who has veto power in the united nations
United Nations Security Council veto power The United Nations Security Council "power of veto" refers to the veto power wielded solely by the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council (China, France, Russia, United Kingdom, and United States), enabling them to prevent the adoption of any "substantive" resolution. Abstention or absence from the vote by a permanent member does not prevent a draft resolution from being adopted. However, the veto power does not apply to "procedural" votes, as determined by the permanent members themselves. The permanent members can vote against a "procedural" draft resolution without blocking its adoption by the Council. A negative vote by a permanent member will also block the selection of a Secretary-General, although this is a "recommendation" to the General Assembly rather than a Resolution. The unconditional veto posessed by the five governments has been seen by critics as the most undemocratic character of the UN.[1] Critics also claim that veto power is the main cause for international inaction on war crimes and crimes against humanity. However, the United States refused to join the United Nations unless it was given a veto.[1] The absence of the United States from the League of Nations contributed to its ineffectiveness.
United States and the United Nations The United States is host to the headquarters of the United Nations, which includes the usual meeting place of the General Assembly in New York City, the seat of the Security Council and several bodies of the United Nations. The United States is the largest provider of financial contributions to the United Nations, providing 22 percent of the entire UN budget in 2017 (in comparison the next biggest contributor is Japan with almost 10 percent, while EU countries pay a total of above 30 percent).[1] From July 2016 to June 2017, 28.6 percent of the budget used for peacekeeping operations was provided by the United States.[2] The United States had a pivotal role in establishing the UN.