United Nations Security Council (UNSC)

The United Nations Security Council, or UNSC, is the most powerful body of the United Nations. Its main job is to keep international peace and security. Unlike most other UN bodies, its decisions on serious matters, called "resolutions", are legally binding on all UN member countries, not just suggestions.

Why does it exist?

After the Second World War, world leaders wanted a body that could act fast and firmly to stop future wars, unlike the League of Nations, which failed to prevent that war. So when the United Nations was created in 1945, its founding members gave the Security Council special powers, including the power to authorise the use of force and to impose sanctions.

Where did it come from?

The UNSC was set up under the UN Charter, signed in San Francisco in 1945. It started with 11 members: 5 permanent and 6 non-permanent. In 1965, an amendment to the Charter increased the non-permanent seats from 6 to 10, taking the total membership to 15, where it stands today.

How does it work?

The Council has 15 members in total:

• 5 permanent members (the "P5"): the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, France and China. They hold their seats permanently and each one can block any substantive resolution using a veto.
• 10 non-permanent members: elected by the UN General Assembly for a two-year term, with 5 new members elected each year. Seats are distributed by region (for example, Africa gets 3, Asia-Pacific gets 2, Latin America and the Caribbean get 2, Western Europe gets 2, and Eastern Europe gets 1) to keep some geographic balance.

For a resolution on a substantive (important) matter to pass, at least 9 of the 15 members must vote in favour, and none of the P5 must vote against it. If even one P5 member votes "no", the resolution fails, no matter how many others support it: this is the veto power. On procedural matters (like deciding the agenda), the veto does not apply, and any 9 votes are enough.

The key parts and facts

India has been a non-permanent member of the UNSC eight times, most recently for the 2021-2022 term. As a non-permanent member, India can vote and speak but cannot use a veto, and cannot serve consecutive terms without a gap, by convention. The UNSC also has subsidiary bodies, such as sanctions committees and peacekeeping oversight committees.

India's position and Indian examples

India has long argued that the UNSC, designed in 1945, does not reflect the world of today. India points out that it is the world's most populous country and a major contributor to UN peacekeeping missions, yet has no permanent seat, while some far smaller countries do (through the P5). India is part of the "G4" group (India, Brazil, Germany and Japan), which supports each other's bids for permanent seats, and also part of the larger "L.69 group" of developing countries pushing for UNSC reform.

Commonly confused concepts

• Permanent member vs non-permanent member: Permanent members (P5) hold their seat forever and can veto; non-permanent members are elected for 2 years and cannot veto.
• UNSC resolution vs UNGA resolution: UNSC resolutions on serious matters are legally binding on all UN members. UN General Assembly (UNGA) resolutions are usually only recommendations, and not legally binding (except for a few internal UN matters, like the UN budget).
• Veto vs majority vote: A veto by even one P5 member blocks a resolution regardless of how the other 14 members vote; this is different from a normal majority vote, where more "yes" votes than "no" votes are enough.

Issues, criticism and the way forward

Critics argue the UNSC's structure is outdated because it fixes power in the five countries that won the Second World War, none of which is from Africa or Latin America, and it gives no permanent voice to India despite India's size and role in global affairs. Reform proposals, discussed for decades under the UN's "Intergovernmental Negotiations" on Security Council reform, have suggested adding new permanent seats (with or without veto power) for countries such as India, Brazil, Germany, Japan and one or more African nations.

However, reform requires amending the UN Charter under Article 108, which needs a two-thirds majority in the General Assembly and ratification by two-thirds of member states, including all five current permanent members. Since granting new permanent seats or vetoes would reduce the relative power of the existing P5, reform has moved very slowly, and no formal amendment has been adopted so far.

Concepts to Know

• UN Charter: The founding treaty of the United Nations, signed in 1945, that sets out its structure, powers and rules; amending it is a very high bar.
• Sanctions: Penalties, such as trade restrictions or asset freezes, that the UNSC can impose on a country or group to pressure it to change behaviour, without using military force.
• Peacekeeping mission: UN-authorised forces sent to a conflict area, usually with the host country's consent, to help maintain a ceasefire or protect civilians.