US veto on full Palestine membership casts more doubt on UN's credibility, effectiveness: ICC lawyer

By Halil Ibrahim Medet

ISTANBUL (AA) — The usefulness of the United Nations has long been in question as the organization has faced accusations of failing to prevent conflict, while serving the interests of a few powerful veto-holders in its Security Council.

The latest US veto on Palestine's full membership has done nothing to dispel this criticism, with the first lawyer from a Muslim country to serve at the International Criminal Court (ICC), Hassan Aslam Shad, saying the move landed yet another major blow to the credibility and effectiveness of the organization.

Shad, who evaluated for Anadolu the US veto on the resolution regarding Palestine at the Security Council, noted that the decision had a significantly adverse effect on current global power dynamics and the world order in general.

He indicated that the US consistently shields Israel from international responsibility and accountability.

Emphasizing that all permanent members of the Security Council use their veto power according to their political interests, he said, "If you can't agree on the very essentials, the very basics of humanity, then what is the purpose of having any international institution like the United Nations?"

Shad stated that the credibility and effectiveness of the UN was further undermined as a result of the US veto on recognizing Palestine.

"The world can clearly see that the United Nations does not mean much at this stage. Even the humanitarian organizations that are part of the United Nations and working independently are being deliberately targeted by Israel," he said.

- Israel's actions risk rendering international institutions 'redundant'

Shad warned that the US veto would further contribute to an unfair perception of the global world order.

"Unfortunately, the global world order is currently completely shattered. If we look at the past seven months, Israel has experienced unparalleled impunity. The Western world is making efforts to defend Israel's actions," he said.

The lawyer further stressed that independent humanitarian organizations affiliated with the UN have also been targeted in Israeli attacks in Gaza.

"They have lost many of their personnel, and yet the United Nations has not been able to stop that from happening. And there is one simple reason behind that, which is that the enforcement of the United Nations resolutions depends on member states.

"If Israel and the US do not stop, and of course backed by the Western countries, if they do not stop at this point in time, then I believe that the day is not far when all these international institutions are going to become completely redundant," he said.

Shad also emphasized that the inability of organizations to stop the massacres would mean the world has lost all trust in those institutions.

- Palestine's application for UN membership

Palestine applied for full membership in the UN in 2011 but did not receive the necessary support from the Security Council. In 2012, Palestine gained "permanent observer status" at the UN.

On April 2, Palestinian Ambassador to the UN Riyad Mansur sent a letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, requesting a reconsideration of its membership application.

On April 3, Guterres wrote a letter to the Security Council urging consideration of Palestine's request.

The draft resolution opened for negotiation in the Security Council for Palestine's full membership at the UN was rejected due to a veto from permanent member -- the US.

The resolution, which the US voted "No" to, saw "abstentions" from the UK and Switzerland, while Russia, China, France, Algeria, Malta, Ecuador, Guyana, Slovenia, Sierra Leone, Mozambique, South Korea, and Japan voted "Yes."

*Writing by Necva Tastan in Istanbul