the Russian Federation’s hostilities against Ukraine, including the siege, airstrikes, and bombardment of Ukraine’s densely populated cities, especially Mariupol, as well as attacks on civilian targets, including journalists, schools, and other educational institutions, as well as hospitals, water and sanitation systems, and their apparatus for transportation. 

Global Security

A new worldwide reconfiguration of the post-Cold War system confronts the South Atlantic. The United States of America (US) is facing a crisis of hegemony as China and Russia are posing a growing threat to the US-led economic and security architecture. This threat extends beyond US influence and includes efforts to isolate US influence by establishing influence zones in East Asia and the post-Soviet region as well as the creation of post-Western economic projects. The war between Russia and Ukraine is a sign of structural conflict as well as a less cooperative international course.