75 countries back France’s appeal to limit use of UN vetoOctober 1, 2015 - 12:06 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Dozens of nations signed on to a French proposal on Wednesday, September 30, that the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council refrain from exercising their veto in cases of mass atrocities and genocide, Reuters reports. Some 75 countries in Europe, Africa, Latin America and Asia backed the proposal, and French officials say they expect more nations to join. There are 193 U.N. member nations. “We hope there will be more commitments to ensure that these situations, like in Syria, where there are mass atrocities and the UN Security Council is paralyzed by a veto, disappear,” French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius told reporters. He said France, one of the five permanent members with veto power, had already committed to not using its veto in case of mass atrocities and potential genocide, and hoped others would soon follow suit. None of the other four veto powers - the United States, China, Britain and Russia - have formally signed up for the initiative, according to a map of countries that have joined the initiative provided by France. “We underscore that the veto is not a privilege, but an international responsibility,” a French-drafted declaration on the veto limitation said, according to Reuters. UN diplomats say that Britain supports the initiative, while the United States is considering it in a positive light. Both Russia and China, the diplomats say, have suggested they dislike the idea. Photo. Reuters Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Narek Manasyan wins European Boxing Championships silver for Armenia Armenia’s Narek Manasyan (92kg) won Armenia’s second silver medal at the European Boxing Championships 2024 on April 28. Blinken urges Azerbaijan to continue negotiations with Armenia Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken has urged Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to continue negotiations with Armenia. Pashinyan, Blinken talk Armenia-U.S. ties over the phone Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had a phone conversation with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on April 28, Pashinyan’s office reports. Titus, Bilirakis lead legislation to sanction Azerbaijani war criminals Representatives Dina Titus (D-NV) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) have introduced the bipartisan legislation. |