The UN General Assembly on Tuesday adopted a resolution that allows it to convene automatically when a veto is cast in the Security Council.

The resolution, adopted without a vote, decides that the president of the General Assembly shall convene a formal meeting of the assembly within 10 working days of the casting of a veto by one or more permanent members of the Security Council to hold a debate on the situation provided that the Assembly does not meet in an emergency special session on the same situation.

It also decides, on an exceptional basis, to accord precedence in the list of speakers to the permanent member or permanent members of the Security Council having cast a veto.

It invites the Security Council to submit a special report on the use of the veto in question to the General Assembly at least 72 hours before the relevant discussion in the Assembly.

Enshrined in the UN Charter, the five permanent members of the Security Council – the United States, the United Kingdom, Russia, France and China – have the power to veto Security Council resolutions.

(With input from Xinhua)

(Cover: The United Nations holds its second day of emergency special session General Assembly meetings on the Russia-Ukraine conflict in New York City, U.S., March 01, 2022. /CFP)