UK Joins Mexico-France Push to Limit UN Veto in Mass Atrocity Cases

The United Kingdom has joined a growing group of countries backing a voluntary initiative to suspend the use of the United Nations Security Council veto in cases involving mass atrocities.

UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband announced the decision at a ministerial meeting in New York on the sidelines of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly, according to a joint statement by Mexico and France.

The move makes the UK the second permanent member of the Security Council to support the Political Declaration on Suspension of Veto Powers in Cases of Mass Atrocity, which was launched by Mexico and France in 2015.

The declaration calls on permanent members of the Security Council to voluntarily refrain from using their veto when the Council is considering situations involving mass atrocities, including genocide, crimes against humanity and large-scale war crimes.

Mexico and France said 21 additional countries have backed the declaration over the past four months, bringing the total number of supporting states to 128.

The two countries co-chaired Wednesday’s ministerial-level meeting, which brought together countries that have supported the initiative for years as well as those that have recently joined or expressed interest in its objectives.

Mexico and France welcomed the UK’s decision, describing it as an important addition to efforts to strengthen international action in response to mass atrocities.

The initiative remains voluntary and does not alter the formal veto powers granted to the five permanent members of the Security Council under the UN Charter.

The United States, China, France, Russia and the UK hold permanent seats on the Council and have veto power over substantive resolutions.

France has been advocating voluntary restraint on the use of the veto in cases of mass atrocities since 2013, while Mexico and France formally presented their joint political declaration in 2015.

The latest expansion of support comes as governments continue to debate how the Security Council can respond more effectively to major conflicts and mass-atrocity situations, amid wider calls for reform of the UN's principal body responsible for international peace and security.

Source: FSX Business News