A UN resolution is a formal statement of the will and opinion of a United Nations body that its members have voted for and are expected to obey. In theory, any member of the United Nations can issue a resolution but in practice most are issued by the Security Council and the General Assembly. Resolutions can be called for, recommended or condemned and may impose sanctions on countries that fail to follow the recommendations of the resolution.
Resolutions typically contain three main parts: the heading, the preambular clauses and the operative clauses. The heading contains the date and an alphabetical list of countries that contributed to the document (sponsors). The preambular clauses explain the background and context of the resolution; the operative clauses state the action to be taken.
The wording of a resolution can have profound implications. For example, the resolution on Israel and Palestine passed in 1948, Resolution 242, was widely interpreted as requiring the withdrawal of Israeli armed forces from the territories occupied during the Suez Crisis. The resolution was also viewed as setting the precedent for the “land for peace” formula that has guided all future resolutions on the subject.