UN Security Council

UN Security Council

  • Context:

  • Russia and China recently vetoed a UN Security Council (UNSC) resolution aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz amid the ongoing Middle East conflict.

  • The Bahrain-sponsored resolution failed to pass because of the negative votes cast by the two veto-wielding powers

  • About UNSC:

  • The UN Security Council is the premier global body for maintaining international peace and security.

  • The Security Council fosters negotiations, imposes sanctions, and authorizes the use of force, including the deployment of peacekeeping missions.

  • UN Security Council has remained largely unchanged since its founding in 1946, stirring debate among members about the need for reforms

  • UNSC Membership Structure:

  • United Nations Security Council came into the picture following the occurrence of World War II.

  • The 15-Member Council:

  • The UNSC comprises a total of 15 member states, that includes five Permanent members (also known as P5) and 10 elected members.

  • They meet regularly to assess threats to international security, including civil wars, natural disasters, arms proliferation, and terrorism.

  • The P5:

  • The creators of the United Nations Charter granted special "Permanent Member" status to five countries—

  • China

  • France

  • The Russian Federation

  • The United Kingdom

  • The United States

  • The design of it was to guarantee consensus among the strongest countries of the time through the right of five permanent members.

  • The Voting System & Article 27 of the UN Charter:

  • One Member, One Vote:

  • Each of the 15 members of the Security Council holds exactly one vote.

  • Decisions on basic procedural issues require an affirmative vote of any nine members.

  • Decisions on all other critical, substantive matters require an affirmative vote of nine members, which must include the concurring votes of all the permanent members.

  • The Right to Veto:

  • The "veto" is a special voting power exclusive to the P5.

  • If any one of the five permanent members casts a negative vote on a substantive draft resolution, the resolution is instantly blocked and not approved, regardless of how much international backing it possesses.

  • Abstention vs. Veto:

  • If a P5 member does not fully support a proposed resolution but does not wish to block it, they can choose to abstain.

  • An abstention is not counted as a veto, allowing the resolution to be adopted as long as it still secures the required nine favourable votes.

  • Originally designed to ensure consensus among great powers and prevent major conflicts, the veto is increasingly criticized for being utilized to protect narrow geopolitical interests, often paralyzing the UN's ability to respond effectively to modern humanitarian crises.