Published on: 2026-10-07
Source: United Nations – United Nations –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
October 1, 2026 Peace and Security
The UN General Assembly on Thursday considered the recent use of the veto right in the Security Council, when China and Russia blocked the US-presented draft resolution on the group of experts on sanctions regarding Iran’s nuclear facilities.
The right of veto is held by the five permanent members of the Security Council: the United Kingdom, China, Russia, the United States, and France. If even one of them votes against a document, it cannot be adopted.
According to the resolution adopted by the General Assembly in 2022, the GA must convene within 10 working days after each use of veto in the Council.
“Discussion will not replace action”
The President of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly, Khalilur Rahman, emphasized that the initiative to discuss the veto “cannot replace the effective actions of the Security Council.”
According to him, nevertheless, each case of veto use “demonstrates the value of this mechanism” and reminds us of the circumstances that make it necessary. The issue is that disagreements among the permanent members often block the work of the Security Council. In the General Assembly, no country has veto rights.
Positions of states
Explaining Russia’s decision to use its veto right in the Security Council, the Deputy Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the UN, Anna Evstigneeva, stated that the United Kingdom, France, and Germany had no legal grounds to trigger the sanctions reinstatement mechanism (‘snapback’). According to her, Security Council Resolution 2231 (2015) expired on October 18, 2025.
Evstigneeva spoke out against the proposal to extend the mandate of the Security Council Committee established by resolution 1737, and its Group of Experts. According to her, both bodies ceased to exist in 2015, and the Security Council has not made any decisions to resume their work.
“The US-drafted resolution, which was considered by the Security Council on September 17, simply lacked a legal basis and even the subject itself,” she stated.
“Therefore, we had no choice but to oppose this document,” added the Russian representative.
Deputy Permanent Representative of China Sun Lei, in turn, stated that his delegation voted against the draft resolution in order to “defend the correct understanding of what is fair and what is not.”
According to him, the current deadlock regarding the Expert Group was caused by the United States’ unilateral withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) – the 2015 nuclear deal – the policy of “maximum pressure,” and “two waves of strikes on Iran in the midst of negotiations.”
Other delegations spoke in favor of extending the group’s mandate.
“No UN member state should hinder the Security Council from normally and fully performing its functions,” said Hedda Sampson, deputy head of the European Union delegation. She noted that today the Group of Experts is needed even more than before.
Next steps
The President of the General Assembly will send a brief report on the discussion to the Security Council.
Opening the meeting, Rahman noted that the General Assembly and the Security Council “serve humanity best when they act in a balanced manner,” fulfilling their complementary responsibilities under the UN Charter.
“Therefore, let us use these debates not to escalate tensions or to find fault, but to clarify positions, find points of contact for constructive solutions, and chart a reliable path forward in support of dialogue and diplomacy, and ultimately, to restore trust in the Organization and its ability to achieve results,” he urged.
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