Regulating the use of the veto, reforming the Security Council United Nations News Published on : September 22nd 2026 Against a backdrop of a rising number of conflicts, collective responses are more necessary than ever. From the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine, from the civil war in Sudan to the crises affecting Iran, Lebanon, Afghanistan, Haiti and the Great Lakes region, it is the responsibility of the United Nations, and particularly the Security Council, to agree on situations and take action: “We have a responsibility, to act together and build an effective multilateralism”. From the United Nations podium in September 2025, the President of the Republic Emmanuel Macron called for confronting the brutalization of the world. A year later, this call is resonating strongly as France holds the presidency of the United Nations Security Council for the month of September, while the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, an event that brings together numerous Heads of State and Government in New York, is underway. This annual event is an opportunity for discussion at the highest level to make progress on the most difficult topics, starting with those involving international peace and security. For France, it is also an opportunity to defend effective multilateralism to make the United Nations an instrument that provides responses that meet the peoples’ expectations. Regulating the use of the veto The Security Council has important tools to act in support of peace: decisions, mediations and good offices, deployment of peace operations and blue helmets, support to humanitarian operations and support to peace processes led by regional organizations. But the effectiveness of the Council also depends on its ability to overcome division when circumstances require it to do so. For several years, France has defended an initiative aiming to regulate the use of the veto in the event of mass atrocities (genocide, crimes against humanity or large-scale war crimes). France made a commitment in 2013 not to use its veto in the event of mass atrocities. Since 2015, France and Mexico have been working towards regulating the use of the veto in the event of mass atrocities. Today, 127 States support the French-Mexican initiative, 20 of which have joined this initiative since the beginning of 2026. The United Kingdom is one of the States that recently joined the initiative, thereby becoming the second permanent member of the Security Council, alongside France, to do so. The aim is to preserve the Council’s capacity for action in the gravest situations, when civilian populations are directly at risk. This proposal stems from a greater belief: that the Security Council’s role is to enforce the rules that govern the international order and the Charter of the United Nations. France defends a responsible use of the veto, and applies that itself. The right to a veto should not be seen as a privilege but rather a responsibility. France has not used its veto since 1989. « “The responsibility of this Council is first and foremost to enforce the rules that govern the international order and to enforce the Charter of the United Nations.” » Jean-Noël Barrot, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Security Council reform The world has changed significantly since the creation of the UN in 1945. The composition of the Security Council must offer a truer reflection of the contemporary world and allocate a greater role to the regions that today are insufficiently represented. France is working to reform the Security Council with a view to expanding both categories of members: permanent and non-permanent. This reform should ensure greater representation of Africa, the Asia-Pacific region, Latin America and the Caribbean. More balanced representation would contribute to strengthening the legitimacy of the Security Council and its ability to respond to crises affecting international peace and security.