Veto Power in United Nations

Report Outline
United Nations Charter and the Veto Power
Use of Veto Power in Security Council
Veto Power and Control of Atomic Energy
Special Focus

United Nations Charter and the Veto Power

Rising Concern Over Obstruction by veto

The right of a single nation to block action desired by the other members of a world body responsible for maintaining peace is now under fire from two sides. Small states are challenging the general veto power granted by the United Nations Charter to the five permanent members of the Security Council. The United States and most of the other large and small states represented on the United Nations Atomic Energy Commission are insisting that the veto principle can have no place in international arrangements to safeguard against destructive uses of atomic power.

Russia's frequent exercise of her right of veto in the Security Council, on matters of less than the highest importance, has generated the current demand for reconsideration of the Council's voting rules. At the request of Australia and Cuba respectively, proposals for reviewing application of the veto power and for considering its outright elimination have been placed on the agenda of the October meeting of the United Nations General Assembly.

Meanwhile, the work of the Atomic Energy Commission is being hampered by Soviet resistance to any modification of the veto principle. The other great powers, while holding that the right of veto should be exercised only for the weightiest reasons, have shown little willingness to consider its complete abandonment. They are in agreement, however, that unless the veto can be set aside in devising measures for control of atomic energy, there is little possibility that mankind can be freed from its fear of a future atomic war.