The power of Veto

The Security Council of the UN has 15 members, 5 of them hold permanent seats. The 5 permanent members are United States, United Kingdom, France, Russia and China. They have the 'power of veto'. These nations were the winning powers at the end of World War II, and they still represent the bulk of the world's military might.

Decisions of the Security Council require nine votes. But any one of the permanent members can veto an important decision. This authority is known as the veto right of the great powers, and it gives the five permanent members the power to overturn any decision of Security Council. The purpose of the veto is to prevent any one country from becoming too powerful and having its own way in the Security Council.

Tags: Veto, Veto power, Veto power nations, Security Council