About The UN Vetoes Initiative

In 2020, Professor Jennifer Trahan published her award winning book Existing Legal Limits to Security Council Veto Power in the Face of Atrocity Crimes (Cambridge University Press, 2020). The book focuses on the use of the veto power by permanent members of the UN Security Council to block Council Action in situations where there is ongoing genocide, war crimes, and/or crimes against humanity. Professor Trahan discusses how vetoes and veto threats prevent the Security Council from alleviating the commission of atrocity crimes. She argues that the these practices violate various provisions on international law such as jus cogens norms and the Genocide and Geneva Conventions. She suggests this situation is ripe for action in the General Assembly, including the option of requesting the International Court of Justice for an advisory opinion on the legality of such veto use.

Included below are archives from some of the online fora in which Professor Trahan discusses her book.

AUDIO

Dec. 17, 2020 Podcast episode of The Promise Institute Podcast. Professor Trahan discusses her book with Ambassador David Scheffer, Mohammad Al Abdallah and Asli Bâli. With a particular focus on the situation in Syria, they discuss the UN Security Council veto to block action in the face of atrocities and discuss Professor Trahan's proposals.

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VIDEO ARCHIVE (CLICK IMAGE BELOW)