United Nations Security Council resolution

United Nations resolution

  [[File:|frameless|alt=]]

Date	{{{year}}}
Meeting no.
Code
Subject
Voting summary
Result
Permanent members

The United Nations Security Council Resolution is a formal text adopted by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), which is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN) charged with ensuring international peace and security, recommending the admission of new UN members to the General Assembly, and approving any changes to the UN Charter. Resolutions are the means by which the Security Council articulates decisions that member states are obligated to implement under the Charter.

Background

The Security Council is composed of fifteen members, consisting of five permanent members—China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States—and ten non-permanent members elected for two-year terms by the General Assembly. Decisions on substantive matters require nine votes; however, any of the permanent members can veto a decision, preventing it from being adopted.

Types of Resolutions

Security Council resolutions can be classified into several types, including:

• Procedural Resolutions: These deal with the internal operations of the Council itself and require only a simple majority to pass.
• Substantive Resolutions: These address specific conflicts or security issues and require both a majority and the absence of a veto from any of the permanent members.

Content and Implementation

Resolutions of the Security Council may include sanctions, the authorization of military action, or the establishment of peacekeeping operations. They are legally binding upon UN member states and must be implemented as per the terms of the Charter.

Notable Resolutions

• United Nations Security Council Resolution 242: Passed after the Six-Day War in 1967, it called for the withdrawal of Israeli armed forces from territories occupied during the war and the acknowledgment of the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and political independence of every state in the area.
• United Nations Security Council Resolution 678: Authorized coalition forces to use all necessary means to uphold and implement Resolution 660, which demanded the withdrawal of Iraqi forces from Kuwait, leading to the Gulf War.
• United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973: Established a no-fly zone over Libya and authorized all necessary measures to protect civilians during the Libyan Civil War in 2011.

Criticism and Challenges

The effectiveness and fairness of the Security Council have often been questioned. Criticisms include the veto power of the permanent five members, which can block substantive action, and the representation within the Council, which many believe does not reflect the current geopolitical realities.

See Also

• United Nations General Assembly
• Veto power in the United Nations Security Council
• List of United Nations Security Council Resolutions