The UN Security Council, established in 1945 as the cornerstone of global peacekeeping, was designed to maintain international order and respond decisively to threats against humanity. This year, as we mark the UN’s 80th anniversary, offers a chance to reflect on the UNSC more closely. Sadly, this decision-making mechanism, particularly the veto power granted to its five permanent members – the US, Russia, China, the UK and France, collectively known as the P5 – has increasingly crippled the UN’s ability to act effectively in times of peril, which seem to be growing in number these days.
The veto, intended as a tool to ensure consensus among major powers, has instead become a weapon for advancing national interests, obstructing justice and perpetuating mass atrocities. From Syria to Ukraine to Gaza, the veto is one of the the UNSC’s greatest structural flaws, undermining its credibility and betraying the principle of sovereign equality that the UN was founded to uphold.
The veto system emerged from the San Francisco Conference in 1945, where smaller and medium-sized states voiced concerns over granting disproportionate power to the P5. It allows a single permanent member to block any substantive resolution, regardless of global consensus. Despite their objections, smaller states capitulated to the superpowers’ insistence that the veto was essential for maintaining international peace. But the veto has frequently been wielded ever since to protect the P5’s national interests.
In law there is a principle called “nemo judex in causa sua” (“no one is a judge in their own cause”). In other words, the decision maker in a case should not have a personal stake in that case. The UN Charter reflects this principle in Article 27(3) by prohibiting P5 members from voting on disputes in which they are directly involved. The problem, however, is that this restriction does not extend to disputes governed by Chapter 7 of the Charter, which covers the Council’s responses to threats to peace. This has allowed permanent members to block UN Security Council action even when they are parties to the conflict, shielding themselves and their allies from accountability.
The veto has become a weapon for advancing national interests
The veto’s misuse is evident in numerous crises where P5 members prioritised geopolitical agendas over humanitarian imperatives. The US, for instance, has consistently used its veto to shield Israel from UNSC criticism, regardless of the merits of these resolutions. Russia and China have similarly paralysed the UNSC in crises such as Syria, Ukraine, Myanmar and Bosnia and Herzegovina. In Syria, Russian vetoes – often justified as protecting Syrian sovereignty – blocked resolutions aimed at addressing mass atrocities and shielded the Assad regime.
The veto has even been used to influence the bureaucratic shape of the UN, including the selection of the UN Secretary-General. In 1996, the US blocked Boutros Boutros-Ghali’s reappointment, citing his publication of a report exposing Israel’s deliberate attack on a UN refugee camp in Lebanon.
But in recent times, it is the deadlock over the Syrian war that sparked the most global outrage over the veto and prompted initiatives to reform the system. In 2013, French President François Hollande proposed that the P5 voluntarily refrain from using the veto in cases of mass atrocities, such as genocide or war crimes. The French initiative, detailed by Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, suggested a “gentlemen’s agreement” among the P5, with the UN Secretary-General determining when a situation qualifies as a mass atrocity. However, the proposal’s voluntary nature and exemption for cases involving “vital national interests” rendered it toothless. The US and Russia both refused to endorse it.
Another effort, the Accountability, Coherence, and Transparency (ACT) Code of Conduct, launched by 27 smaller states in 2013, calls for all UNSC members to pledge not to vote against resolutions addressing major crimes. By 2018, 116 countries supported the code, but the US and Russia remain non-signatories, and so it is likely to share the fate of the French proposal.
The paralysis caused by the veto in the face of atrocities represents a betrayal of the UN’s mission. It perpetuates suffering and emboldens perpetrators. The Security Council’s failure to act in Syria, Ukraine and Recently the war in Gaza , contrasted with its selective interventions elsewhere, fuels perceptions of bias and double standards, diminishing trust in the UN as a whole.
Reforming the veto system faces formidable obstacles, as P5 members are unlikely to relinquish their privilege voluntarily. Amending the UN Charter requires the consent of all permanent members, making structural change improbable.
However, certain incremental steps could mitigate the veto’s harm. Strengthening the ACT Code of Conduct by securing broader P5 buy-in, particularly from the US, could build momentum for voluntary restraint. Empowering the UN General Assembly to act when the UNSC is deadlocked, as proposed in the “Uniting for Peace” resolution back in 1950, offers another avenue for bypassing vetoes in extreme cases.
Public pressure and advocacy from smaller states, civil society and the world’s citizens are critical to driving reform. Highlighting the human cost of UNSC inaction – millions displaced, countless lives lost – can galvanise support for change. The UN’s 80th anniversary presents an opportunity to revisit the San Francisco Conference’s debates and demand a Security Council that serves humanity, not just the interests of a privileged few.
The veto system, once envisioned as a safeguard for global stability, has become a shackle on the UNSC’s ability to fulfil its mandate. Reforming this outdated mechanism is not just a legal or diplomatic challenge, but a moral imperative. The world cannot afford a Security Council that stands idly by as atrocities unfold, constrained by the veto’s iron grip. The time for change is now.
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
AWARDS
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THE%20SPECS
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PROFILE OF CURE.FIT
Started: July 2016
Founders: Mukesh Bansal and Ankit Nagori
Based: Bangalore, India
Sector: Health & wellness
Size: 500 employees
Investment: $250 million
Investors: Accel, Oaktree Capital (US); Chiratae Ventures, Epiq Capital, Innoven Capital, Kalaari Capital, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Piramal Group’s Anand Piramal, Pratithi Investment Trust, Ratan Tata (India); and Unilever Ventures (Unilever’s global venture capital arm)
Another way to earn air miles
In addition to the Emirates and Etihad programmes, there is the Air Miles Middle East card, which offers members the ability to choose any airline, has no black-out dates and no restrictions on seat availability. Air Miles is linked up to HSBC credit cards and can also be earned through retail partners such as Spinneys, Sharaf DG and The Toy Store.
An Emirates Dubai-London round-trip ticket costs 180,000 miles on the Air Miles website. But customers earn these ‘miles’ at a much faster rate than airline miles. Adidas offers two air miles per Dh1 spent. Air Miles has partnerships with websites as well, so booking.com and agoda.com offer three miles per Dh1 spent.
“If you use your HSBC credit card when shopping at our partners, you are able to earn Air Miles twice which will mean you can get that flight reward faster and for less spend,” says Paul Lacey, the managing director for Europe, Middle East and India for Aimia, which owns and operates Air Miles Middle East.
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
Engine: 5.6-litre V8
Transmission: seven-speed automatic
Power: 400hp
Torque: 560Nm
Price: Dh234,000 - Dh329,000
On sale: now
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Read more about the coronavirus
MATCH INFO
What: 2006 World Cup quarter-final
When: July 1
Where: Gelsenkirchen Stadium, Gelsenkirchen, Germany
Result:
England 0 Portugal 0
(Portugal win 3-1 on penalties)
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Generational responses to the pandemic
Devesh Mamtani from Century Financial believes the cash-hoarding tendency of each generation is influenced by what stage of the employment cycle they are in. He offers the following insights:
Baby boomers (those born before 1964): Owing to market uncertainty and the need to survive amid competition, many in this generation are looking for options to hoard more cash and increase their overall savings/investments towards risk-free assets.
Generation X (born between 1965 and 1980): Gen X is currently in its prime working years. With their personal and family finances taking a hit, Generation X is looking at multiple options, including taking out short-term loan facilities with competitive interest rates instead of dipping into their savings account.
Millennials (born between 1981 and 1996): This market situation is giving them a valuable lesson about investing early. Many millennials who had previously not saved or invested are looking to start doing so now.
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
'The worst thing you can eat'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
Profile of Tarabut Gateway
Founder: Abdulla Almoayed
Based: UAE
Founded: 2017
Number of employees: 35
Sector: FinTech
Raised: $13 million
Backers: Berlin-based venture capital company Target Global, Kingsway, CE Ventures, Entrée Capital, Zamil Investment Group, Global Ventures, Almoayed Technologies and Mad’a Investment.
Pathaan
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Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
New UK refugee system
- A new “core protection” for refugees moving from permanent to a more basic, temporary protection
- Shortened leave to remain - refugees will receive 30 months instead of five years
- A longer path to settlement with no indefinite settled status until a refugee has spent 20 years in Britain
- To encourage refugees to integrate the government will encourage them to out of the core protection route wherever possible.
- Under core protection there will be no automatic right to family reunion
- Refugees will have a reduced right to public funds
How England have scored their set-piece goals in Russia
Three Penalties
v Panama, Group Stage (Harry Kane)
v Panama, Group Stage (Kane)
v Colombia, Last 16 (Kane)
Four Corners
v Tunisia, Group Stage (Kane, via John Stones header, from Ashley Young corner)
v Tunisia, Group Stage (Kane, via Harry Maguire header, from Kieran Trippier corner)
v Panama, Group Stage (Stones, header, from Trippier corner)
v Sweden, Quarter-Final (Maguire, header, from Young corner)
One Free-Kick
v Panama, Group Stage (Stones, via Jordan Henderson, Kane header, and Raheem Sterling, from Tripper free-kick)
