The UN Security Council (UNSC) is a principal organ of the United Nations (UN), established in 1945 at the end of World War II to maintain international peace and security, solving the problem of the failed League of Nations which could not prevent global conflict. It is an institution tasked with the primary responsibility for global security, as outlined in Article 24 of the UN Charter. The UNSC is composed of 15 members: five permanent members (P5) and ten non-permanent members elected by the UN General Assembly for two-year terms.
The mechanism of the UNSC is defined by the UN Charter, particularly Chapter VI and Chapter VII. Under Chapter VI, the Council can recommend peaceful settlement of disputes, while Chapter VII grants it the power to determine threats to peace, breaches of the peace, or acts of aggression (Article 39) and authorize measures up to and including economic sanctions (Article 41) or military force (Article 42). Decisions on substantive matters require an affirmative vote of nine members, including the concurring votes of all five permanent members (China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States), giving the P5 a controversial veto power (Article 27). The UNSC is the only UN body whose resolutions are binding on all member states.
The UNSC connects to other UN organs, such as the UN General Assembly, which elects the non-permanent members and receives annual reports from the Council. The concept of collective security underpins its mandate. The Council's structure has seen only one change since its founding, when the number of non-permanent members was increased from six to ten in 1965. However, there are persistent calls for reform, with groups like the G4 (Brazil, Germany, India, and Japan) advocating for an expansion of both permanent and non-permanent seats to reflect contemporary geopolitical realities. India, as a member of the G4, seeks a permanent seat to address the under-representation of developing countries.