China, India and the United Arab Emirates again abstained from a U.N. Security Council vote on Sunday to hold a rare emergency special session of the General Assembly to discuss Russia's unprovoked aggression against Ukraine.
Russia alone voted against, but under UN regulations it does not have veto power to derail the referral of the war to the General Assembly.
The procedure called "Uniting for Peace" under a 1950 resolution allows for members of the Security Council to seize the General Assembly for a special session if the five permanent members - Russia, the United States, Britain, France and China - fail to agree among themselves to act together to maintain peace.
At least 8 of the 15 SC members are required to call an emergency special session of the General Assembly. 11 countries voted in favor.
The move comes after Russia on Friday used its veto to block a Security Council resolution that condemned Moscow's invasion and called for the immediate withdrawal of its troops. China, India and the United Arab Emirates abstained.
The General Assembly session is scheduled to start at 10:00 am Monday in New York (1500 GMT).
