United Nations Security Council
The United Nations organ responsible for maintaining international peace and security. Its decisions can bind UN member states under the UN Charter.
United Nations Charter: The founding treaty of the United Nations, setting out its purposes, organs, powers, and members’ obligations. Chapters V–VII establish the Council’s membership, authority, and enforcement powers.
Permanent members of the United Nations Security Council: China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, which hold permanent Council seats. Their permanent seats and vetoes give them distinctive influence over Council decisions.
Dumbarton Oaks Conference: The 1944 conference at which the Allied powers drafted proposals for the structure of the United Nations. Its proposals outlined a security council that became the core of the new organization’s design.
United Nations Security Council Resolution 242: A 1967 resolution setting principles for a just and lasting peace after the Six-Day War. It illustrates the Council’s role in articulating terms for resolving a major regional conflict.
Reform of the United Nations Security Council: Proposals to change the Council’s membership, voting rules, or working methods. Reform debates address whether its composition and procedures still reflect global realities.
Security Council veto power: The power of any permanent Security Council member to block a substantive draft resolution with a negative vote. A single permanent member’s veto can prevent Council action despite broad support.
Elected members of the United Nations Security Council: Ten states elected by the General Assembly to serve two-year terms on the Security Council. They provide the Council’s rotating membership and vote alongside its permanent members.
Yalta Conference: The February 1945 meeting of Franklin D. Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, and Joseph Stalin to coordinate postwar plans. The leaders agreed on key voting arrangements for the proposed Security Council.
United Nations Security Council Resolution 678: A 1990 resolution authorizing member states to use all necessary means to enforce Iraq’s withdrawal from Kuwait. It is a prominent example of the Council authorizing military force.
G4 nations: Brazil, Germany, India, and Japan, which support one another’s bids for permanent Security Council seats. Their campaign highlights demands for greater representation among major states.