The Security Council
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.
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.
Each member of the Security Council shall
have one representative.
Functions and Powers
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.
The Members of the United Nations agree to
accept and carry out the decisions of the Security Council in
accordance with the present Charter.
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
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
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.
The Security Council may establish such
subsidiary organs as it deems necessary for the performance
of its functions.
The Security Council shall adopt its own
rules of procedure, including the method of selecting its
President.
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.
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.
