“Real people, observing in real time, can question the credibility and legitimacy not only of the Security Council, but of the UN as a whole.”he told Member States.
State of play
Ms. Baerbock noted that the Council has been paralyzed over “the most devastating conflicts,” including the crises discussed earlier in the week.
The veto initiative
Ms. Baerbock highlighted the Assembly Veto Initiative as one way members are trying to respond.
- Requires an assembly debate each time a Council veto is issued.
- It allows the UN to demonstrate that “even when faced with a deadlock in the Council” it still hears “the desperate voices of those affected by these conflicts.”
- He pointed to the recent New York Declaration on the Palestinian Question, endorsed by 142 Member States, as evidence of strengthened interregional cooperation.
what she is saying
Ms Baerbock urged the Assembly to consider expanding its role:
- Ought new tools Will it be developed to “complement” the Initiative?
- Should the Assembly issue recommendations to the parties in conflict – or even to the Council – “if the Council is unwilling or unable to act”?
- These questions, he said, highlight the need to see the UN “not only as an organization but as a united family”.
Between the lines
Ms Baerbock acknowledged that it was “unfortunate” that the Initiative was necessary as it reflected a deeper dysfunction within the global body. But he emphasized that it provided a crucial space “to intervene when necessary; to hold ourselves and others accountable; to demonstrate our intent and take action.”
Real world consequences
Ms Baerbock’s call to action is not merely theoretical: vetoes have had profound consequences on people’s lives. For example, in June 2025, the United States vetoed a Security Council resolution that would have demanded an “immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire” in Gaza, a text supported by 14 of the 15 members. The United States defended its actions by saying that the draft resolution before the Council did not condemn the actions of Hamas fighters in October 2023, who attacked and killed some 1,200 Israelis, triggering the ongoing war.
Similarly, in February 2025, Russia vetoed amendments to a European-backed resolution on Ukraine, including one that explicitly called for respect for Ukraine’s sovereignty and another that called for a just and lasting peace in line with the United Nations Charter. Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022.
Context: the veto initiative
Established in April 2022 by a General Assembly resolution, the Initiative requires the Assembly to meet within 10 business days of any veto in the Security Council. It does not override the veto, but it guarantees a public and responsible debate on each use and its implications.