Security Council, a major component of the United Nations, performs functions such as disarmament or reduction in arms, overcoming conflicts, ending violence, and securing peace and stability in the world. Most of the states in the world follow democracy as the best suitable way of government, but the world’s most prestigious institute who is the advocate of democracy, human rights, peace, and stability in the world, the Security Council has been paralyzed due to the undemocratic and unjust right of “veto power” to the P5 states that include, the United States of America, China, France, Russia, and the United Kingdom. Although United Nations have tried to create a platform of accountability for the P5 countries that use their power of veto. Despite all these efforts yet, it remains a major obstacle for UNSC.
The P5 countries sought to agree that there won’t be any misuse of “veto power”, it would not be used until and unless the vital state interests are not being compromised or challenged. Although many resolutions have been passed by the Security Council, there are many loopholes or cons of veto power that has caused a rise in human rights violation, be it the Kashmir issue, Palestine issue, Syrian issue, or the latest invasion of Russia in Ukraine being a major human rights violation act being vetoed that has caused many atrocities. 190 resolutions have been vetoed since the security council’s first meeting. Between 1946 to 1956, it was considered world peace was a synonym for Soviet peace as USSR vetoed 50 resolutions even before the other P5 members used a single veto. that shows how unjust it would have been if one country is overthrowing the rest of the 14 states.
United Nations’ major body for avoiding war has remained a mere organization with little role because the veto prevents all practical results. Many scholars argue that most of those issues or resolutions go to General Assembly but usually it takes a lot of time for the approval of applications. Also, the latest step has been taken by the General Assembly after the Ukraine resolution vetoed that any P5 states using veto power would be questioned within 10 days and they would have to give a proper justification for them using this veto power. Despite all these steps, General Assembly can not replace the Security Council. The veto has been the main cause of the ineffectiveness of the Security Council, a major reason is that the great powers don’t want them to remain at the mercy of small powers.
Veto Power has been a tool for the growth of major powers, strengthening them by accomplishing their interests from small states due to this power of overthrowing any resolution. Had there not been a veto power, the small states with the majority would have accomplished their goals as well as the great powers would have to seek help from those states to get their resolutions passed. This system would have encouraged the growth of other states and reduced the supremacy of great powers.
Veto Power has been a disease for the United Nations Security Council that has paralyzed the institution and badly damaged its performance. It is unfair of an institution promoting democracy as the ideal form of government to have a major loophole that makes the states other than the P5 states deprive of their rights as the veto power makes their vote useless. Although various steps are being taken as the UN has realized the misuse of veto and destruction caused by it, but, United Nations should take practical actions against it to stop Security Council from being a non-functional institution.
