Article 23 is a foundational provision within the United Nations Charter that defines the composition of the Security Council (UNSC). The UN Charter itself was signed on June 26, 1945, and came into force on October 24, 1945, establishing the structure of the UN's principal organ for maintaining international peace and security.
The article currently mandates that the Security Council shall consist of fifteen Members of the United Nations. It explicitly names the five permanent members (P5): the Republic of China, France, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and the United States of America. The remaining ten other Members are elected by the General Assembly to serve as non-permanent members for a term of two years. The General Assembly is instructed to pay special regard to a member's contribution to international peace and security and to equitable geographical distribution when electing these members. A retiring non-permanent member is not eligible for immediate re-election.
Article 23 is the first article in Chapter V of the Charter, which governs the Security Council. It is intrinsically connected to Article 27, which outlines the voting procedure, including the requirement for the concurring votes of the permanent members, effectively granting them the veto power.
The article has been amended once: the amendment was adopted by the General Assembly on December 17, 1963, and came into force on August 31, 1965. This change enlarged the Security Council's total membership from eleven to fifteen by increasing the number of non-permanent members from six to ten, a change prompted by the significant rise in UN membership due to decolonization. The number and identity of the five permanent members remained unchanged.