Focus on the Veto Power in the Security Council
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ADDIS ABABA UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF LAW AND GOVERNANCE PROSPECTS AND CHALLENGES OF REFORMING THE UN: FOCUS ON THE VETO POWER IN THE SECURITY COUNCIL BY: DAWIT BERIHUN ADVISOR: GIRMACHEW ALEMU ANEME (PHD) June 2015 By: Dawit Berihun PROSPECTS AND CHALLENGES OF REFORMING THE UN: FOCUS ON THE VETO POWER IN THE SECURITY COUNCIL Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Masters Degree of Laws (Public International Law) College of Law and Governance, Addis Ababa University Addis Ababa, Ethiopia June 2015 Letter of Declaration I, Dawit Berihun, declare that this thesis is my original work and it has never been presented in any other University. All source materials used in this work have been duly acknowledged. It is hereby presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of LL.M Degree in Public International Law. Candidate: Dawit Berihun Signature________________ Date_________________ Approved by: GirmachewAlemu (Phd) Signature_________________ Date______________ Approval Sheet by Board of Examiners PROSPECTS AND CHALLENGES OF REFORMING THE UN: FOCUS ON THE VETO POWER IN THE SECURITY COUNCIL Approved by Board of Examiners Advisor- GirmachewAlemu(LL.B, LL.M,PHD), Signature ___________ Date ____ Examiner-___________________________ Signature ___________ Date _________ Examiner- ___________________________ Signature ___________ Date__________ TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER ONE 1. GENERAL INTRODUCTIONS. 1.1 INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................1 1.2 Statement of the Problem...........................................................................................................1 1.3 Objectives of the Research.........................................................................................................7 1.4 Research Method .......................................................................................................................8 1.5 Literature Review.......................................................................................................................8 1.6 Limitation of the study ..............................................................................................................16 CHAPTER TWO 2. BRIEF OVERVIEW OF COLLECTIVE SECURITY AND THE UNITED NATIONS 2.1 Introductions .............................................................................................................................17 2.2 Early Understandings of Collective Security ............................................................................17 2.3 Modern Understandings of Collective Security.........................................................................19 2.4 Collective Security Before and During the League of Nations .................................................27 2.5 The United Nations and Collective Security.............................................................................. 31 CHAPTER THREE 3. REFORM EFFORTS IN THE UN 3.1 Introduction 3.2 Major Criticisms of the UN and the Need for Reform...............................................................38 3.2.1 Major Criticisms............................................................................................................... 38 3.2.2 Major Areas of Reform ....................................................................................................50 3.2.2.1 Secretariat Transparency Reform .............................................................................52 3.2.2.2 Democratic Reform .................................................................................................54 3.2.2.3 Financial reform ...................................................................................................... 55 3.2.2.4 Strengthening the UN Human Rights Council .........................................................56 3.2.2.5 Security Council Reform.......................................................................................... 57 3.3 Other Reforms.......................................................................................................................... 60 3.3.1 Creation of United Nations Parliamentary Assembly.....................................................60 3.3.2 Replacement of the United Nation Environmental Program .........................................61 3.3.3 Placing All UN Development Agencies and Specialized Programs Under A UNDG (United Nation Development Group)...........................................................61 3.3.4 Removal of Spent Provisions in UN Charter .................................................................62 CHAPTER FOUR 4. PAST AND PRESENT REFORM EFFORTS IN THE UN SECURITY COUNCIL 4.1 Introduction ...............................................................................................................................64 4.2The Original Composition of the UNSC in 1945 ....................................................................... 65 4.3 Past Efforts to Reform the UNSC.............................................................................................. 75 4. 3.1 Reform Efforts in the Cold War Era .............................................................................75 4.3.2 Reform Efforts after the Cold War .................................................................................83 4.3.3 A De-Facto Reform of the UNSC ..................................................................................87 4.3.4 The Non Aligned States Reform Proposal .....................................................................96 4.3.4.1 The Various Proposals of the NAM States .............................................................97 4.3.5 UNSC Reform Proposals from the European States and Others................................... 105 4.3.5.1 Spain......................................................................................................................107 4.3.5.2 Turkey ..................................................................................................................108 4.3.5.3 Italy ....................................................................................................................... 108 4.3.6 Change in Position of the Permanent Members ............................................................110 4.3.7 Ismael Razali’s Reform Proposal .................................................................................113 4.4 Major Contemporary Reform Proposals .........................................................................118 CHAPTER FIVE 5. VETO POWER REFORM 5.1 Introduction 5.2 Brief Overview of the Veto Power in the UNSC ......................................................................126 5.3 The Experience of the Veto Power ...........................................................................................128 5.3.1 States that Commonly Use the Veto Power ..................................................................130 5.3.2. Most Recent Vetoes....................................................................................................... 130 5.3.3 Analysis of the Use of the Veto Power by the Permanent Five of the UNSC. ...............131 5.3.3.1 The Soviet Union and Russia .............................................................................131 5.3.3.2 The United States.................................................................................................131 5.3.3.3 United Kingdom .................................................................................................132 5.3.3.4 France .................................................................................................................132 5.3.3.5 China ...................................................................................................................132 5.4 Types of the Veto Power ...........................................................................................................133 5.4.1 Express Veto .................................................................................................................133 5.4.2 Pocket Veto or Hidden Veto .........................................................................................133 5.4.3 The Indirect Veto or the Double Veto...........................................................................137 5.5 Major International Law Debates Concerning the Veto Power ................................................. 138 5.6 Basic Arguments For and Against the Veto Power ................................................................... 143 5.6.1 How Much Does the Veto Power Reflect Global Geopolitical Realities? .................. 143 5.6.2 The Veto Power and the Democratic Principle of Equality .......................................145 5.6.3 The UN Veto Power and the Principle of Check and Balance ....................................147 5.6.4 The Veto Power and the UN Effectiveness ................................................................. 148 5.6.5 The Veto Power and Abuse for Individual National Interests ....................................150 5.6.6. Is it possible to avoid the Veto Power? ......................................................................152 5.6.7 The Veto Power and Nuclear Proliferation ................................................................. 153 5.6.8 What are the Alternatives to Abolishing the Veto?.....................................................154 5.7 Uniting For Peace Resolutions...................................................................................................156