Noting the outdated nature of the veto, he said that the use of the veto had not led to a safer world. However, others called for limiting this right, including Ecuador’s delegate. “Either all nations are treated equally in context of voting rights or else the new permanent members must also be given the veto,” he said, a position some delegations expressed, calling for expanding the veto power. ![]() Several delegates echoed that position, with India’s delegate pointing out that such an approach perpetuates the mindset of the Second World War. ![]() Similarly, Italy’s delegate called the veto power “anachronistic”, and said that despite its specific historical context, it bluntly contradicts the principle of sovereign equality of States. The representative of Ireland, recalling his country’s recent term on the Council, not only spotlighted the pervasive, chilling effect of the threat of the veto, which prevented the Council’s action in a number of global crises, but also called it an instrument designed to respond to the geopolitics of a different time. The representative of Bulgaria, however, observed that this has not been the case, adding that amid a difficult geopolitical context the Council is likely to be prevented to exercise its role effectively due to the veto misuse. Such conduct, stressed the representative of Romania, could help avoiding “hostage-like” crises in the Council, with Austria’s delegate emphasizing that Council members should act in concert towards peace and cooperation, leaving their national interests aside. Many speakers voiced their support for the France-Mexico initiative addressing veto restraint in cases of mass atrocities and highlighted the importance of Article 27(3) of the Charter, which stipulates that a party to a dispute shall abstain from voting. The mandate of convening a General Assembly meeting every time the veto is cast - established by resolution 76/262 - is a significant step towards accountability and transparency, he added. Pointing out that her country has only used the veto 18 times since 1945 and has not used it in the past 30 years at all, she observed that such a step is based on political commitment and does not require revision of the Charter of the United Nations.Įchoing that, the United States’ delegate also said his delegation was committed to refraining from the use of the veto except in rare, extraordinary circumstances. In that spirt, the representative of France - a permanent member of the Security Council - proposed that all five permanent members voluntarily and collectively suspend the use of the veto in cases of mass atrocities. Encouraging delegations to go beyond their immediate interests and act responsibly to rebuild trust within the Organization, he added: “Dare to be bold. Prior to adopting three draft resolutions tackling infrastructure connectivity, voluntary national reviews and cooperation with the Council of Europe, the General Assembly held its first ever formal debate on the use of the veto in the Security Council, with speakers deliberating the impact of the new transparency and accountability mechanism - enabled by resolution 76/262 - and its role in enhancing the General Assembly’s functions while achieving legitimacy in the use of the veto.Ĭsaba Kőrösi (Hungary), President of the General Assembly, recalling the 2022 historic resolution, stressed: “We are here to figure out the best ways to exploit this new instrument.” Urging Member States to use the debate creatively and constructively by asking tough questions and seeking game-changing solutions, he emphasized that vetoes should always remain the very last resort.
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