UN Chief Invokes Article 99 on Gaza, Urges Immediate Action for Ceasefire

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has invoked a rare article of the United Nations Charter, warning the Security Council of the consequences of unending atrocities in Gaza and the appalling human suffering and trauma in Israel and Gaza if UNSC members do not come together for a permanent ceasefire in the region.

In his letter, the Secretary-General elaborates that he is writing under Article 99 of the UN Charter to bring to the notice of the Security Council matters that “may jeopardize the maintenance of international peace and security.” For the first time in his tenure, he has made such a move. The colossal loss of life in Israel and Gaza is the main reason behind such a decision. Guterres has urged the members of the Security Council to adopt immediate measures to avert the humanitarian catastrophe in the region. For the first time in his tenure, he has invoked such an article, which has not been invoked in many decades.

Earlier efforts of the 15-member Security Council for a ceasefire resolution have been unsuccessful due to the vetoes of the United States, an ally of Israel. Last month, it abstained from the Security Council resolution that called for a brief pause in war so that humanitarian aid could enter Gaza. Guterres, in his letter to Jose Javier De la Gasca Lopez Dominguez (current president of the Security Council), has warned of an “even worse” situation in the besieged territory.

What is Article 99 of the UN Charter?

Article 99 of the UN Charter states that “The Secretary-General may bring to the attention of the Security Council any matter which, in his opinion, may threaten the maintenance of international peace and security.” The article, which comes under Chapter XV of the UN Charter, is the most important of the five articles concerning international peace and security. The article comes under the title “The Secretariat” and is crucial in assigning functions to the Secretary-General of the United Nations.

This article was first invoked by Mr. Hammarskjold in 1960 concerning the increasing violence in Congo. Recently, this article was invoked 34 years earlier in 1989 by the then Secretary-General of the United Nations, Javier Perez De Cuellar, to “contribute towards a peaceful solution to the Lebanese crisis” that massacred around 150,000 civilians.

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