A UN resolution is a formal action passed by a UN body, usually the Security Council, that sets out an agreed text to guide its future work. A resolution is often accompanied by a decision, which is a record of the outcome of a meeting and typically concerns procedural matters, such as elections or the time and place of future sessions.
A veto is a powerful safeguard in the UN Charter that gives permanent members the power to block any resolution they disagree with. It is most commonly invoked by the U.S. and Russia (or the Soviet Union) but has also been used by other states, including China, France and Israel. In recent years, the veto has become a key feature of the UN’s geopolitical deadlock over Syria and the Israeli-Hamas conflict.
In the past three decades, the UN has passed more than 150 resolutions on the subject of Israel and Palestine, by far the most the Council has considered on any one issue. The following is a timeline of some of the more significant ones.