Questioning the Use of the Veto

Abstract The unprecedented political cohesion that emerged within the General Assembly following the Russian aggression against Ukraine notoriously prompted the organ to exercise its residual responsibility for maintaining international peace and security. Yet, it also stimulated renewed attention to the Assembly’s institutional role vis-à-vis that of the Security Council. On April 26, 2022, the Assembly adopted resolution 76/262 on the so-called Veto Initiative, establishing a standing mandate for the organ to meet every time a veto is cast in the Security Council. The article argues that the Initiative constitutes a clear manifestation of the Assembly’s desire to reclaim an accountability function – a function which, though long neglected, the UN Charter already vests the organ with. By so doing, the Veto Initiative triggers the rediscovery and redefinition of the Assembly’s role in the UN institutional architecture, potentially opening a new season in the relationship between its main political organs.