The Security Council voted on Sunday to call for a rare emergency special session of the 193-member UN General Assembly on Russia's military operation in Ukraine, which will be held on Monday.
Today's request for the Assembly to urgently convene a meeting comes after Russia vetoed on Friday a US-led draft Security Council resolution that would have 'deplored in the strongest terms the Russian Federation's aggression against Ukraine'.
Since the text acted on today was procedural, none of the five permanent Council members - China France, Russia, United Kingdom and the United States - could use their vetoes. The measure needed just nine votes in favor to pass.
Uniting for Peace
Only 10 such emergency special sessions of the General Assembly have been convened since 1950, following the adoption of resolution 377A(V), widely known as 'Uniting for Peace.'