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Can a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council abstain without blocking a resolution?
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United Nations Security Council
The United Nations Security Council meeting in 2014.
Yes, a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council can abstain from a vote without blocking a resolution.
While substantive matters require the concurring votes of all five permanent members, in practice, an abstention by a permanent member does not impair the validity of a decision. This allows the council to adopt resolutions even when a permanent member chooses not to support the measure but also declines to exercise its veto power.12