What are UNGA resolutions?

UNGA Resolution Against Iran

Recently, the UN General Assembly has overwhelmingly approved a resolution condemning an alleged plot, blamed by the US on elements in Iranian establishment, to assassinate Saudi envoy to Washington and asked Tehran to cooperate in the probe, a voting from which India abstained.

• The 193-member Assembly adopted a Saudi-drafted resolution that “deplored” the plot to kill ambassador Adel al-Jubeir in Washington and called on Iran to cooperate with countries trying to bring to justice those who planned, sponsored or attempted to carry it out.
  

What are UNGA resolutions?

• A United Nations General Assembly Resolution is voted on by all member states of the United Nations in the General Assembly.
  
• General Assembly resolutions usually require a simple majority (50% of all votes plus one) to pass. However, if the General Assembly determines that the issue is an “important question” by a simple majority vote, then a two-thirds majority is required; “important questions” are those that deal significantly with maintenance of international peace and security, admission of new members to the United Nations, suspension of the rights and privileges of membership, expulsion of members, operation of the trusteeship system, or budgetary questions.
  
• General Assembly resolutions are generally non-binding towards member states, internal resolutions may be binding on the operation of the General Assembly itself, for example with regard to budgetary and procedural matters.
  

How UNGA Resolutions are numbered?

• From the First to the Thirtieth General Assembly sessions, all General Assembly resolutions were numbered consecutively, with the resolution number followed by the session number in Roman numbers (for example, Resolution 1514 (XV), which was the 1514th numbered resolution adopted by the Assembly, and was adopted at the Fifteenth Regular Session (1960)).
  
• Beginning in the Thirty-First Session, resolutions are numbered by individual session (for example Resolution 41/10 represents the 10th resolution adopted at the Forty-First Session).
  

What was accusation on Iran in recent resolution?

• The resolution did not directly accuse Tehran of carrying out the plot, but it called on Iran “to comply with all of its obligations under international law, including the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Crimes against Internationally Protected Persons, particularly with respect to its obligations to provide law enforcement assistance”.
  
• The resolution asked Tehran to “cooperate with States seeking to bring to justice all those who participated in the planning, sponsoring, organization and attempted execution” of the plot. In explaining India’s decision on the resolution on ‘Terrorist Attacks on Internationally Protected Persons’, New Delhi’s permanent representative to the UN Hardeep Singh Puri said, “We have abstained on the resolution, as its substance deals with a specific case in which we are not in the possession of full facts and the matter is sub-judice.”
  

How many countries favoured the recent resolution?

• The resolution received 106 votes in favour and nine votes against, while 40 countries abstained. A series of proposed amendments from Iran did not obtain a majority and were not adopted. India, which itself has been a victim of terrorism for decades, condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. However, India abstained from voting.