UN 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.

Article 33

1. The parties to any dispute, the continuance of which is likely to

endanger the maintenance of international peace and security,
shall, first of all, seek a solution by negotiation, enquiry,
mediation, conciliation, arbitration, judicial settlement, resort to
regional agencies or arrangements, or other peaceful means of
their own choice.
2. The Security Council shall, when it deems necessary, call upon
the parties to settle their dispute by such means.
Article 34

The Security Council may investigate any dispute, or any situation which
might lead to international friction or give rise to a dispute, in order to
determine whether the continuance of the dispute or situation is likely to
endanger the maintenance of international peace and security.
Article 35

1. Any Member of the United Nations may bring any dispute, or any
situation of the nature referred to in Article 34, to the attention of
the Security Council or of the General Assembly.
2. A state which is not a Member of the United Nations may bring to
the attention of the Security Council or of the General Assembly
any dispute to which it is a party if it accepts in advance, for the
purposes of the dispute, the obligations of pacific settlement
provided in the present Charter.
3. The proceedings of the General Assembly in respect of matters
brought to its attention under this Article will be subject to the
provisions of Articles 11 and 12.
Article 36

1. The Security Council may, at any stage of a dispute of the nature

referred to in Article 33 or of a situation of like nature,
recommend appropriate procedures or methods of adjustment.
2. The Security Council should take into consideration any
procedures for the settlement of the dispute which have already
been adopted by the parties.
3. In making recommendations under this Article the Security
Council should also take into consideration that legal disputes
should as a general rule be referred by the parties to the
International Court of Justice in accordance with the provisions
of the Statute of the Court.
Article 37

1. Should the parties to a dispute of the nature referred to in Article

33 fail to settle it by the means indicated in that Article, they shall
refer it to the Security Council.
2. If the Security Council deems that the continuance of the dispute
is in fact likely to endanger the maintenance of international
peace and security, it shall decide whether to take action under
Article 36 or to recommend such terms of settlement as it may
consider appropriate.
Article 38

Without prejudice to the provisions of Articles 33 to 37, the Security

Council may, if all the parties to any dispute so request, make
recommendations to the parties with a view to a pacific settlement of the
dispute.
Article 39

The Security Council shall determine the existence of any threat to the
peace, breach of the peace, or act of aggression and shall make
recommendations, or decide what measures shall be taken in accordance
with Articles 41 and 42, to maintain or restore international peace and
security.
Article 40

In order to prevent an aggravation of the situation, the Security Council

may, before making the recommendations or deciding upon the measures
provided for in Article 39, call upon the parties concerned to comply with
such provisional measures as it deems necessary or desirable. Such
provisional measures shall be without prejudice to the rights, claims, or
position of the parties concerned. The Security Council shall duly take
account of failure to comply with such provisional measures.
Article 41

The Security Council may decide what measures not involving the use of
armed force are to be employed to give effect to its decisions, and it may
call upon the Members of the United Nations to apply such measures.
These may include complete or partial interruption of economic relations
and of rail, sea, air, postal, telegraphic, radio, and other means of
communication, and the severance of diplomatic relations.
Article 42

Should the Security Council consider that measures provided for in Article
41 would be inadequate or have proved to be inadequate, it may take
such action by air, sea, or land forces as may be necessary to maintain or
restore international peace and security. Such action may include
demonstrations, blockade, and other operations by air, sea, or land forces
of Members of the United Nations.
Article 43

1. All Members of the United Nations, in order to contribute to the

maintenance of international peace and security, undertake to
make available to the Security Council, on its call and in
accordance with a special agreement or agreements, armed
forces, assistance, and facilities, including rights of passage,
necessary for the purpose of maintaining international peace and
security.
2. Such agreement or agreements shall govern the numbers and
types of forces, their degree of readiness and general location,
and the nature of the facilities and assistance to be provided.
3. The agreement or agreements shall be negotiated as soon as
possible on the initiative of the Security Council. They shall be
concluded between the Security Council and Members or
between the Security Council and groups of Members and shall
be subject to ratification by the signatory states in accordance
with their respective constitutional processes.
Article 44

When the Security Council has decided to use force it shall, before calling
upon a Member not represented on it to provide armed forces in fulfilment
of the obligations assumed under Article 43, invite that Member, if the
Member so desires, to participate in the decisions of the Security Council
concerning the employment of contingents of that Member's armed
forces.
Article 45

In order to enable the United Nations to take urgent military measures,

Members shall hold immediately available national air-force contingents
for combined international enforcement action. The strength and degree
of readiness of these contingents and plans for their combined action shall
be determined within the limits laid down in the special agreement or
agreements referred to in Article 43, by the Security Council with the
assistance of the Military Staff Committee.
Article 46

Plans for the application of armed force shall be made by the Security
Council with the assistance of the Military Staff Committee.
Article 47

1. There shall be established a Military Staff Committee to advise

and assist the Security Council on all questions relating to the
Security Council's military requirements for the maintenance of
international peace and security, the employment and command
of forces placed at its disposal, the regulation of armaments, and
possible disarmament.
2. The Military Staff Committee shall consist of the Chiefs of Staff of
the permanent members of the Security Council or their
representatives. Any Member of the United Nations not
permanently represented on the Committee shall be invited by
the Committee to be associated with it when the efficient
discharge of the Committee's responsibilities requires the
participation of that Member in its work.
3. The Military Staff Committee shall be responsible under the
Security Council for the strategic direction of any armed forces
placed at the disposal of the Security Council. Questions relating
to the command of such forces shall be worked out
subsequently.
4. The Military Staff Committee, with the authorization of the
Security Council and after consultation with appropriate regional
agencies, may establish regional sub-committees.
Article 48

1. The action required to carry out the decisions of the Security

Council for the maintenance of international peace and security
shall be taken by all the Members of the United Nations or by
some of them, as the Security Council may determine.
2. Such decisions shall be carried out by the Members of the
United Nations directly and through their action in the
appropriate international agencies of which they are members.
Article 49

The Members of the United Nations shall join in affording mutual

assistance in carrying out the measures decided upon by the Security
Council.
Article 50

If preventive or enforcement measures against any state are taken by the

Security Council, any other state, whether a Member of the United
Nations or not, which finds itself confronted with special economic
problems arising from the carrying out of those measures shall have the
right to consult the Security Council with regard to a solution of those
problems.
Article 51

Nothing in the present Charter shall impair the inherent right of individual
or collective self-defence if an armed attack occurs against a Member of
the United Nations, until the Security Council has taken measures
necessary to maintain international peace and security. Measures taken
by Members in the exercise of this right of self-defence shall be
immediately reported to the Security Council and shall not in any way
affect the authority and responsibility of the Security Council under the
present Charter to take at any time such action as it deems necessary in
order to maintain or restore international peace and security.