INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LATEST TECHNOLOGY IN ENGINEERING,
MANAGEMENT & APPLIED SCIENCE (IJLTEMAS)
ISSN 2278-2540 | DOI: 10.51583/IJLTEMAS | Volume XIII, Issue VII, July 2024
www.ijltemas.in Page 132
The U.S. cast the first of its 82 vetoes to date on 17 March 1970. Since 1970, the US has used the veto far more than any other
permanent member, most frequently to block decisions that it regards as detrimental to the interests of Israel (UN Security
Council Report, 2024). The most recent was the blocking of a backed U.N. resolution that would have paved the way for full
United Nations membership for Palestine, a goal the Palestinians have long sought, and Israel has worked to prevent (Lederer,
2024).
The United Kingdom: has 32 vetoes cast, 9 times with France regarding the Suez
Canal, 14 times with the US/France regarding the Rhodesia crisis. It is interesting to know that the UK has not cast a veto since
23 December 1989 (UN Security Council Report, 2024).
France applied the veto for the first time on 26 June 1946 concerning the Spanish Question (S/PV.49) and has cast 18 vetoes cast,
9 times with the UK concerning the Suez Canal, and 9 times with the US/UK, concerning the Rhodesian crisis. (Okhovat, 2006).
For the record, France has not cast a veto since 23 December 1989 (UN Security Council Report, 2024).
Russia has the highest number of vetoes cast of 133, and mostly in the interest of its allies such as Cyprus, Balkans, Georgia,
Zimbabwe, and Syria (Iyase and Folarin, 2018). Since 2011, Russia cast 19 vetoes, 14 of which were on Syria. The remaining
were against two resolutions related to the conflict in Ukraine, one on the 20th anniversary of the genocide in Srebrenica, one on
sanctions against Yemen, and one on Venezuela. Russia's most recent veto was on 28 March 2024 UNSC resolution to extend the
mandate of the panel of experts responsible for monitoring North Korea’s violations of UN sanctions (Howell, 2024)
China has about 40 veto cast, 9 times concerning Taiwan, 13 times with Russia in support of Zimbabwe/Burma, 13 times
concerning Burma/Myanmar, 2 with Russia concerning Aleppo/Syria, 4 times concerning Yugoslavia, and 6 times concerning
Guatemala (Iyase and Folarin, 2018). The most recent veto exercised by China was on 22 March 2024 draft resolution on Gaza,
emphasizing the imperative to uphold international justice (Xinhua, 2024).
Arguably, since its inception, the concept of veto power as illustrated by the number of times used to block resolutions has
become a tool to defend the P5 members' national interests, to uphold a tenet of their foreign policy, or, in some cases, to promote
a single issue of particular importance to a state.
The Nexus Between the Concept of Veto Power and Realism
Premised on the inarguable grounds that the prime focus of realism, as one of the dominant traditional theories of International
Relations that emphasizes power and national interest, especially on national security, it is easy to connect the concept of veto
power to realism. Realists ground themselves in a long tradition. The Chinese strategist Sun Tzu, who lived 2,000 years ago,
advised the rulers of states how to survive in an era when war had become a systematic instrument of power for the first time (the
“warring states” period). Sun Tzu argued that moral reasoning was not very useful to the state rulers of the day, faced with armed
and dangerous neighbors. He showed rulers how to use power to advance their interests and protect their survival (Tzu, 1963).
Against this backdrop, key proponents such as John Mearsheimer (2001), Hans Morgenthau (1960), and Kenneth Waltz (1979)
opine that the concept of veto power is used as a key tool for the maintenance of power and influence in international politics.
They see it as a way for major powers to ensure that their own national interests and security concerns are protected and
prioritized within international institutions, such as the UNSC. Realists believe that veto power allows powerful states such as the
P5, especially the U.S., China, and Russia to assert their dominance and prevent other countries from taking actions that may
threaten their own strategic objectives. They also recognize that veto power can lead to gridlock and inefficiency within
international organizations, but they view it as a necessary trade-off for maintaining stability and order in the international system.
Overall, realists see veto power as a reflection of the harsh realities of power politics and the pursuit of national self-interest in the
international system or order.
In summary, it makes no fundamental flaw to assert that the history of the frequencies on the number of vetoes cast including the
most recent by the U.S., China, and Russia repeatedly flagged by this paper bears attestation or affirmation of the nexus between
realism and the concept of veto power. In short, it is safer to infer that the use of veto power to protect P5 members especially, the
U.S., China, and Russia national interests explains a realist behavior or posture.
Some of The Clamors Behind the UNSC Reform
A copious literature review on the clamor to reform the UNSC, especially on the veto power reveals decades of history focusing
on the dangerous effects of the reform on the international order. It dates far back following the end of the Cold War in 1989.
Since then, many clamors or voices have been heard but to no avail. Below are some of the voices.
The African Union (AU), through the adoption of the “Ezulwini Consensus” in March 2005 has voiced its position. The
consensus called for, among other things, Africa “to be fully represented in all the decision-making organs of the UN, particularly
in the Security Council,” where the continent should have no less than two permanent seats, “with all the prerogatives and
privileges of permanent membership including the right of veto,” as well as five non-permanent seats (African Union, 2005).
Although African states maintained their opposition “in principle to the veto,” The leaders argued that “so long as it exists, and as
a matter of common justice, it should be made available to all permanent members of the Security Council.” The AU further