The plan aims to end the practice in cases of mass atrocities, President Emmanuel Macron said at the end of a two-day economic summit in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi.

Foreign minister Jean-Noel Barrot later wrote on X that “11 new African countries” had given their support during the Kenya summit, taking the total number of backers to 118.

“I invited all countries that have not yet done so to join us”, he added, calling it a “step forward to protect people of the world from mass atrocities: genocide, crimes against humanity and the most serious war crimes”.

New supporters include Kenya, Sierra Leone, Liberia and Mauritania.

The initiative needs 129 backers to reach the symbolic threshold of two-thirds of the members of the UN General Assembly.

France is hoping to secure the remaining endorsements before a General Assembly meeting in September so it can put the resolution to a vote, a diplomatic source told AFP.

The resolution would be non-binding even if adopted by a two-thirds majority.

Officials hope to make it more difficult for a permanent member of the council – Britain, China, France, Russia and the US – to use its veto in such cases.

The UN Security Council is largely paralysed by vetoes, particularly by Russia and the US, prompting broader criticism of the world body’s ability to help end conflict.

A number of African countries have been reluctant to support the initiative, fearing it might replace a more comprehensive reform of the security council and better representation for Africa on it.