Abstract:
The UN Security Council holds the primary mandate to maintain international peace and
security, empowered with a unique structure that includes five permanent members (P-5) with
veto power. However, numerous instances, including the Ukraine-Russia War, Israel’s actions in
Gaza, and conflicts in Syria and Yemen, illustrate the arbitrary use of veto power by some P-5
countries. This practice often prevents the adoption of effective resolutions against aggressors,
driven largely by geopolitical interests rather than the mandated obligation of achieving global
peace and security. In this context, this research explores how the arbitrary use of veto power by
the Security Council can be addressed within the current international legal framework to fulfil
the original purpose of the UN Charter. The main objective is to identify the reasons behind
granting such extensive power to the P-5 countries by the framers of the UN and to propose
legal and pragmatic solutions that address the contemporary international law framework
governing the prohibition of the use of force. Utilising a doctrinal legal research approach,
this study employs a qualitative methodology and analyses primary and secondary data based
on international law instruments, case law jurisprudence, scholarly works, and selected case
studies. Key findings suggest that the UN General Assembly ...
