The United Nations Security Council and General Assembly can suggest that different actions — like a truce, cease-fire or cessation of hostilities — be taken during a state of war.
Although many of these terms are often used interchangeably, each have different political implications and legal meanings.
Calls made by the UN General Assembly are ultimately merely suggestions to actors at war — unlike decisions made by the UN Security Council, they are not legally binding.
They are, however, considered powerful in their ability to reflect the general will of UN member states.
Here's an explanation of the differences between the various methods of action suggested by UN bodies during times of conflict.
A truce is not binding, it just indicates a halt in fighting. Truce agreements are made by belligerents themselves. A truce can take place in one specific geographic area of a broader conflict. These agreements can come and go over the course of a conflict and do not indicate the state of war is over.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) uses the term "truce" interchangeably with the term "suspension of hostilities."
According to the ICRC: "A truce should enable work to be done that is unrelated to the general conduct of war (e.g. removal of the wounded, burial of the dead, exchange of prisoners) or give military commanders time to ask for instructions regarding negotiations."
Unlike a humanitarian pause, a truce can be called for any reason — it is not restricted to humanitarian purposes.
A call for a cessation of hostilities is considered more formal than a truce, but unlike a cease-fire, it is nonbinding. A cessation of hostilities means one or both sides have announced plans to suspend fighting. These can indicate the beginning of broader peace negotiations.
According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), a humanitarian pause is considered a "temporary cessation of hostilities purely for humanitarian purposes."
These pauses are usually negotiated to take place for a defined period of time, sometimes only over a few hours, and in a specific geographic area where humanitarian activities are planned.
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