The UN Security Council (UNSC) is failing people living in conflict, according to a new report published by Oxfam. Russia and the United States are particularly responsible for abusing their veto power, which is blocking progress toward peace in Ukraine, Syria, and Occupied Palestinian Territory.
Oxfam’s Vetoing Humanityreport studied 23 of the world’s most protracted conflicts over the past decade, including Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Libya, Niger, the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT), Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Ukraine, Venezuela and Yemen.
The damning report concludes that the five permanent members of the UN Security Council (the P5) are exploiting their exclusive voting and negotiating powers to suit their own geopolitical interests. In doing so, they are undermining the Council’s ability to maintain international peace and security.
More than a million people have been killed in the 23 conflicts alone, with more than 230 million people in urgent need of aid – an increase of over 150% since 2015.
“This expansive report illustrates the imperative need for change coming from the very top of the chain. Without urgent action, civilians bearing the brunt of global conflicts will continue to suffer the consequences,”
“We can no longer sit back and allow a minority of countries to wield power over all member states, while using their veto power to their own benefit.
— Jim Clarken, Oxfam Ireland CEO
“The bygone colonial age where China, France, the UK, the US and Russia took control over global security at the UN Security Council should be left in the past. There are clear conflicts of interest, with Permanent Five acting as judge and jury of their own military alliances. This sort of decision-making is at odds with a world desperately in need of justice and stability,”
“The ability of Russia to use its veto power against Ukraine - despite being the aggressor in the conflict - and the consistent blocking of resolutions by the US in favour of Israel against Palestinian human rights should bring to question the entire structure and validity of the UN Security Council’s current format.”
— Jim Clarken, Oxfam Ireland CEO
In 2023, Russia vetoed a nine-month extension of cross-border assistance to Northern Syria which left 4.1 million people with little or no access to food, water and medicine. Russia has also used its veto four times on Ukraine, even though UN rules indicate it should be disqualified from voting as the aggressor.
The UN General Assembly (UNGA) has passed over 77 resolutions over the last decade supporting Palestinian self-determination and an end to Israel’s illegal occupation. Yet the US has used its veto power six times to block resolutions perceived as unfavourable to its ally, Israel. The US vetoes have created an environment for Israel to expand illegal settlements in Palestinian territory with impunity.
The report critiques another of the P5’s powers - “pen-holding”, which allows them to lead on negotiations and direct how resolutions are drafted, tabled or ignored according to their interests.
While France and the UK have not used their veto in the last decade, they and the US have held the pen on two-thirds of resolutions relating to the 23 protracted crises studied by Oxfam. The UK holds the pen on Yemen, where it has a colonial legacy and strategic interests in maintaining maritime routes.
Nearly half of the 23 crises studied by Oxfam have been largely neglected. Despite the Democratic Republic of Congo having had 24 UN Security Council resolutions in the past 10 years, for instance, the UN mission there has been hindered by underfunding and lack of coordination.
As the Summit of the Future kicks off this week to envision a revitalised United Nations, Oxfam is calling for a wholesale reform of the UN Security Council, including the abolition of the P5’s veto power.
"Ireland has traditionally been a great champion of multilateralism and used its recent position on the Security Council to push for reform,”
"We would ask the Irish government to redouble these efforts at the upcoming UN General Assembly. Reform of the Security Council is the central missing piece to protect civilians around the world. Ireland is ideally placed to lead this charge"
— Jim Clarken, Oxfam Ireland CEO
For more information, contact: Jacqui Corcoran, Communications & Campaigns Manager – Oxfam Ireland Jacqui.corcoran@oxfam.org +353 87 2932271 Kate Brayden, Media Officer – Oxfam Ireland kate.brayden@oxfam.org +353 87 749 7447
Oxfam looked at 23 crises that were listed in the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA)’s “Global Humanitarian Needs Overviews” for at least five consecutive years over the last decade. These are: Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Haiti, Iraq, Libya, Mali, Myanmar, Niger, Nigeria, the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Ukraine, Venezuela and Yemen. Source: UNOCHA Global Humanitarian Overview 2024 and UNOCHA 2014-2018.
Over the past decade, the UNSC has passed 454 resolutions and vetoed 30 resolutions on these 23 protracted crises. 8 out of 12 resolutions on Palestine and Israel; 15 out of 53 on Syria; 4 out of 6 in Ukraine; one on Venezuela; one on Malia; and one on Yemen, have been vetoed respectively. Sudan and South Sudan have had 79 resolutions passed since 2015. Oxfam’s vetoes calculations are based on UN data and UNSC data. Analysis of UNGA Resolutions is based on UN Dag Hammarskjöld Library. (n.d.). UN General Assembly Resolutions Tables.
Russia and the United States have together cast 75% of the 88 UNSC vetoes since 1989, with the rest by China – neither France nor the UK have used their veto power over that period. Source: For details on UNSC vetoes, see UN Dag Hammarskjöld Library. (n.d.). UN Security Council Meetings & Outcomes Tables: Veto List. Accessed 20 July 2024. For details on approved resolutions see UNSC Resolutions.
11 of the total 23 protracted crises (48%) had each fewer than five resolutions over the last decade. Source: see above.
Oxfam calculated 1.1 million people died during 2014–23 in the 23 protracted crises using the conflict-level version of the dataset and the best estimates of battle-related deaths (as opposed to the high or the low estimates). Source: The Uppsala University Conflict Data Program Battle Related Deaths dataset version 24.1
Oxfam calculated global funding needs based on the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Financial Tracking Service database coordinated appeals data from 2014 to 2023. Only 43% of the total $54.1bn appeal was met in 2023.
According to the UN Charter article 27(3), “a party to a dispute shall abstain from voting”.
The number of people in urgent need of humanitarian assistance living in these 23 protracted crises has grown by 157% to 233.5 million in 2024, up from 90.84 in 2015. Source: UNOCHA’s Global Humanitarian Overview (2015) and (2024).
According to UNOCHA, the global number of people in need of humanitarian assistance has risen nearly four times in the last decade – from 77.9m in 2015 to 299.4m in 2024. Source: See above.
According to the Global Report on Food Crises 2024, the number of people experiencing acute or worse levels of hunger across 20 of the 23 countries was 199.6 million. Data from Iraq, Libya and Venezuela were insufficient or did not meet the requirements of the GRFC.
“This expansive report illustrates the imperative need for change coming from the very top of the chain. Without urgent action, civilians bearing the brunt of global conflicts will continue to suffer the consequences,”
