UN Warns Veto Power and Geopolitical Rivalries Are Undermining Global Cooperation
The United Nations has warned that the veto power held by the five permanent members of the UN Security Council is hampering international efforts to resolve conflicts, as intensifying geopolitical rivalries weaken global cooperation.
According to the UN’s World Social Report 2026, growing competition among major powers is undermining multilateral institutions and diverting resources away from development priorities. The report calls for reforms to make global decision-making more representative and urges stronger international cooperation on debt, technology, climate change and social investment.
The report highlights a widening gap between the growing need for countries to work together on shared challenges and their ability to take collective action.
Although the emergence of multiple centres of power could create opportunities for broader cooperation, competition for strategic influence is instead placing increasing strain on international coordination, it observes.
Veto Power Hampers UN Action
The report identifies the Security Council’s decision-making structure as a major obstacle to effective international responses to conflicts.
The veto allows any of the five permanent members — China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States — to block substantive resolutions, even when the majority of Council members support them. Such deadlocks have renewed calls for reforms, including expanding the Council’s membership.
The UN Secretary-General has supported reforms aimed at improving representation for regions such as Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the Asia-Pacific, which continue to have limited influence in global decision-making.
Geopolitical Rivalries Strain International Relations
The report also points to the growing spread of geopolitical influence worldwide. The number of countries exercising substantial influence over another country has risen from six in the 1970s to 34 today.
Relations between neighbouring countries have also deteriorated. According to the report, 59 countries experienced worsening relations with their neighbours during 2024–25, while only 19 reported improvements.
The findings underline the challenges facing international institutions as geopolitical competition intensifies, reinforcing calls for reforms and stronger cooperation to address conflicts and shared global challenges.
