Part 2 The United Nations: What it is, 10 Voting

Abstract

This chapter discusses voting in the General Assembly, Security Council, and Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). Voting has become a more complex, politically charged practice with the growth in the membership of the UN and the expanding range of activities undertaken by the organization. These phenomena have also encouraged the trend of adopting decisions by consensus. The majority of resolutions in the General Assembly, the Security Council, and ECOSOC are adopted without a vote. The veto, however, remains highly controversial in the Security Council. The discussions cover the General Assembly’s right to vote and equality of votes; methods of taking decisions; voting conduct and elections; the Security Council’s procedural and non-procedural matters; veto; abstention; non-participation and absence; statements before and after the vote; announcement of vote results; adoption of resolutions and decisions by consensus and elections and the ECOSOC’s right to vote and equality of votes; and decision-making by commissions.