Should the five permanent members of the UN Security Council maintain their veto power?

Currently, the USA, Russia, China, France and the UK are the only members of the UN Security Council that have veto power. They are also the only permanent members of the Security Council. This is due to their historical position at the formation of the UN after World War II, as they represented the victorious nations.

It has been suggested that this is no longer appropriate in the light of subsequent changes in relative economic and military power. What do you think?

For a definition of "veto", see http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=veto

For information on how the UN Security Council works, see: http://www.un.org/Docs/scinfo.htm

Total Votes	% of Voters	Female Votes	Male Votes	Unspecified Votes	% of Female Votes	% of Male Votes	% of Unspecified Votes	Average Age	Answer
11	20.4%	4	7	..	22.2%	30.4%	..	38.6	Yes, they should maintain their veto power
4	7.4%	..	4	..	..	17.4%	..	40.3	No, they should lose their veto power but remain permanent members of the council
6	11.1%	1	5	..	5.6%	21.7%	..	41.5	No, they lose both their veto power and their permanent membership
9	16.7%	5	4	..	27.8%	17.4%	..	38.9	Other countries should be added to the list of permanent members
5	9.3%	4	1	..	22.2%	4.3%	..	35.5	Other countries should be added to the list of those with veto power
6	11.1%	1	5	..	5.6%	21.7%	..	42.0	No country should have veto power on the Security Council
5	9.3%	1	4	..	5.6%	17.4%	..	41.8	No country should have a permanent place on the Security Council
2	3.7%	1	1	..	5.6%	4.3%	..	..	I have some other comment to make on this subject
17	31.5%	12	5	..	66.7%	21.7%	..	38.5	I don't know enough about this subject to have an opinion

Rating Total Female Male Unspecified Average Age
Good 9 3 6 0 39.4
Bad 1 1 0 0 N/A
No Opinion 37 17 20 0 38.7

Rating	Total	Female	Male	Average Age
Good	9	3	6	39.4
Bad	1	1	0	N/A
No Opinion	37	17	20	38.7

Type Number
Abstainers 12
Male 23
Female 18
Unspecified 0

Type	Number
Abstainers	12
Male	23
Female	18
Unspecified	0

Qualifiers:
User Vote Comment
darkshadowsseeker needs work
posted 21-Jan-2003 1:33pm
You need "should" before "lose" in the 3rd option.
casey30 reasonable
posted 21-Jan-2003 9:50am

ROCKMAN reasonable
posted 21-Jan-2003 7:53am
I like this question.
wolfchik9 nitpick
posted 21-Jan-2003 12:45am
Also, punctuation would be nice.
wolfchik9 old
posted 21-Jan-2003 12:45am
See Iseult.
Strider reasonable
posted 21-Jan-2003 12:27am

Biggles reasonable
posted 20-Jan-2003 9:31pm
T'will do.
Zang reasonable
posted 20-Jan-2003 7:46pm
Close enough...
Iseult nitpick
posted 20-Jan-2003 7:30pm
wees
pterodactyl nitpick
posted 20-Jan-2003 7:17pm
The third option is missing the word "should".
kaleb777 old
posted 18-Jan-2003 2:28pm
Agree with kate - still.

HK - try reading the friggin' thing before you paste your standard comment.
Iseult old
posted 18-Jan-2003 10:53am
wees
msgman old
posted 18-Jan-2003 6:39am
As I said earlier, I picked this up on a fix-me and left it anonymous, so I can't make the changes that are being requested. I missed the typo in the question, unfortunately, so if people think that's important enough to hold up the survey then it's going to be three days before anything can be done about it.

I would also like to point out to HK that it's got an "other" option in it already!
harekrishnadasa old
posted 17-Jan-2003 10:47pm
This needs "Other" as an option.

wees
darkshadowsseeker old
posted 17-Jan-2003 7:46pm
As I said before, it should be "members" NOT "member" in the question. We are talking about more than one person so the term MUST be plural!
pterodactyl old
posted 17-Jan-2003 6:55pm
I agree with kate and Zang
Zang old
posted 17-Jan-2003 5:42pm
Close enough...
msgman old
posted 17-Jan-2003 3:43pm

mandy old
posted 17-Jan-2003 2:31pm

msgman old
posted 17-Jan-2003 1:09pm
I've picked this up on a "fix me" and left it anonymous, so if you still don't like it then it will be another three days before you can make any changes!
kaleb777 old
posted 16-Jan-2003 3:51pm
See kate
CarolL old
posted 16-Jan-2003 8:03am
see kate
Zang old
posted 15-Jan-2003 5:51am
I think this is a really good survey. However, I tend to agree with icurok about the "nuke club" thing, and also in the explanation, you have "a resolutions" which should be "a resolution".

Otherwise, GOOD!
Strider old
posted 15-Jan-2003 1:28am

harekrishnadasa old
posted 14-Jan-2003 7:20pm
This needs "I don't know" as an option.

wees
darkshadowsseeker old
posted 14-Jan-2003 4:11pm
wees and it should be "members" NOT "member" in the question.
icurok old
posted 14-Jan-2003 3:20pm
"Both the veto and permanent membership on the council are based largely on the military and economic might the U.S., the U.K., France, China and Russia during the formation of the UN"

The sentence seems to be missing something.

Either ".... Russia had during the formation ...."

or ".... and economic might of the U.S., the ...."

Also, on a survey with a serious political point it seems a little erratic to refer to something as colloquial as "the nuke club".
Iseult old
posted 14-Jan-2003 11:46am
wees
Biggles old
posted 14-Jan-2003 11:18am
But you have one or two grammatical errors. How about an option for "Yes, they should maintain their veto power but some other countries should gain it" or even "Yes,.......but all the countries in the UN should have the same power."
silas old
posted 14-Jan-2003 8:24am
I've made a few changes to clear up the question.
Biggles old
posted 14-Jan-2003 7:42am
Zang - I got that much!

Zang old
posted 14-Jan-2003 6:46am
Biggles: It means the same thing here. No matter what the rest of the Security Council votes, the permanent members can veto it.

It seems that we all agree that more information would improve the survey, so I'm not about to argue against providing an explanation of "veto".

...and yes I am having fun in qual!
Biggles old
posted 14-Jan-2003 5:28am
Zang - I know what plenty of 4-letter words mean thankyou very much! I've studied the power of veto in the EU, but not in the UN - I assume that the rules differ somewhat in the two organisations and a basic outline of these nations' vetoing rights in the UN would be handy.

You seem to be having fun in qual lately
wolfchik9 old
posted 14-Jan-2003 12:12am
Need more info.
Zang old
posted 13-Jan-2003 9:19pm
You might give a little more information here. For example: "The five nations mentioned are the only permanent members of the UN Security Council." and "Ten nations are elected by the General Assembly for two-year terms."

I think that with this added information, the survey could develope some more options as well: "All UN Security Council member nations should have limited terms.", "No member nations of the UN Security Council should have veto power." etc..

Biggles: You're a smart girl, you should know what "veto" means. It is only a four-letter word!
Biggles old
posted 13-Jan-2003 7:54pm
SC - if that's your aim, then maybe that should be the question with the vetos as an example. Why ask a specific question when your intention is something broader. With this, a lot of people are going to turn around and just say "I don't know"
harekrishnadasa old
posted 13-Jan-2003 6:58pm
This needs "I don't know" & "Other" as an option.
silas old
posted 13-Jan-2003 3:31pm
Biggles, I think that just saying veto is enough. The point I'm trying to make is that some members have rights that others don't.
Biggles old
posted 13-Jan-2003 3:08pm
An explanation of what veto power is would be a helpful addition - not many people will understand the inner workings of the UN and vetos can be simple or very complex depending on the organisation.

Last	Type	Created	Category	Creator	Sort	Votes	Hides	Rating
Last	multiple	20-Jan-2003	politics/religion	harekrishnadasa	by votes	54	11	58.5%

User	Vote	Comment
darkshadowsseeker	needs work	posted 21-Jan-2003 1:33pm You need "should" before "lose" in the 3rd option.
casey30	reasonable	posted 21-Jan-2003 9:50am
ROCKMAN	reasonable	posted 21-Jan-2003 7:53am I like this question.
wolfchik9	nitpick	posted 21-Jan-2003 12:45am Also, punctuation would be nice.
wolfchik9	old	posted 21-Jan-2003 12:45am See Iseult.
Strider	reasonable	posted 21-Jan-2003 12:27am
Biggles	reasonable	posted 20-Jan-2003 9:31pm T'will do.
Zang	reasonable	posted 20-Jan-2003 7:46pm Close enough...
Iseult	nitpick	posted 20-Jan-2003 7:30pm wees
pterodactyl	nitpick	posted 20-Jan-2003 7:17pm The third option is missing the word "should".
kaleb777	old	posted 18-Jan-2003 2:28pm Agree with kate - still. HK - try reading the friggin' thing before you paste your standard comment.
Iseult	old	posted 18-Jan-2003 10:53am wees
msgman	old	posted 18-Jan-2003 6:39am As I said earlier, I picked this up on a fix-me and left it anonymous, so I can't make the changes that are being requested. I missed the typo in the question, unfortunately, so if people think that's important enough to hold up the survey then it's going to be three days before anything can be done about it. I would also like to point out to HK that it's got an "other" option in it already!
harekrishnadasa	old	posted 17-Jan-2003 10:47pm This needs "Other" as an option. wees
darkshadowsseeker	old	posted 17-Jan-2003 7:46pm As I said before, it should be "members" NOT "member" in the question. We are talking about more than one person so the term MUST be plural!
pterodactyl	old	posted 17-Jan-2003 6:55pm I agree with kate and Zang
Zang	old	posted 17-Jan-2003 5:42pm Close enough...
msgman	old	posted 17-Jan-2003 3:43pm
mandy	old	posted 17-Jan-2003 2:31pm
msgman	old	posted 17-Jan-2003 1:09pm I've picked this up on a "fix me" and left it anonymous, so if you still don't like it then it will be another three days before you can make any changes!
kaleb777	old	posted 16-Jan-2003 3:51pm See kate
CarolL	old	posted 16-Jan-2003 8:03am see kate
Zang	old	posted 15-Jan-2003 5:51am I think this is a really good survey. However, I tend to agree with icurok about the "nuke club" thing, and also in the explanation, you have "a resolutions" which should be "a resolution". Otherwise, GOOD!
Strider	old	posted 15-Jan-2003 1:28am
harekrishnadasa	old	posted 14-Jan-2003 7:20pm This needs "I don't know" as an option. wees
darkshadowsseeker	old	posted 14-Jan-2003 4:11pm wees and it should be "members" NOT "member" in the question.
icurok	old	posted 14-Jan-2003 3:20pm "Both the veto and permanent membership on the council are based largely on the military and economic might the U.S., the U.K., France, China and Russia during the formation of the UN" The sentence seems to be missing something. Either ".... Russia had during the formation ...." or ".... and economic might of the U.S., the ...." Also, on a survey with a serious political point it seems a little erratic to refer to something as colloquial as "the nuke club".
Iseult	old	posted 14-Jan-2003 11:46am wees
Biggles	old	posted 14-Jan-2003 11:18am But you have one or two grammatical errors. How about an option for "Yes, they should maintain their veto power but some other countries should gain it" or even "Yes,.......but all the countries in the UN should have the same power."
silas	old	posted 14-Jan-2003 8:24am I've made a few changes to clear up the question.
Biggles	old	posted 14-Jan-2003 7:42am Zang - I got that much!
Zang	old	posted 14-Jan-2003 6:46am Biggles: It means the same thing here. No matter what the rest of the Security Council votes, the permanent members can veto it. It seems that we all agree that more information would improve the survey, so I'm not about to argue against providing an explanation of "veto". ...and yes I am having fun in qual!
Biggles	old	posted 14-Jan-2003 5:28am Zang - I know what plenty of 4-letter words mean thankyou very much! I've studied the power of veto in the EU, but not in the UN - I assume that the rules differ somewhat in the two organisations and a basic outline of these nations' vetoing rights in the UN would be handy. You seem to be having fun in qual lately
wolfchik9	old	posted 14-Jan-2003 12:12am Need more info.
Zang	old	posted 13-Jan-2003 9:19pm You might give a little more information here. For example: "The five nations mentioned are the only permanent members of the UN Security Council." and "Ten nations are elected by the General Assembly for two-year terms." I think that with this added information, the survey could develope some more options as well: "All UN Security Council member nations should have limited terms.", "No member nations of the UN Security Council should have veto power." etc.. Biggles: You're a smart girl, you should know what "veto" means. It is only a four-letter word!
Biggles	old	posted 13-Jan-2003 7:54pm SC - if that's your aim, then maybe that should be the question with the vetos as an example. Why ask a specific question when your intention is something broader. With this, a lot of people are going to turn around and just say "I don't know"
harekrishnadasa	old	posted 13-Jan-2003 6:58pm This needs "I don't know" & "Other" as an option.
silas	old	posted 13-Jan-2003 3:31pm Biggles, I think that just saying veto is enough. The point I'm trying to make is that some members have rights that others don't.
Biggles	old	posted 13-Jan-2003 3:08pm An explanation of what veto power is would be a helpful addition - not many people will understand the inner workings of the UN and vetos can be simple or very complex depending on the organisation.