14 yes votes
can still fail.
Nine can be enough.
The UN is choosing its next leader. In the Security Council, support is only half the test. A single permanent member can stop a substantive decision, even when every other member says yes.
by 1 veto
Fourteen votes clear the nine-vote threshold. China's hypothetical no still blocks the decision.
Fifteen seats. Two hurdles.
Select a country, then set its vote. The five permanent members can veto a substantive decision. The ten elected members cannot, but their votes are still needed to reach nine.
Procedural decisions also need nine yes votes, but permanent members have no veto on them. A formal recommendation for Secretary-General is substantive. This switch changes the type of decision, not the votes.
Why the distinction matters now
The UN's official candidate register records the nomination of Lana Zaki Nusseibeh on 21 October 2026. The selection process is still bringing new names into contention as the current Secretary-General's term approaches its 31 December end.
Our chamber models a formal Council vote. Informal, private straw polls use different ballot labels and do not themselves appoint or recommend a candidate. No simulated country vote here describes an actual preference.
Five have the power.
Three used it in this record.
The official UN Library list contains 73 vetoed proposals since 1990, including amendments. Russia, the United States and China account for all 91 member vetoes. France and the UK have none in this period. Power held and power exercised are different things.
Bar height counts vetoed proposals, not member vetoes. Tap a year to inspect it. 2026 is a partial year, checked 23 October.
The proposal register
Each row links to its official meeting record. Member totals overlap when two countries veto the same proposal.