Annex X
Conference room paper prepared by the Bureau of the Open-ended Working Group*: summary of proposals made by delegations during the deliberations of the Open-ended Working Group dated 27 April 1998
Decision-making in the Security Council, including the veto
I. The veto as a voting instrument in the Security Council
A. Proposals aimed at curtailment, limitation or discouragement of the use of the veto which do not necessarily require amendments to the Charter
1. The permanent members of the Security Council, collectively or individually, should commit themselves not to resort to the veto or to the threat of its use beyond actions taken under Chapter VII of the Charter.
2. The permanent members of the Security Council should exercise the veto in a manner consistent with their responsibilities under the Charter. The permanent members should always provide a written justification whenever they exercise the veto.
3. The Security Council should introduce a practice whereby a permanent member would be able to cast a negative vote without such a vote constituting a veto when the member so declares. This would be similar to the current practice concerning the abstention, non-participation or absence of a permanent member in the Council's decision-making process.
4. A legal definition of what constitutes a procedural matter in the decision-making of the Security Council should be formulated. A list of decisions of the Security Council deemed procedural should be developed, inter alia, through the revision of the annex to General Assembly resolution 267 (III) of 14 April 1949.
5. The General Assembly should adopt a declaration expressing its attitude towards the veto as a voting instrument in the Security Council, encouraging Security Council members to make every effort to seek consensus in the Council's decision-making process. The declaration should also contain recommendations to the Council aimed at curtailing, limiting or discouraging the use of the veto.
B. Proposals aimed at curtailment or limitation of the use of the veto requiring amendments to the Charter
6. The Charter should be amended to provide for restriction of the veto to questions falling under Chapter VII of the Charter, inter alia, through amendments to Articles 4, 5, 6, 27, 97, 108 and 109 of the Charter.
7. The Charter should be amended to provide for suspension of the veto on specific occasions, as defined by a prescribed qualified majority of the General Assembly.
8. The Charter should be amended so that a single negative vote by a permanent member of the Security Council will not prevent action on a proposal that has received the required majority.
II. The number of affirmative votes required for decisions in the Security Council
9. If the present action threshold is maintained at approximately the present level (60 per cent), the number of affirmative votes required for a decision would be: in a Council of 20: 12; in a Council of 21: 13; in a Council of 23 or 24: 14; in a Council of 25: 15; in a Council of 26: 16. Proposals for changing the present action threshold could be also considered.
