UNGA 79: 'Leaving no one behind' theme rings hollow amid Gaza genocide

As world leaders gather for the 79th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA)’s annual general debate under the theme ‘leaving no one behind’, experts have pointed out the blatant contradiction between this ideal and the ongoing genocide in Palestine’s Gaza.

This year’s UNGA is being held against the backdrop of Israel’s genocidal assault in Gaza, which is nearing one year, and a possible escalation of the conflict into a broader Middle East war.

Many across the world feel that the United Nations has failed to live up to its name in its abject failure to alleviate the sufferings of millions of Palestinians brutalised by Israel with impunity.

According to Hasan Basri Bulbul, an assistant professor of International Law at Bogazici University, the UNGA contributed to the emergence of the Palestinian issue by passing Resolution 181 in 1947, which proposed dividing Palestinian lands between Jews and Arabs.

“At that time, although the Jewish population and the land they owned were significantly smaller compared to the Arab and Palestinian populations, Resolution 181 disproportionately allocated far more land to the Jewish population, leaving Palestinians with a much smaller share that did not reflect their demographic or land ownership,” Bulbul tells TRT World.

Huseyin Disli, an international lawyer and lecturer at Bogazici University, also feels that the UN’s theme of "Leaving no one behind" sharply contrasts with both its historical and ongoing failure to protect Palestinians and their rights.

Since the UN partition plan in 1947, “international law has consistently failed Palestinians, particularly in the face of 76 years of ongoing Nakba, 76 years of incremental genocide, 76 years of apartheid, 76 years of dispossession and denial of basic rights and freedoms, and the present-day genocide in Gaza,” Disli tells TRT World.

Disli emphasises that these issues are deeply rooted in a broader history of colonialism, indicating that the dynamics of colonial powers have not only shaped the foundations of international law but also continue to influence its application, especially within the UN framework.

The UN now faces mounting criticism for failing to safeguard the very populations it is meant to defend, leaving many to question whether this year's meeting will yield any meaningful action or remain yet another forum of empty promises.

UNSC blocks any meaningful action

International rights groups point out that Palestine continues to endure 57 years of illegal Israeli occupation, with Gaza remaining under siege—marking one of the UN's greatest failures.

“While…the secretary-general, the high commissioner for human rights, special rapporteurs, and the General Assembly are making significant efforts to address the situation, the Security Council, the only body with the authority to impose sanctions, has been obstructing any meaningful or impactful action regarding Gaza,” according to Deniz Baran, a research assistant at the Department of International Law at Istanbul University.

It would be inaccurate to say the entire UN system is neglecting the situation in Gaza; but the issue lies with the Security Council, whose current structure prevents it from functioning effectively, Baran tells TRT World.

The UNSC has consistently failed to translate its calls for peace and the protection of Palestinian rights into tangible measures, resulting in ongoing violence and a lack of accountability for Israeli violations of human rights.

While many countries seek to hold Israel accountable for its violations, the veto power of the five permanent members of the Security Council hinders these efforts, leaving Palestinians trapped in a cycle of violence and diplomatic paralysis.

Often, it is the US—and sometimes other Western allies like the UK and France—that have blocked action against Tel Aviv.

As Israel’s biggest and staunchest ally since its foundation, the US has consistently used its veto power at the UNSC to shield Israel from accountability, having vetoed 57 resolutions critical of Israel or condemning its violence against Palestinians since 1972, UN data reveals.

This has allowed Israel to persist in committing any sort of human rights violations against Palestinians with impunity for decades.

What about the 79th session?

The repeated calls for peace will undoubtedly continue at the general debate of the 79th session, but for the Gazans, these words have become synonymous with inaction.

With each year that passes, the gap between the UN’s rhetoric and its ability to deliver real change grows wider.

Disli states that addressing the suffering and intergenerational trauma of the Palestinian people requires dismantling colonial legacies, holding those responsible accountable, promoting self-determination and the right to return, and providing reparations.

Only by taking these steps can the UN and the international community hope to correct their longstanding failures toward the Palestinian people.

“The empty rhetoric of peace and sustainability rings hollow when vulnerable populations like those in Gaza are subject to systematic oppression and genocide, and no substantive international action is taken to prevent it,” says Disli.

In essence, the General Assembly failed to grasp or purposely ignored the realities on the ground in 1947, and similarly, the UN has missed the mark regarding today's developments in Gaza, according to Bulbul.

“Unless the UNGA fully places the Palestinian issue at the forefront of its agenda in an effective manner, it risks ignoring the very real possibility that developments in the region could spark regional and global repercussions” Bulbul says.

“The UN has grand ambitions, and lofty ideals. Having such ideals isn’t necessarily a bad thing. However, what is often missing is a success story that follows such grand promises.”

For Palestinians, time is running out fast.