The is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations and is primarily responsible for the maintenance of international peace and security.
Establishment and Legal Basis
- Established: 1945
- Legal Source: Charter of the United Nations (Chapter V)
- Headquarters: United Nations Headquarters, New York
Composition
The UNSC has 15 members:
- 5 Permanent Members (P5):
- United States
- United Kingdom
- France
- Russia
- China
- 10 Non-Permanent Members:
- Elected by the UN General Assembly
- Tenure: 2 years
- Elected on the basis of equitable geographical representation
Voting System
- Each member has one vote
- Procedural matters: Simple majority (9 votes)
- Substantive matters:
- At least 9 affirmative votes, including concurrence of all P5 members
- Any negative vote by a P5 member constitutes a veto
Powers and Functions
The UNSC can:
- Determine the existence of a threat to peace, breach of peace, or act of aggression
- Issue binding resolutions on UN member states
- Impose economic sanctions and arms embargoes
- Authorise peacekeeping missions and military action
- Recommend admission of new UN members
- Recommend appointment of the UN Secretary-General
- Refer cases to the International Criminal Court (ICC)
Peacekeeping Role
- UNSC authorises UN peacekeeping operations
- Peacekeeping forces are deployed with the consent of host states
- India is one of the largest troop-contributing countries to UN peacekeeping missions
Criticism of the UNSC
- Lack of representation: Reflects post-World War II power structure
- Veto power misuse: Leads to paralysis during major global conflicts
- Under-representation of Global South: No permanent seat for Africa, Latin America, or India
UNSC Reforms and India’s Position
- India seeks:
- Permanent membership in a reformed UNSC
- Expansion in both permanent and non-permanent categories
- Supported by groupings such as G4 (India, Japan, Germany, Brazil)
- Argument: India’s population size, economic weight, democratic credentials, and peacekeeping role
