Are you curious to know more about the United Nations and the veto?

Below you find a selection of articles on the topic, and why the Security Council does not live up to its mandate 

to maintain international peace and security. 

What is the United Nations and Security Council?

The United Nations was set up after the World War II and has since then become an important international forum for cooperation and conflict resolution. The Security Council has a special role in the UN structure… 

What is the veto and how did it come to be?

The veto is a mechanism that allows the most powerful countries of the post-World War II era to block a resolution in the Security Council from getting adopted.The United Nations Charter gives a de facto veto power to the permanent five members of the Security Council…

Consequences of the veto

Whenever one of the permanent members of the UN Security Council uses their veto it leads to a paralysis of the United Nations as a whole. When a resolution could provide the UN with an opportunity to act in an event to maintain international peace and security, a veto binds the UN to observe an event from the outside…

How is the veto used?

In the past 25 years, only three of the five permanent members of the United Nations have used the veto: Russia, China and the United States. In that time, no veto has been cast with a clear refernece to the permanent member’s own security or sovereignty. Instead, vetoes have mostly been cast to protect allies or to demonstrate an unwillingness to accepts UN mandate in a particular area…

Picture credits:

1. UN-Sicherheitsrat – UN Security Council – New York City – 2014 01 06” by Neptuul – Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

2.“Inside the UN Security Council (5881618621)” by Matthew from London, United Kingdom – inside the UN Security Council. Licensierad under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons..

3.“Azaz, Syria” by Christiaan Triebert – Flickr: Azaz, Syria. Licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

4.”Security Council Votes the Admission of 16 New Members to United Nations” by UN Photo 1955. Unique identifier UN7700715.

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