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What you need to know
- The right to use the right of veto belongs to the permanent members of the Security Council – China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States – where if anyone votes against a resolution or decision, it automatically fails.
- Council vetoes used over the past few years include various resolutions for a ceasefire in Gaza and to end the war sparked by the US and Israeli attacks on Iran in February
- Veto initiative – founded in 2022 – requires the General Assembly to meet within 10 working days of a veto in the Security Council
The ‘poster child’ for global gridlock
Many countries have called for eliminating or limiting veto rights in the Council, but reforms to the 15-member body are still in progress.
At the annual veto debate last year, then-General Assembly president Annalena Baerbock called repeated vetoes simply the “poster child” of global gridlock.
Thursday’s debate was sparked by the chamber’s landmark veto initiative, set for 2022.
There is no substitute for action
Khalilur Rahman, chairman of the assembly’s 81st session, said the veto initiative “cannot replace effective efforts Security Council action”.
Every call for initiative”highlighting the value of these mechanisms and the circumstances that make them necessary” and affirms the assembly’s complementary role, ensuring that the use of the veto is accompanied by transparency, explanation and deliberation by the wider membership.
While this initiative does not exclude the right of veto, it does guarantee a public and accountable debate regarding any use and its implications in the General Assembly, where there is no right of veto.
Watch the meeting on UN Web TV:
Different views
During the debate, China’s Permanent Representative Sun Lei said that his delegation voted against the draft resolution that “upholds the correct understanding of right and wrong”.
The current impasse at the sanctions panel arises from the United States’ unilateral withdrawal from the agreement Joint Comprehensive Action Plan regarding Iran’s nuclear facilities – the 2015 Iran nuclear deal – the “maximum pressure” campaign and “two rounds of attacks on Iran in the midst of negotiations”.
Meanwhile, other delegates proposed extending the panel’s mandate.
“No UN Member State should prevent the UN Security Council from functioning properly and being fully operational,” said Hedda Samson, Deputy Chair of the European Union delegation, noting that the need for an expert panel was “even greater today”.
The next step? Convey
After Thursday’s debate, the chamber’s chairman will send a summary of the discussions back to the Security Council.
At the start of the meeting, Rahman said that assemblies and councils “serve humanity well if they work in balance”, each fulfilling their different but complementary responsibilities under the Agreement. UN Charter.
“Therefore, let us use this debate not to exacerbate tensions or exchange blame, but to clarify positions, identify common grounds for constructive solutions and chart a credible path forward to support dialogue and diplomacy. and ultimately restore confidence in the organization and its ability to deliver,” he said.
