&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "UN General Assembly 2026: What is veto power. Which countries have it and how does it work?")
The veto power at the United Nations is one of the most powerful tools in international diplomacy. It allows any of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council to block certain substantive decisions, even when most other council members support them. The five countries with veto power are China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States. They are known collectively as the Permanent Five, or P5.
What is veto power at the UN?
The UN Security Council has 15 members, five permanent members and 10 non-permanent members elected for two-year terms.
Under the UN Charter, substantive Security Council decisions require at least nine votes in favour. However, those nine votes must include the agreement of the permanent members. This means that if even one permanent member votes against a substantive draft resolution, the resolution fails. This is known as a veto. For example, if 14 members vote in favour of a substantive resolution but one permanent member votes against it, the resolution does not pass.
Which countries have UN veto power?
The five permanent members are:
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- China
- France
- Russia
- United Kingdom
- United States
The arrangement dates back to the creation of the UN in the aftermath of World War II. The five countries were given permanent seats and veto rights because of their roles among the major Allied powers that shaped the post-war international order.
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How does the UN veto work?
The veto applies to substantive matters, including decisions on issues such as sanctions, peacekeeping mandates and other major Security Council actions. There is an important distinction between a negative vote and an abstention. If a permanent member votes against a substantive resolution, it exercises its veto and the resolution fails.
If a permanent member abstains, however, the resolution can still pass if it receives the required nine votes and does not otherwise fail under the voting rules. For procedural matters, a negative vote by a permanent member does not have the same veto effect.
Why was the veto created?
The veto was built into the UN system to ensure that the major powers responsible for maintaining the post-war international order would remain involved in major Security Council decisions. The system was also designed to prevent the UN from taking major enforcement action against the interests of one of those powers without its consent.
However, the veto has remained controversial. Critics argue that it can prevent the Security Council from taking action even when there is broad international support for a resolution. Supporters of the system argue that requiring agreement among the permanent members reflects the realities of international power and helps prevent the Security Council from taking decisions that could directly confront a major military power.
Can the UN General Assembly override a veto?
No. The UN General Assembly cannot simply overturn a Security Council veto and force a vetoed resolution through the Security Council. The General Assembly can debate international issues and adopt resolutions of its own, but Security Council decisions carry specific powers under the UN Charter, including those relating to sanctions and other measures. The General Assembly can also use mechanisms such as the “Uniting for Peace” procedure to consider situations when the Security Council is deadlocked. But this does not eliminate the permanent members' veto.
Why is UN veto power important?
The veto can determine whether the Security Council takes action on some of the world's biggest crises, including wars, conflicts, sanctions and international security disputes. It is therefore one of the central features of the UN system, and also one of its most debated. The five permanent members continue to hold a unique position in the Security Council, more than eight decades after the United Nations was established.
