The Soviet Union/Russia - Between 1945 and 1975 used its veto 113 times; more than half of

the vetoes were on membership applications in the early 1950s. After years of opposition to UN
peacekeeping , the Soviet Union agreed to having UN peacekeepers monitor and legitimize its
troop withdrawal from Afghanistan and end the Iraq-Iran War.
In the Gulf War of 1990-1991, the Soviet Union abandoned its former ally Iraq and supported
US-UN actions, albeit with reservations about the use of force.
Early 1990s - US-Russian cooperation reached a peak, voting together 89 percent of the time in
the General Assembly

France and Great Britain - They both hold veto power and continue to be significant donors
(both are memebers of the P-5) The level of their assessments is in between 6 and 8 percent
and both have played significant role or active roles in Post-Cold War UN.
1990- both have assumed responsibility for a subcontracted enforcement operation - Great
britain in Sierra Leone and France in Rwanda, Cote de’ Ivoire and Congo. Both are prominent
players in the World Bank and International Monetary Fund.
1970 to 1980s- France’s role can be best described as mediator between South’s NIEO agenda
and the North’s opposition to change.
Britain occupies leadership positions for several reasons. British delegates and secretariat
members are frequently called on to exercise their skill in drafting.

China - The fifth permamnent member of the Security Council. The Republic of China (ROC)
originally held China’s Security Council seat, which it continued to occupy after the Chinese
Revolution brought the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to power in Beijing and sent the ROC
government in Taiwan.
- “The PRC’s newcomer status in the world of international organizations has meant that
the last thirty years have involved a steep learning curve, mediated by its own ambitions,
changing perceptions and unique perspectives.”
- supported the G-77 and the nonaligned group positions on decolonization and economic
development issues
- in the late 1980s, China’s move to a market economy, its subsequent rapid economic
growth and its increasing share of world trade made admission to IMF, World Bank and
WTO essential.

Germany and Japan - the ranks of the world’s major powers include Germany and Japan, and
yet neither is a permanent member of the Security Council.
1973- two German States- the Federal Republic of or West Germany and the German
Democratic Republic or East Germany were admitted to UN.
Japan joined the UN almost twenty years earlier, in 1956. During those early years, Japan kept
a low profile and focused on selective issues.
The deacde of the 1990s was pivotal for Germany and Japan in the UN.
1992- the Japanese Diet approved legislation permitting up to 2,000 troops to be deployed in
UN peacekeeping missions under limited conditions.
1994 - The German Constitutional Court ruled that german military forces could participate in
UN peacekeeping operations.