United Nation Security Council

United Nations Organs are—

1.General Assembly (UNGA),

2.Trusteeship Council, the

3.Economic and Social Council, the

4.International Court of Justice, and the

5.Secretariat.

And

6. United Nation Security Council

• Its primary responsibility is to work to maintain international peace and security.
• The council is headquartered at NewYork.
• Its powers include the establishment of peacekeeping operations, the establishment of international sanctions, and the authorization of military action through Security Council resolutions;
• it is the only UN body with the authority to issue binding resolutions to member states.

UNSC Members

• There are permanent and non-permanent members of the United Nations Security Council.
• A total of 15 members are there in the Council, out of which 5 are permanent and 10 are not permanent.
• The five permanent members include China, France, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
• The non-permanent members are elected for two-year terms by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

Voting Powers:

• Each member of the Security Council has one vote. Decisions of the Security Council on matters are made by an affirmative vote of nine members including the concurring votes of the permanent members. A “No” vote from one of the five permanent members blocks the passage of the resolution.
• 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.

Issues with UNSC:

1. Absence of Records and Texts of Meetings
2. Powerplay in UNSC:The veto powers that the UNSC’s five permanent members enjoy is an anachronism in this age.The UNSC in its current form has become a constraint in understanding the international changes and dynamics in the area of human security and peace.
3. Divisions Among the P5:There is a deep polarisation within the UN’s membership, so decisions are either not taken, or not heeded.
4. An Underrepresentation Organisation:The absence in the UNSC of the globally important countries – India, Germany, Brazil and South Africa (G4: India, Germany, Japan and Brazil)- is a matter of concern.

Way Forward

The imbalances in power relationships among P5 and the rest of the world needs to be corrected urgently. Also, it is needed to reform the Security Council through an expansion in permanent and non-permanent seats to enable the UN organ to better deal with the “ever-complex and evolving challenges” to the maintenance of international peace and security.

Above topic is Discussed in Daily Current Affairs:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUkWvs6ri4Q&list=PLFQ–K7iykf0dddxAMwciYGUyDiZqAk8n&index=24