Ending Security Council Resolutions. Issue 4 (October 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Galbraith, Jean
• Is Part Of: American journal of international law. Volume 109: Issue 4(2015)
• Page Start: 806
• Page End: 821
• Publication Date: 2015-10
• Subjects: International law -- Periodicals; International relations -- Periodicals; Periodicals; 341.05
• DOI: 10.5305/amerjintelaw.109.4.0806
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0002-9300

Abstract

Abstract : Criticism of the Security Council tends to take one of two forms: first, that it does not act enough; and second, that it acts unwisely. Although these concerns are quite different, they both have partial causal roots in the Council's voting process. Article 27 of the United Nations Charter provides that Council decisions on nonprocedural matters require "an affirmative vote of nine members including the concurring votes of the permanent members." The ability of any of the five permanent member stove to a Council resolution makes it difficult for the Council both to act in the first place and to pass corrective resolutions when existing resolutions are criticized as problematic. Indeed, the difficulty of undoing resolutions can make Council members wary about allowing the passage of resolutions at the very outset.