India votes in Favour of UNGA resolution over Syrian Golan Heights

November 29, 2023

GS Paper II International Relations

Context: India has voted to support a draft resolution at the UN General Assembly, expressing concern with Israel’s failure to withdraw from the Syrian Golan Heights.

More about the news:

Draft resolution: The draft resolution ‘The Syrian Golan‘ was put to vote at the UN General Assembly, under the agenda item ‘The situation in the Middle East’.
Voting on resolution: The resolution, presented by Egypt, secured adoption through a recorded vote, garnering 91 in favor, eight against, and 62 abstentions.

About UNGA: The UNGA is the only universally representative body of the United Nations.

The six main Committees of UNGA are:
- the Disarmament and International Security Committee
- the Economic and Financial Committee
- the Social, Humanitarian and Cultural Committee
- the Special Political and Decolonization Committee
- the Administrative and Budgetary Committee
- the Legal Committee

Functions of the UNGA:

UNGA appoints a Security General on the recommendation of the Security Council.
Election of the non-permanent members to the Security Council.
Approval of the UN budget.
It discusses, debates, and makes recommendations on subjects pertaining to international peace and security.
It considers reports from the other four organs of the United Nations and assesses the financial situations of member states.

United Nations Security Council Resolution 497 (1981):

It denounced the Israeli annexation of the Golan Heights, an area which it had taken over from Syria during the 1967 Six Day War, and demanded that the annexation law be repealed.

Supporting countries: In addition to India, countries that supported the resolution included Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, Malaysia, Maldives, Nepal, Russia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, and the United Arab Emirates.
Countries against the resolution: Australia, Canada, Israel, the UK, and the US voted against it.
Israel’s failure: The resolution expressed deep concern over Israel’s failure to withdraw from the Syrian Golan Heights in violation of Security Council and General Assembly resolutions.
No adherence to UNSC resolution 497: The resolution affirmed that Israel had not adhered to Security Council resolution 497 (1981).
- The resolution asserted that the Israeli decision made on December 14, 1981, is deemed null and void and holds no validity. It urged Israel to revoke this decision.
Resolution on Israeli settlements: The resolution emphasized the illegitimacy of Israeli settlement construction and other activities in the Syrian Golan Heights occupied since 1967.
- It called for Israel’s withdrawal from the entire occupied Syrian Golan in accordance with relevant Security Council resolutions.