On 20 December 1989, the US launched an aerial and ground assault to oust Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega, who had nullified the 1988 presidential election results. Just two days after the attack (which resulted in the capture of Noriega), a draft resolution (S/21048) was put before the SC emphasizing the prohibition of the use of force under Article 2(4) of the UN Charter. It was vetoed by the US, the UK and France.1
Following a request by Cuba and Nicaragua to include the “grave situation in Panama” as a priority item in the regular session (A/44/906),2 the GA then adopted resolution 44/240 on 29 December 1989 (A/RES/44/240), with text that was almost a verbatim copy of the language in the failed SC draft resolution. Passing with a vote of 75 countries for, 20 against and 40 abstaining, the resolution deplored the US invasion as a “flagrant violation of international law” (ibid.). It also “demanded the immediate cessation of the intervention and the withdrawal from Panama of the armed invasion forces of the United States” and “called upon all States to uphold and respect the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Panama” (ibid., paras. 2, 4).
Notes
- Algeria, Colombia, Ethiopia, Malaysia, Nepal, Senegal and Yugoslavia had put forward the draft resolution. The vote count was 10 voting for the resolution, 1 abstention and 4 against. Algeria, Brazil, China, Colombia, Ethiopia, Malaysia, Nepal, Senegal, the USSR and Yugoslavia voted for the resolution and Finland abstained from voting. Canada voted against it, in addition to the US, the UK and France (S/21048). ↩︎
- In an explanatory memorandum, Cuba and Nicaragua stated that on 20 December, the US invaded Panama, thereby committing a blatant violation of the Charter and international law, which meant that “the international community had a duty to intervene” (A/44/906). ↩︎