France looks to regulate use of veto to widen Sudan sanctions and arms embargo

France, a permanent member of the UN Security Council, is pushing for stricter regulation of the veto power in an effort to expand UN sanctions against Sudan, according to diplomatic sources. Sudan, a country often used as an example of the need to overcome vetoes, is currently subject to a sanctions regime that focuses on the western region of Darfur.

The sanctions have been in place since 2005 and include an arms embargo targeting the region. The UN Security Council has two weeks to consider a US proposal to extend the embargo to cover the entire country. The US has been urging the extension to allow for further negotiations, rather than renewing the sanctions for another year.

France, led by Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot, has been working to revive a decade-old initiative to regulate the use of the veto. The goal is to secure a majority of about 150 states in favor of the resolution, which would put pressure on countries that frequently use their veto rights, such as Russia and the US. France aims to have the UK join the initiative, bringing the total number of countries behind the idea to 128 of 193.

The UK, like France, has not used its veto since 1989. Both Russia and the US have frequently employed their veto power to protect allies and further their political interests, most recently by vetoing actions related to the Ukraine war and blocking resolutions on Gaza ceasefires.