UN General Assembly
1948

The competence of the General Assembly, as defined in Articles 9 to 22 of the Charter, was limited to making recommendations. There was nothing in the text implying the imposition of these recommendations on the parties to whom they were addressed, nor was there any obligation of acceptance and application by the addressees. Declining to obey such recommendations did not imply violation of the Charter, nor did it involve sanctions of any kind. Sanctions were to be employed only in cases before the Security Council involving breaches of international peace or acts of aggression. Even then, the Charter granted the power of enforcement to the Security Council alone, and not to the General Assembly. That had been done with a view to reserving to the permanent members, in unanimous agreement, all sanctions and acts of enforcement. Therefore, no compulsory measure of any nature could be taken without being unanimously sponsored by the five great Powers. That safeguard was possible only within the framework of the Security Council.