UN General Assembly backs Goldstone report

Ma'an
The UN General Assembly in New York overwhelmingly endorsed South African jurist Richard Goldstone's Fact Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict on Friday.

A resolution supporting the report passed the UN's largest body with 114 votes in favor versus 18 opposed. Forty-four states abstained.

...But critics say the Arab states' resolution, while expressing support for the report, does little to implement the document's recommendations for investigation and prosecution. The issue centers on the fact that the Security Council, dominated by veto-wielding US, UK, Russia, France, and China, is not likely to act on the report.

"Ideally, the General Assembly should retain authority to recommend the report to the International Criminal Court (ICC) or establish an ad hoc tribunal," said Richard Falk, a professor of international law at Princeton University, earlier this week. "There’s nothing in the charter precluding the General Assembly."

...The United States was the only permanent Security Council member to vote against the non-binding resolution. Full story