Statement by the Permanent Representative of Brazil to the United Nations, Ambassador Sérgio França Danese, at the 58th plenary meeting of the Tenth Emergency Special (Resumed) of the General Assembly - December 11th, 2024

Mr. President,

We gather today in the shadow of not just immense human suffering in the Gaza Strip, but also of repeated legal and moral failures in the Security Council.

The ongoing tragedy in Gaza has demanded immediate and decisive action for over a year now. Yet the Security Council, tasked with the responsibility to act, has been repeatedly rendered impotent by the veto of just one permanent member.

The United States has yet obstructed another ceasefire resolution -- yet another one that could have contributed to stopping the carnage against Palestinians, allowed humanitarian assistance in and within Gaza, enabled the unconditional release of hostages, and paved the way for real diplomatic efforts towards sustainable peace.

The veto in this instance is indefensible. It sends a chilling message: that the lives of Palestinian men, women, and children are expendable.

This is not merely a diplomatic failure. It is a betrayal of the principles upon which the United Nations was founded. The veto here continues a troubling pattern of complete disregard for Charter responsibilities by permanent members, seriously undermining the integrity, legitimacy and effectiveness of the Security Council.

Colleagues,

The situation on the ground is appalling. There are reasonable grounds to believe that serious international crimes are being committed in the Gaza Strip. And yet the Security Council is prevented from acting.

The recurrent veto with respect to the situation in Gaza has been enabling impunity, emboldening aggressors. This raises urgent legal and moral questions about accountability.

Moreover, a deeper sense of empathy has been absent in this repeated abuse of veto power. The population in Gaza are not statistics. They are human beings with hopes, dreams, and an inherent right to live in dignity in a sovereign state.

Permanent members -- all permanent members -- have an obligation over the responsible use of the veto. A moral duty stems from that responsibility. This moral duty implies standing up against injustice, even when doing so may be politically or strategically costly. It implies prioritizing human lives over geopolitical considerations.

Clearly, this is not what the international community is witnessing since the first veto related to this crisis was cast, during Brazil's presidency of the Security Council in October last year. How many innocent lives could have been spared if Council efforts to achieve peace were not obstructed?

Mr. President,

As we regret the profound moral disconnection from the harsh reality in Gaza, manifested in the repeated vetoes against resolutions in the Security Council, we call for the long-overdue institutional and comprehensive reform of this body, in order to make it more representative, legitimate and effective.

Finally, in the absence of the necessary Council action for the reasons indicated before, it falls upon this General Assembly, under the UN Charter, to take matters in its own hands, once again, pertaining to the situation in Gaza. Brazil is co-sponsoring the two draft resolutions to be voted this afternoon. Both of them, besides embodying measures that enjoy virtually unanimous support, leave no room for doubt about the international community’s resolve -- in spite of all the Security Council's failings -- to advance peace, accountability, and to safeguard UNRWA’s indispensable role for the present and the future of Palestinian rights.

Thank you.