Charter of the United Nations

CHAPTER V

THE SECURITY COUNCIL

Article 23

1. The Security Council shall consist of fifteen Members of the
United Nations. The Republic of China, France, the Union of
Soviet Socialist Republics, the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Northern Ireland, and the United States of America shall be
permanent members of the Security Council. The General Assembly
shall elect ten other Members of the United Nations to be
non-permanent members of the Security Council, due regard being
specially paid, in the first instance to the contribution of
Members of the United Nations to the maintenance of international
peace and security and to the other purposes of the Organization,
and also to equitable geographical distribution.
2. The non-permanent members of the Security Council shall be
elected for a term of two years. In the first election of the
non-permanent members after the increase of the membership of the
Security Council from eleven to fifteen, two of the four
additional members shall be chosen for a term of one year. A
retiring member shall not be eligible for immediate re-election.
3. Each member of the Security Council shall have one
representative.

Functions and Powers

Article 24

1. In order to ensure prompt and effective action by the United
Nations, its Members confer on the Security Council primary
responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and
security, and agree that in carrying out its duties under this
responsibility the Security Council acts on their behalf.
2. In discharging these duties the Security Council shall act in
accordance with the Purposes and Principles of the United
Nations. The specific powers granted to the Security Council for
the discharge of these duties are laid down in Chapters VI, VII,
VIII, and XII.
3. The Security Council shall submit annual and, when necessary,
special reports to the General Assembly for its consideration.

Article 25

The Members of the United Nations agree to accept and carry out
the decisions of the Security Council in accordance with the
present Charter.

Article 26

In order to promote the establishment and maintenance of
international peace and security with the least diversion for
armaments of the world’s human and economic resources, the
Security Council shall be responsible for formulating, with the
assistance of the Military Staff Committee referred to in Article
47, plans to be submitted to the Members of the United Nations
for the establishment of a system for the regulation of
armaments.

Voting

Article 27

1. Each member of the Security Council shall have one vote.
2. Decisions of the Security Council on procedural matters shall
be made by an affirmative vote of nine members.
3. Decisions of the Security Council on all other matters shall
be made by an affirmative vote of nine members including the
concurring votes of the permanent members; provided that, in
decisions under Chapter VI, and under paragraph 3 of Article 52,
a party to a dispute shall abstain from voting.

Procedure

Article 28

1. The Security Council shall be so organized as to be able to
function continuously. Each member of the Security Council shall
for this purpose be represented at all times at the seat of the
Organization.
2. The Security Council shall hold periodic meetings at which
each of its members may, if it so desires, be represented by a
member of the government or by some other specially designated
representative.
3. The Security Council may hold meetings at such places other
than the seat of the Organization as in its judgment will best
facilitate its work.

Article 29
The Security Council may establish such subsidiary organs as it
deems necessary for the performance of its functions.

Article 30

The Security Council shall adopt its own rules of procedure,
including the method of selecting its President.

Article 31

Any Member of the United Nations which is not a member of the
Security Council may participate, without vote, in the discussion
of any question brought before the Security Council whenever the
latter considers that the interests of that Member are specially
affected.

Article 32

Any Member of the United Nations which is not a member of the
Security Council or any state which is not a Member of the United
Nations, if it is a party to a dispute under consideration by the
Security Council, shall be invited to participate, without vote,
in the discussion relating to the dispute. The Security Council
shall lay down such conditions as it deems just for the
participation of a state which is not a Member of the United
Nations.

Author: international

Mentioned in these Entries

Charter of the United Nations.