THE VETO IN THE UN SECURITY COUNCIL: HISTORY,RATIONALE, AND (AB)USE

Abstract

The UN Security Council (UNSC) is the body endowed with the primary responsibility and
powers to undertake collective action in order to “save future generations from the scourge of
war”. Yet, the powers invested in the UNSC came with a caveat – each of the five permanent
members (P5) of the Security Council would have a veto power regarding any proposed
decision in this body concerning international peace and security. This paper deals with the
UNSC veto – its history, justification, and the implications of its existence and (ab)use by the
P5. In the first part of this paper, the voting in the UNSC, as regulated in Article 27 of the UN
Charter, is explained and interpreted. Afterwards, the veto powers of the P5 are detailed,
focusing on those veto powers that are not explicitly mentioned in the UN Charter (the socalled:
“double veto”; “meta veto”; “behind the scene veto”, “reverse veto” and “indirect
veto”), before delving into the history behind the creation of the Council and the veto in
particular. Lastly, the paper turns to the idea of the “unreasonable veto”, or the (ab)use of the
P5’s veto powers.