PARLIAMENTARY EARLY DAY MOTION
VETOES ON UN SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTIONS (28 January 2016)

That this House recognises that the UN Security Council has a primary responsibility for maintaining international peace and security; further recognises the commitment made by all heads of state and government at the 2005 World Summit on the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity; draws attention to the urgency of improving UN mass atrocity prevention mechanisms, in particular strengthening the Office on Genocide Prevention and the Responsibility to Protect; notes that when UN Security Council members block resolutions aimed at ending or preventing mass atrocities, these members undermine the purpose for which the Security Council was established and put civilian lives at risk; deplores the use of the veto on four occasions since October 2011 to block Security Council action aimed at protecting civilians in Syria; applauds the Government for signing the Code of Conduct regarding Security Council action against genocide, crimes against humanity or war crimes, which has been endorsed by 109 governments; and calls on the Government to use its international position of influence, through the national R2P Focal Point, to encourage other UN member states, particularly the permanent members of the UN Security Council, to support the Code of Conduct.

Sponsored by:
Jo Cox (Labour)