General Assembly: 69th plenary meeting, 77th session…

Prior to adopting three draft resolutions tackling infrastructure connectivity, voluntary national reviews and cooperation with the Council of Europe, the General Assembly held its first ever formal debate on the use of the veto in the Security Council, with speakers deliberating the impact of the new transparency and accountability mechanism — enabled by resolution 76/262 — and its role in enhancing the General Assembly’s functions while achieving legitimacy in the use of the veto.

Csaba Kőrösi (Hungary), President of the General Assembly, recalling the 2022 historic resolution, stressed:  “We are here to figure out the best ways to exploit this new instrument.”  Urging Member States to use the debate creatively and constructively by asking tough questions and seeking game-changing solutions, he emphasized that vetoes should always remain the very last resort.  Encouraging delegations to go beyond their immediate interests and act responsibly to rebuild trust within the Organization, he added:  “Dare to be bold.  Dare to bring change.”

Many speakers voiced their support for the France-Mexico initiative addressing veto restraint in cases of mass atrocities and highlighted the importance of Article 27(3) of the Charter, which stipulates that a party to a dispute shall abstain from voting. 

Following the debate, the General Assembly adopted three draft resolutions, including a draft text on “Building global resilience and promoting sustainable development through regional and interregional infrastructure connectivity”, and another, “Strengthening Voluntary National Reviews through Country-led Evaluation”, both without a vote.  Adopted by recorded vote was the draft resolution on “Cooperation between the United Nations and the Council of Europe”.

The General Assembly will convene next at a time and date to be announced.