New York, US, 19 April 2024

The United States on Thursday vetoed a majority UN Security Council members humanitarian resolution that would have recognized a Palestinian state.

Twelve members of the Security Council voted in favor of the resolution; two countries – UK and Switzerland abstained, The United States of America vetoed it.

12 countries – Slovenia, Sierra Leone, Russia, South Korea, Mozambique, Malta, Japan, Guyana, France, Ecuador, China and Algeria voted in favor of the resolution.

Mahmoud Abbas, President, Palestinian Authority criticized the US veto as ‘unfair, immoral, and unjustified, and defies the will of the international community, which strongly supports the State of Palestine obtaining full membership in the United Nations’.

The U.S. has vetoed 45 times earlier UN Security Council resolutions critical of Israel as of 18 December 2023 according to an analysis by Blue Marble.

The U.S. has vetoed 89 Security Council resolutions (excluding the latest) in total since 1945,  slightly over half of its vetoes in favour of Israel against Palestinians – 33 pertained to the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories.

U.S. used first time its veto on a UNSC resolution (S/PV 1534) on 17 March 1970 along with UK regarding Southern Rhodesia. Second veto in September  1972 that called on Israel to cease its aggression in Lebanon, first ever in favour of Israel. Since then the U.S. used 46 times till date its veto to halt resolutions critical of Israel.

Between 1982 and 1990, the U.S. used its veto in support of Israel 21 times – the vetoed resolutions criticized Israel’s aggression in Lebanon and its occupation of Palestinian territories.

Since 2001, the U.S. has used its veto in support of Israel 15 times.

Russia (formerly USSR) has used 109 times it’s Veto power, first ever veto used in UNSC was by USSR on 16 February 1946 against resolution SPV on withdrawal of foreign forces from Lebanon and Syria.

Until 1972, permanent members of Security Council used their VETO power sparingly. UK used 5 times; France 4 times; China and US used one time each; Russia then Soviet Union used VETO 109 times between 1946-1971, an average of four times per year.

VETO power was offered to the five permanent members when the U.N. and Security Council were created in 1945 in the aftermath of World War II – the only way then to attract these countries to join the United Nations.

UN Security Council has 10 rotating members, which are elected by the General Assembly for 2-Year terms. Among present rotating members are Albania, Brazil, Ecuador, Gabon, Ghana, Japan, Malta, Mozambique, Switzerland, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).