A UN resolution is a formal expression of the opinion or will of a UN organ, such as the Security Council, General Assembly, Economic and Social Council and Commission on the Status of Women. A resolution may be a recommendation or a decision and is usually numbered. Resolutions and decisions of subordinate bodies are usually published as a separate document, but those of the main organs are usually included in annual or sessional compilations.
Resolutions are usually crafted by teams of experts from member states and the international organizations. Draft proposals go through several rounds of back-and-forth discussions before the penholder circulates a final version. The draft is then debated for a few hours or longer, depending on how urgent the topic and the level of disagreements.
The United States has made it clear that we will not support any measure that fails to condemn Hamas for its cowardly and evil actions in Gaza. This is why we are disappointed that the draft resolution before us fails to address this serious issue.
It instead calls on States to “exercise vigilance” and “restraint” in dealing with Iran or entities that contribute to its proliferation efforts, and to limit their interactions with Iranian financial institutions. It also calls on States to report within 60 days of its adoption on how they plan to do so. This is a step forward but the Council needs to go further by labeling and sanctioning Hamas as a terrorist organization.