Nairobi: Eleven African countries have joined a France- and Mexico-led initiative aimed at limiting the use of the veto at the UN Security Council in cases involving mass atrocities, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said.

According to Anadolu Agency, the new endorsements were announced by Barrot during the Africa Forward Summit in Kenya, as shared in a statement on the US social media company X. The initiative seeks to curb the use of veto power by the five permanent members of the UN Security Council in situations involving genocide, crimes against humanity, and large-scale war crimes.

Barrot highlighted that the addition of these 11 African nations brings the total number of states supporting the initiative to 118. The proposal, initially launched by France and Mexico in 2015, aims to prevent the Security Council from being blocked from taking action during major humanitarian crises.

Barrot emphasized the urgency of restoring the UN’s effectiveness, underscoring that it should not be hindered by the misuse of veto power. He called on other countries to join the initiative, stressing the importance of collective action to protect global populations from severe human rights violations.

The veto power, which is a point of contention in the effectiveness of the UN Security Council, is currently held by its five permanent members: the US, Russia, China, France, and the UK.