Security Council - Composition & Functions
The Security Council (SC) is a principal organ of the UN under Article 7 of the Charter, with primary responsibility for maintaining international peace and security (Chapters 6 and 7).
- Formation: 1945. Headquarters: New York City.
- Total Members: 15 — 5 permanent and 10 non-permanent (Article 23).
- Permanent Members (P5): China, France, Russia (successor to the USSR), the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and the United States of America (Article 23(1)).
- Not a permanent member: Germany is not a P5 state.
- Non-permanent members' term: Elected by the General Assembly for 2 years.
- Voting (Article 27): 9 out of 15 affirmative votes are needed for procedural matters; 9 out of 15, including the concurring votes of all 5 permanent members, are needed for substantive matters.
- Veto: A special power of the permanent members — if even one permanent member protests/disagrees on a substantive resolution, the resolution fails.
- Representation: Each member state has one representative and one vote.
- Functions: Supervisory (suspend/restore rights of members, Article 5); Constituent (no Charter amendment without SC recommendation, Article 108); Elective (elects ICJ judges alongside GA, Articles 4 & 8 of ICJ Statute; recommends the Secretary-General to the GA, Article 97).
- Legally binding resolutions: SC resolutions are legally binding on all UN members (Article 25), unlike GA resolutions.
- Terminology: A passed SC resolution is called a United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR).
- Enforcement powers: The SC can impose sanctions and even authorize use of armed force to maintain peace and security if the situation is not under control.
- Purpose: To maintain international peace, prosperity, and security — all of these.
- Provisions: Chapter 5, Articles 23-32 of the UN Charter.