They did not veto. In terms of peacekeeping missions, Secretary-General Kofi Annan often points out Namibia and Mozambique as positive examples. They work when the various factions want to cooperate, he has said, explaining the necessity for the UN's withdrawal from Angola. In Albania and Mali, the United Nations Development Program implemented an innovative disarmament program whereby weapons are turned in for development assistance. The extradition of two suspects in the 1988 Pan Am bombing to The Hague in April can be partly attributed to UN-imposed sanctions against Libya.
Some political analysts see Kosovo as a sign for optimism as well.
The lesson out of Kosovo is that NATO tried to do it alone. France's representative here says the resolution adopted last week brings back the role of the Security Council. Western nations have been lobbying Annan on behalf of candidates they think should head the civilian administration. It's great as a scapegoat. Perhaps the biggest lesson from Kosovo is that the UN can best be the cavalry in the aftermath of a conflict.