Question

Which statement is the best description of ‘Veto Power' ?

• A. It is a power of positive voting.
• B. After the end of the Second World War, Veto Power is given only to permanent members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to establish peace in the world.
• C. All the temporary members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) have the right to use Veto Power only for two years.
• D. All the members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) possess Veto Power.

Hint:

Veto Power Highlights: - Held ONLY by the 5 Permanent Members (P5: USA, UK, Russia, China, France). - It is a NEGATIVE vote (a single 'NO' vote blocks any substantive resolution). - Non-permanent members DO NOT have veto power.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Concept: The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) consists of 15 member states: 5 Permanent Members (P5 - USA, UK, France, Russia, China) and 10 Non-Permanent Members elected for two-year terms. Under Article 27 of the UN Charter, major substantive decisions require an affirmative vote from 9 members, including the concurring votes of all 5 permanent members.

Step 1: Definition and Mechanism of Veto Power.
Veto power is essentially a negative vote cast by any of the five permanent members of the UNSC. If a single P5 nation votes against a draft resolution, the resolution fails or gets blocked, even if all other 14 member nations vote in favor of it. Hence, Veto power is a power of negative voting, making Option (A) incorrect.

Step 2: Analysis of Member Rights regarding Veto.
- Non-permanent (temporary) members of the Security Council do not possess veto power. They only have standard non-weighted voting rights. This makes Options (C) and (D) incorrect.
- Veto power was deliberately created in the post-WWII international architecture (1945) to ensure that major global powers remained committed to the UN system and that global decisions impacting international peace and security had the backing or non-opposition of the principal global powers. Therefore, Option (B) provides the best description.