Why it is in the news
On 22 September 2026, speaking in the General Debate of the 81st UN General Assembly, French President Emmanuel Macron renewed France’s call to “regulate” the Security Council veto in situations of mass atrocity, arguing that the veto is a “responsibility” and not a “privilege”. The Foreign Ministers of France and Mexico, Jean-Noël Barrot and Roberto Velasco, announced that 128 states now back their Political Declaration on Suspension of Veto Powers in Cases of Mass Atrocity — 21 of them in the last four months — and that the United Kingdom has joined, making it the first time two permanent members have accepted the principle.
The exam angle
Issue: Can voluntary restraint and accountability mechanisms make the Security Council effective in mass-atrocity situations when the Charter itself — and the veto — cannot realistically be amended?