UN General Assembly
1969

14. I refer in particular to the provisions on the adoption of decisions on non-procedural matters. These provisions, as contained in the amended text of Article 27, paragraph 3, of the Charter, stipulate that decisions shall be made ”...by an affirmative vote of nine members including the concurring votes of the permanent members”. 15. I must forthwith add that the Council itself has for some time now established the practice of taking decisions by votes in which one or more permanent members abstain. Despite that practice, today’s world is so complex that it is often difficult if not impossible to achieve unanimity among the five permanent members and thus to decide on a given course of action. This, we believe, is the primary cause of the limitation of the Council’s real powers. I am not referring to the casting of negative votes by the permanent members, because, in accordance with the provisions of the Charter, such negative votes entail the rejection. of any substantive proposal. I am referring exclusively to cases where there is a possibility of positive action.