Role and authority

The United Nations Security Council is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations and is described as the UN’s executive branch for international peace and security. Its powers under the UN Charter include establishing peacekeeping operations, authorizing military action, and imposing international sanctions. Under Chapter VII, it may identify threats to international peace, determine breaches of that peace, and authorize responses up to and including the use of force. It is also the only UN body with the authority to adopt binding international law by issuing resolutions that are binding on all member states.

Membership and voting

The Council has 15 members: five permanent members—China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States—and ten non-permanent members elected by the General Assembly for two-year terms. Decisions generally require nine affirmative votes. Any permanent member can veto a non-procedural resolution, while procedural decisions cannot be vetoed. The Council is led by a president who rotates monthly among current members, while the UN secretary-general acts as executive officer overseeing implementation of its decisions and mandates.

Relevance in the Ethiopia-Eritrea dispute

In the renewed tensions between Ethiopia and Eritrea, both governments addressed the Security Council with statements or letters about the dispute, reflecting its role as a central international forum for escalating conflicts.