Russia, China veto UNSC resolution on Strait of Hormuz

• The UN Security Council failed to adopt a resolution aiming to boost security in the Strait of Hormuz on April 8.

• The draft resolution sought to strongly encourage States interested in the use of commercial maritime routes in the Strait of Hormuz — which lies between Iran, Oman and the United Arab Emirates — and to “coordinate efforts” defensively, to contribute to ensuring the safety and security of navigation there, including the use of escorts for merchant and commercial vessels. 

• The text was submitted by Bahrain alongside Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

• The draft also demanded that Iran immediately cease all attacks on shipping and any attempt to impede transit or freedom of navigation in the strait. 

• Eleven countries voted in favour of the draft, which was vetoed by permanent members China and Russia while Colombia and Pakistan abstained. 

• For a resolution to be adopted, it must secure at least nine votes in favour, and no negative votes (or vetoes) by any of the five permanent members.

• Explaining Russia’s vote, Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said that the resolution presented Iranian actions as the sole source of regional tensions while illegal attacks by the United States and Israel were “not mentioned at all”.  

• Chinese Ambassador Fu Cong said the draft “failed to capture the root causes and the full picture of the conflict in a comprehensive and balanced manner”.

UN Security Council

• The United Nations Charter established six main organs of the United Nations, including the Security Council. It gives primary responsibility for maintaining international peace and security to the Security Council.

• All members of the United Nations agree to accept and carry out the decisions of the Security Council. While other organs of the United Nations make recommendations to Member States, only the Security Council has the power to make decisions that member states are then obligated to implement under the Charter.

• The Security Council held its first session on January 17, 1946 at Church House, Westminster, London. Since its first meeting, the Security Council has taken permanent residence at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City.

• A representative of each of its members must be present at all times at UN headquarters so that the Security Council can meet at any time as the need arises.

• The Security Council takes the lead in determining the existence of a threat to the peace or act of aggression. 

• It calls upon the parties to a dispute to settle it by peaceful means and recommends methods of adjustment or terms of settlement. 

• In some cases, the Security Council can resort to imposing sanctions or even authorise the use of force to maintain or restore international peace and security.

• The Council is composed of 15 members.

• Five permanent members are: China, France, Russian Federation, the United Kingdom, and the United States. 

• Ten non-permanent members are elected for two-year terms by the General Assembly.

The right to veto

• The creators of the United Nations Charter conceived that five countries — China, France, the USSR (which was succeeded in 1990 by the Russian Federation), the United Kingdom and the United States — because of their key roles in the establishment of the United Nations, would continue to play important roles in the maintenance of international peace and security.

• They were granted the special status of Permanent Member States at the Security Council, along with a special voting power known as the “right to veto”. 

• It was agreed by the drafters that if any one of the five permanent members cast a negative vote in the 15-member Security Council, the resolution or decision would not be approved.

• All five permanent members have exercised the right of veto at one time or another. 

• If a permanent member does not fully agree with a proposed resolution but does not wish to cast a veto, it may choose to abstain, thus allowing the resolution to be adopted if it obtains the required number of nine favourable votes.