The United Nations has urged parties to take the step of implementing their commitments rather than merely approving agreements. According to the United Nations, while agreements offer people no protection unless and until they are implemented, they should not be implemented selectively, after the fact, or on an optional basis. This is where credibility is built or lost.
Implementation, not opt‑in commitments in practice
The spokesperson for the Secretary-General stated, “The UN Charter and other documents are being treated à la carte,” and “the rule of law is giving way to the ‘rule of the jungle’.”
For example, regarding Afghanistan, the United Nations indicated that it continues to have contact with the de facto authorities and urged them to remove restrictions placed on working, education, and public life by women, to fully engage in the Doha Process, and to permit the free flow of humanitarian assistance across its borders. The United Nations also urged the de facto authorities to fulfill their international obligations with regard to the reintegration of Afghanistan into the international community.
The United Nations is not seeking “respect” for agreements, but the actions required to establish them – namely, access, protection, and compliance – because the gaps in the implementation of agreements are where the breakdowns in agreements are likely to occur. For the United Nations, these gaps are also where the breakdown of trust will occur the quickest, and where the commitments of governments will quickly convert to humanitarian emergencies.
Where does implementation matter most in practice?
For Gaza, the United Nations reported that “the full implementation of the ceasefire arrangements” is “absolutely critical.” The briefing urged parties to approach the next phase of the agreement in good faith and to continue to ensure that humanitarian assistance flows freely and without restriction to the population, including through the Rafah Crossing.
Hundreds of thousands of people in Gaza currently reside in precarious conditions in damaged or unsafe makeshift homes, and many are exposed to harsh weather conditions, environmental hazards, and explosive remnants of war.
Regarding Syria, the United Nations noted that a 24-truck convoy carrying food, nutrition, health, hygiene supplies, winterization materials, and supplies for children had arrived in Kobani, along with tankers carrying fuel to assist in resupplying a water station and providing water services. The briefing also referred to the opening of humanitarian corridors, the establishment of temporary shelters, and the efforts at Al-Hol Camp aimed at reducing tension and stabilizing the area to make it possible to enter and scale up humanitarian assistance.
The standard for parties and partners that is emerging
The United Nations views agreements primarily in terms of producing concrete results rather than merely rhetoric or vague promises contained within the document. Therefore, the UN measures the success of agreements based on tangible outcomes, which include reduced levels of violence, improved civilian safety, and reliable humanitarian assistance and service delivery. If these goals are not met, the UN states that the legitimacy of the agreement can begin to erode, and the ability of the UN to promote stability through this means will also begin to diminish.
The Security Council’s mandate favors member states
Therefore, the UN continues to link the process of implementing the agreement with the overall framework of the collective security system. The Secretary-General has stated that, in accordance with the provisions of the United Nations Charter, the Security Council has the authority to act on behalf of all member states and take decisions that are binding on all Member States. This reinforces the expectation that parties to an agreement will view their obligations as meaningful and not optional.
Finally, the UN views time and consistency as critical tests of commitment. When parties do not fulfill commitments on time, or implement them incompletely or conditionally, public confidence decreases and the risk of conflict increases. Therefore, the UN’s standard is clear: full, consistent, and timely implementation in practice.
