The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is a principal organ of the United Nations, established as an institution with the primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security. It was created in 1945 following World War II to succeed the League of Nations and prevent future global conflicts on that scale. The Council held its first session on January 17, 1946, in London.
The UNSC is composed of 15 members: five permanent members (P5) and ten non-permanent members. The P5 are China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, who hold the power to veto any substantive resolution. The ten non-permanent members are elected by the UN General Assembly for two-year terms. The mechanism for its operation is outlined in the UN Charter, which obligates all member states to comply with the Council's decisions. Under Chapter VII of the UN Charter, the UNSC can determine the existence of a threat to peace, authorize responses up to and including the use of force, impose international sanctions, and establish peacekeeping operations. The Council's decisions are legally binding on all UN member states, a power unique among UN bodies.
The UNSC connects directly to the UN General Assembly, which elects the non-permanent members and jointly with the Council, recommends the appointment of the UN Secretary-General. The Council's structure has remained largely the same since an amendment to the UN Charter in 1965 increased the non-permanent seats from six to ten, bringing the total membership to 15. The P5 have retained their veto power under Article 27(3) of the UN Charter, which is a major point of contention in ongoing discussions about reform, such as the Intergovernmental Negotiations (IGN) that began in 2008. Despite calls for reform to address the lack of representation for regions like Africa and Latin America, the fundamental power structure has not changed recently.