1. The United Nations-Security
Council Chapter VII
prepared by : Shah Arafat Ayatullah
ID:2014220300068
Batch:34
Southeast University

2. content
 Introduction
 Composition
 Non-Council Member States
 Purpose
 Procedure
 Voting and “Veto”
 Functions and power
 Council actions or enforcement mechanism under
Chapter VII
 Security Council tools
 The Council reform debate

3. The Security Council

4. Introduction
• Responsible for maintenance of international
peace and security
• One of the six United Nations principal organs
(Article 7)
• Guiding principles: The Charter of the United
Nations and the Provisional Rules of Procedure
• Organ of limited membership (Article 23)

5. Composition
• 5 permanent members (P5) (China, France, Russian Federation, UK & US) and 10
non-permanent members (Article 23)
• Ten non-permanent members elected for two-year terms by the General
Assembly (with end of term date):
1. Egypt (2017)
2. Italy (2017)
3. Japan (2017)
4. Senegal (2017)
5. Ukraine (2017)
6. Uruguay (2017)
7. Bolivia (2018)
8. Ethiopia (2018)
9. Kazakhstan(2018)
10. Sweden (2018)
• Each member has one vote

6. Non-Council Member States
• More than 60 United Nations Member States have never been Members
of the Security Council.
• A State which is a Member of the United Nations but not of the Security
Council may participate, without a vote, in its discussions when the
Council considers that country's interests are affected. Both Members and
non-members of the United Nations, if they are parties to a dispute being
considered by the Council, may be invited to take part, without a vote, in
the Council's discussions; the Council sets the conditions for participation
by a non-member State.
• Non-Permanent Members of the SC (Article 23)
– Elected by the GA for two-year term
– Not eligible for immediate re-election
– Due regard paid to “equitable geographical distribution” and “contribution to
the maintenance of international peace and security and to other purposes of
the Organization”

7. Distribution of Non-Permanent Seats
among Regional Groups
• 5 from Africa and Asia
• 2 from Latin America and the Caribbean
• 2 from Western Europe
• 1 from Eastern Europe
• With one Arab seat from either African or
Asian Group

8. purpose
• The main function of the Security Council is to
maintain international peace and security
• The SECURITY COUNCIL assumes the “primary
responsibility for the maintenance of
international peace and security” (Article 24,
Chapter V, Charter of the UN) .

9. procedure
• Opening speech: each delegate will deliver an opening
speech no longer than 1 min. at the start of the
conference explaining his or her stance and interests.
• Lobbying: delegates will collaborate on resolutions
during this time. SC will lobby for each issue separately.
• Debate: the house will debate each individual clause
before debating on the whole resolution.
– Debating on clause: submitter will approach podium and
read the clause, debate time set by chair, debate, vote on
clause
– Debating on whole resolution: delegates may
add/strike/modify clauses from resolution before voting on
entire resolution

10. Voting and “Veto”: (Article 27)
• Each member of the Security Council has one
vote.
• Decisions of the Security Council on procedural
matters are made by an affirmative vote of 9
members.
• Decisions of the Security Council on all other
matters are made by an affirmative vote of 9
members including the concurring votes of the
permanent members.
• A party to a dispute shall abstain from voting.

11. Voting procedures
• The majority of the house (50% + 1) must vote
in favor of an amendment/clause/resolution
in order for it to pass.
• Normally, the number of votes needed to pass
is nine, assuming that all fifteen members of
the SC are present and voting.

12. Functions and power
• Under the UN charter, the functions and powers of the
Security Council are:
• to maintain international peace and security in accordance
with the principles and purposes of the United Nations;
• to investigate any dispute or situation which might lead to
international friction;
• to recommend methods of adjusting such disputes or the
terms of settlement;
• to formulate plans for the establishment of a system to
regulate armaments;
• to determine the existence of a threat to the peace or act
of aggression and to recommend what action should be
taken;

13. Council actions or enforcement
mechanism under Chapter VII
Threats to peace, breach of the peace or acts of
aggression
• To determine the existence of a threat to the peace,
breach of the peace, or act of aggression (Article 39)
and to recommend what action should be taken
• To call on Member States to apply sanctions and other
measures not involving the use of force to prevent or
stop aggressions (Article 41)
• To take collective military action (Article 42)

14. Council prerogatives under Chapter
VIII
Regional Arrangements
• Recognition of the existence of reg. arrangements for
dealing with matters related to maintenance of int’l
peace and security (Article 52 (1))
• SC’s encouragement of pacific settlement efforts of
“local disputes,” by reg. arrangements before SC’s
involvement (Article 52 (2) & (3))
• Utilization of reg. arrangements for enforcement action
by SC; no enforcement action by reg. arrangements
w/o SC authorization (Article 53)
• Obligation of reg. arrangements to inform SC of its
activities for maintenance of int’l peace and security
(Article 54)

15. Security Council tools
• Peace operations
• Military enforcement
• Sanctions, embargoes, other diplomatic
instruments
• Enlisting and empowering partner
organizations

16. Security Council tools
Military enforcement
• Veto power of the permanent SC members
• Restriction on use/threat of force
• Chapter VII and Article 51
• ‘Uniting For Peace’ General Assembly resolution -
coalitions of the willing?
Peace operations
• Conflict prevention and peacemaking
• Peacekeeping
• Peace-building

17. Security Council tools(Cont.)
Sanctions, embargoes, other diplomatic
instruments
• The Cold War years
• Post-Cold War sanctions and embargoes
• Post-Cold War diplomacy
• Adverse consequences of sanctions

18. The Council reform debate
• Five key issues of reform being discussed:
– Categories of membership
– Question of the veto
– Regional representation
– Size of an enlarged Council and its Working
Methods
– Relationship between the Council and the General
Assembly

19. Any question ?