The United Nations Security Council and War:The Evolution of Thought and Practice since 1945 (114 page)

This table lists all the uses of the Uniting for Peace procedure, under which the Security Council or the majority of UN member states can call for an emergency special session of the General Assembly, ‘[i]f the Security Council, because of lack of unanimity of the permanent members, fails to exercise its primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security in any case where there appears to be a threat to the peace, breach of the peace, or act of aggression’,
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to consider the matter. In the Security Council, the call for an emergency session is considered a procedural decision and therefore not subject to the veto. If a member state, rather than the Council, calls for an emergency special session and the General Assembly is not in regular session at the time, the Secretary General canvasses all member states to ascertain that a majority of states is in favour of convening an emergency special session.