Why the UN Security Council veto is the ultimate check on international power

Cultures · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: The veto power held by the five permanent members of the UN Security Council is often called the great power veto. It is a controversial mechanism that prevents the organization from taking binding action against its most powerful members, effectively serving as a safeguard for their sovereign rights and national interests.

The veto power originates from Article 27 of the United Nations Charter, established during negotiations at Dumbarton Oaks and Yalta in 1944 and 1945. The Big Five—the United States, United Kingdom, Soviet Union, China, and France—insisted on this unanimity principle, arguing that the UN would collapse if it attempted to enforce binding actions against them. Without this provision, the United States government indicated the Charter would not have passed the Senate.

While the term veto does not appear in the Charter, it functions as an absolute power to block any non-procedural resolution, including sanctions, peacekeeping operations, and the selection of the Secretary-General. A permanent member's absence or abstention does not count as a veto, but a single negative vote from any of the five is sufficient to stop a resolution. This power has been used strategically throughout history, shifting from the Soviet Union's frequent use during the early Cold War to the United States' frequent use regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Critics argue that this power is inherently undemocratic and the primary cause of UN inaction regarding war crimes. However, supporters maintain it promotes stability by preventing military interventions against major powers. Mechanisms like the 1950 Uniting for Peace resolution were designed to allow the General Assembly to bypass a paralyzed Security Council, though the veto remains a defining, if contested, feature of global governance that ensures the Great Powers remain engaged with the institution.

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