United Nations Security Council chamber at UN world headquarters in New York

By  Gary  Raynaldo       DIPLOMATIC  TIMES

UNITED  NATIONS   –  NEW  YORK  –  The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution Tuesday to automatically meet within 10 days, if the Veto is used in the Security Council by one of its five permanent members.   China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States have the power to veto Security Council resolutions, enshrined in the UN Charter – a right accorded to them because of their key roles in establishing the United Nations.  The resolution seeks to weaken veto power.  The resolution comes in the wake of Russia’s use of the veto in the Council, the day after it invaded Ukraine, calling on it’s unconditional withdrawal from the country. The resolution, which will take immediate effect, accords on an exceptional basis, precedence to the veto-casting States in the speakers list, of the subsequent General Assembly debate, thereby inviting them to account for the circumstances behind the use of the veto.  Russia has used its veto power to limit actions by the Security Council since invading Ukraine on February 24,   blocking a resolution that called for Moscow to remove troops from Ukraine.  On behalf of 83 cosponsors, Liechtenstein’s UN Ambassador, Christian Wenaweser, introduced the draft entitled Standing mandate for a General Assembly debate when a veto is cast in the Security Council, adopted without a vote.

Today, presided over the #GeneralAssembly that took action on Liechtenstein’s #VetoInitiative draft resolution which mandates a meeting of the #GA whenever a #veto is cast in the #SecurityCouncil.

The resolution 76/262, cosponsored by 83 Member States, was adopted by consensus. pic.twitter.com/mX7JKgdCXl

— UN GA President (@UN_PGA) April 26, 2022

U.S. Says Russia Has “Outrageously  Abused”   its UN Security Council Veto Right Concerning Ukraine 

Richard M. Mills, Jr., Deputy Permanent Representative of the United States of America to the United Nations, addresses the Security Council meeting on the Sudan and South Sudan at UN world headquarters in New York,  3 June 2021 (UN Photo: Evan Schneider)

Ambassador Richard Mills, Jr.  Deputy U.S. Representative to the United Nations broke the veto situation down as it relates to Russia’s past actions in remarks after the resolution’s adoption Tuesday:

“The United States knows that the veto is controversial.  It was controversial from the very beginning, with heated debates on the veto when the UN Charter was negotiated in San Francisco in 1945. Mr. President, like we have heard from many others in this chamber, we are deeply concerned about the abuse of the right to veto conferred on the P5 members. In particular, we are extraordinarily troubled by Russia’s pattern of abusing its veto right over the past decade. It’s a long and shameful list. The Russian Federation has vetoed resolutions seeking accountability in Syria, including resolutions that would have continued the mandate of the Joint Investigative Mechanism on chemical weapons. Russia has vetoed a resolution referring the Syria situation to the International Criminal Court. It has vetoed a resolution that would have established a criminal tribunal on the downing of flight MH-17 over Ukraine. And it vetoed a resolution when Russia attempted to illegally annex Crimea. And recently, most outrageously, the Russian Federation has vetoed a Security Council resolution deploring its aggression against Ukraine, deciding that the use of force should end, and deciding on the withdrawal of all Russian forces from the internationally recognized borders of Ukraine.”

-Ambassador Richard Mills Deputy U.S. Representative to United Nations