Fifteen seats and an affirmative vote of nine: the Charter's rules for the Security Council

Background

Chapter V of the United Nations Charter, Articles 23 to 32, sets out how the Security Council is composed and how it votes. Article 23 says the Council shall consist of fifteen Members of the United Nations, of whom five are named in the Charter as permanent members: 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 General Assembly elects ten other Members as non-permanent members, with regard paid to their contribution to the maintenance of international peace and security and to equitable geographical distribution. Non-permanent members serve a term of two years, and a retiring member is not eligible for immediate re-election. Each member of the Council has one representative. Article 24 confers on the Council primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security, and says it acts on behalf of the membership; Article 25 commits Members to accept and carry out its decisions. Article 27 governs voting: each member has one vote, decisions on procedural matters are made by an affirmative vote of nine members, and decisions on all other matters need an affirmative vote of nine members including the concurring votes of the permanent members. In decisions under Chapter VI and under Article 52, paragraph 3, a party to a dispute abstains from voting.