Membership
in 2010
The Council is composed of five permanent members
— China, France, Russian Federation, the
United Kingdom and the United States — and
ten non-permament members (with year of term's end):
About
the Council
The
Presidency of the Security Council is held
in turn by the members of the Security Council in the English alphabetical
order of their names. Each President holds office for one calendar
month.
Ten
non-permament members, elected by the General Assembly for two-year
terms and not eligible for immediate re-election. The number of
non-permanent members was increased from six to ten by an amendment
of the Charter which came into force in 1965.
Each
Council member has one vote. Decisions on procedural matters are
made by an affirmative vote of at least nine of the 15 members.
Decisions on substantive matters require nine votes, including the
concurring votes of all five permanent members. This is the rule
of "great Power unanimity", often referred to as the "veto" power.
Under
the Charter, all Members of the United Nations agree to accept and
carry out the decisions of the Security Council. While other organs
of the United Nations make recommendations to Governments, the Council
alone has the power to take decisions which Member States are obligated
under the Charter to carry out.
Information
based on A/64/100
(Annex
IV)
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