UN General Assembly mandates meeting in wake of any Security Council veto

On 26 April 2022, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution creating a standing mandate for the General Assembly to meet every time the veto is cast in the Security Council. The Resolution was adopted without a vote, and it will take immediate effect.

The document states that the UN General Assembly will meet automatically 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). All UN members can scrutinise and comment on the veto during such a meeting.

The Resolution was co-sponsored by 83 Member States. Liechtenstein's UN Ambassador, Christian Wenaweser, introduced the draft on behalf of the sponsors. The Ambassador said that the resolution stands as a “straightforward, legally sound and politically meaningful” resolution, which will shine a light on the use of the veto moving forward, and allow input from all Member States. He also highlighted the fact that the Council was given the primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security and acted on behalf of the Member States, and that the veto power comes with the responsibility to work to achieve “the purposes and principles of the UN Charter at all times”.

The full text of the resolution is available here.