A UN resolution is a formal text adopted by a United Nations body, usually the Security Council or General Assembly. Resolutions are a key tool of the UN Charter and, under the UN charter, member states must carry out decisions of these organs.

Resolutions typically follow a specific format and are adopted after a lengthy, collaborative process. While any UN organ can adopt a resolution, the most powerful bodies are the Security Council and the General Assembly.

Security Council resolutions have the legal authority to impose binding obligations on all UN members. The council has five permanent members (the “P5”), each of which can block a resolution they oppose – a power known as the veto. Critics argue that the veto fuels deadlock and protects the geopolitical interests of the P5 at the expense of international peace and security.

This resolution, acting under Chapter VII of the UN Charter, condemned continuing fighting by M23 rebels in the North and South Kivu provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo and urged all parties to implement an immediate and unconditional ceasefire. It also called for an urgent deployment of international experts to provide assistance in implementing the ceasefire.

This resolution renewed for six months the authorisation for member states, acting nationally or through regional organisations, to inspect vessels on the high seas off the coast of Libya bound to or from Libya and to which they have reasonable grounds to believe are violating the arms embargo. It also urged all relevant parties to implement the Secretary-General’s request for a ceasefire in Gaza.