Let us begin with what is the United Nations Security Council.
Courtesy - http://www.un.org/en/sc/about/
UN Security Council. The Security Council is the United Nations' most powerful body, with "primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security." Five powerful countries sit as "permanent members" along with ten elected members with two-year terms.
Under the Charter, the Security Council has primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security. It has 15 Members, and each Member has one vote. Under the Charter, all Member States are obligated to comply with Council decisions.
The Security Council takes the lead in determining the existence of a threat to the peace or act of aggression. It calls upon the parties to a dispute to settle it by peaceful means and recommends methods of adjustment or terms of settlement. In some cases, the Security Council can resort to imposing sanctions or even authorize the use of force to maintain or restore international peace and security.
The Security Council also recommends to the General Assembly the appointment of the Secretary-General and the admission of new Members to the United Nations. And, together with the General Assembly, it elects the judges of the International Court of Justice.
In Brief...
- 15 members: five permanent members with veto power and ten non-permanent members, elected by the General Assembly for a two-year term.
- Meetings are called at any given time when the need arises.
- Rotating presidency: Members take turn at holding the presidency of the Security Council for one month.
What is the Security Council?
The Security Council chamber, a gift from Norway, was designed by
Norwegian artist Arnstein Arneberg. A large mural by Per Krohg (Norway),
symbolizing the promise of future peace and individual freedom, covers
most of the east wall. Credit: UN Photo/DNMandate
The UN Charter established six main organs of the United Nations, including the Security Council. It gives primary responsibility for maintaining international peace and security to the Security Council, which may meet whenever peace is threatened.According to the Charter, the United Nations has four purposes:
- to maintain international peace and security;
- to develop friendly relations among nations;
- to cooperate in solving international problems and in promoting respect for human rights;
- and to be a centre for harmonizing the actions of nations.
Maintaining Peace and Security
When a complaint concerning a threat to peace is brought before it, the Council’s first action is usually to recommend that the parties try to reach agreement by peaceful means. The Council may:- set forth principles for such an agreement;
- undertake investigation and mediation, in some cases;
- dispatch a mission;
- appoint special envoys; or
- request the Secretary-General to use his good offices to achieve a pacific settlement of the dispute.
- issue ceasefire directives that can help prevent an escalation of the conflict;
- dispatch military observers or a peacekeeping force to help reduce tensions, separate opposing forces and establish a calm in which peaceful settlements may be sought.
- economic sanctions, arms embargoes, financial penalties and restrictions, and travel bans;
- severance of diplomatic relations;
- blockade;
- or even collective military action.
First Session of the United Nations Security Council in London,
United Kingdom on 17 January 1946. Credit: UN Photo/Marcel BolomeyOrganization
The Security Council held its first session on 17 January 1946 at Church House, Westminster, London. Since its first meeting, the Security Council has taken permanent residence at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City. It also travelled to many cities, holding sessions in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in 1972, in Panama City, Panama, and in Geneva, Switzerland, in 1990.A representative of each of its members must be present at all times at UN Headquarters so that the Security Council can meet at any time as the need arises.
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Current Members
Permanent and Non-Permanent Members
The Council is composed of 15 Members:- five permanent members: China, France, Russian Federation, the United Kingdom, and the United States,
- and ten non-permanent members elected for two-year terms by the General Assembly (with end of term date):
- Argentina (2014)
- Australia (2014)
- Chad (2015)
- Chile (2015)
- Jordan (2015)
- Lithuania (2015)
- Luxembourg (2014)
- Nigeria (2015)
- Republic of Korea (2014)
- Rwanda (2014)
Non-Council Member States
More than 60 United Nations Member States have never been Members of the Security Council.A State which is a Member of the United Nations but not of the Security Council may participate, without a vote, in its discussions when the Council considers that that country's interests are affected. Both Members and non-members of the United Nations, if they are parties to a dispute being considered by the Council, may be invited to take part, without a vote, in the Council's discussions; the Council sets the conditions for participation by a non-member State.
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Subsidiary Organs
Article 29 of the Charter sets out that he Security Council has the power to establish subsidiary bodies as needed for the performance of its functions. This is also reflected in Rule 28 of the Provisional Rules of Procedure.- Counter-Terrorism and Non-Proliferation Committees
- Military Staff Committee
- Sanctions Committees
- Overview of all Sanctions Committees
- Security Council Committee pursuant to resolutions 751 (1992) and 1907 (2009) concerning Somalia and Eritrea
- Security Council Committee pursuant to resolution 1267 (1999) and 1989 (2011) concerning Al-Qaida and associated individuals and entities
- Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1518 (2003)
- Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1521 (2003) concerning Liberia
- Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1533 (2004) concerning the Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1572 (2004) concerning Côte d'Ivoire
- Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1591 (2005) concerning the Sudan
- Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1636 (2005)
- Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1718 (2006)
- Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1737 (2006)
- Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1970 (2011) concerning Libya
- Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1988 (2011)
- Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 2048 (2012) concerning Guinea-Bissau
- Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 2127 (2013) concerning the Central African Republic
- Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 2140 (2014)
- Focal Point for De-listing established pursuant to resolution 1730 (2006)
- Office of the Ombudsperson
- Standing Committees and Ad Hoc Bodies
- Security Council Committee of Experts
- Security Council Committee on Admission of New Members
- Security Council Committee on Council meetings away from Headquarters
- Governing Council of the United Nations Compensation Commission established by Security Council resolution 692 (1991)
- Security Council Working Group on Peacekeeping Operations
- Security Council Ad Hoc Working Group on Conflict Prevention and Resolution in Africa
- Security Council Working Group established pursuant to resolution 1566 (2004)
- Security Council Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict established pursuant to resolution 1612 (2005)
- Security Council Informal Working Group on Documentation and Other Procedural Questions
- Peacekeeping Operations
- International Tribunals
- Advisory Subsidiary Body
Key Documents
- Provisional Rules of Procedure
- Working Methods Handbook
- Repertoire of the Practice of the Security Council
- United Nations Charter
Any state—even if it is not a member of the UN—may bring a dispute to which it is a party to the attention of the Security Council. When there is a complaint, the council first explores the possibility of a peaceful resolution. International peacekeeping forces may be authorized to keep warring parties apart pending further negotiations (see United Nations
Peacekeeping Forces).
If the council finds that there is a real threat to the peace, a breach of the peace, or an act of aggression (as defined by Article 39 of the UN Charter), it may call upon UN members to apply diplomatic or economic sanctions. If these methods prove inadequate, the UN Charter allows the Security Council to take military action against the offending nation.
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At this moment in time Spain is not an ideal candidate to enter the Security Council since their behaviour towards Gibraltar and its people is very contradcitory to what the UN Security Council stands for!
How can a country that defies a smaller country's identity and right to determine their own future be trusted with a UN Seat?
How can a country like Spain that promotes such hate campaigns against a people of thirty thousand only because they wish to retain their identity - be allowed a UN Security Council seat?
How can a country like Spain enter the UN Security Council when Spain breaches all security for Gibraltar and disrespects the Laws of the Sea?
How can Spain think they can enter the UN Security council when they continue to use the Frontier with Gibraltar as a political weapon causing human beings across the world not just Europe to sit in ques in the heat with children and dsiabled and the elderly for 4-6 hours? That they can cause queues for pedestrians for political means from 2-4 ours standing in the heat or cold or rain!
How can Spain continue to cause security issues by sending their Para Militaries into British Gibraltar Territorial Waters and try to exercise juristiction - think they can enter the UN Security Council?
Spain needs to learn to behave with Gibraltar BEFORE Spain can be trusted to enter the UN Security Council!
If they do get a seat it will be at the detrimental of the people of Gibraltar!
Spain does not uphold what the UN Security Council Stands for! Will the UN Council be brave enough to stand up to the bully that Spain is?
Really? I do believe that Spain seems to suffer from short term and long term memory as Gibraltar has been suffering the bullying tactics by Spain since before the border was closed in 1969. This closure caused so much pain and heartache to many people!
The frontier has not always been marked by a barrier. In 1909 Britain was aware of the need to reduce the number of sentries and built a fence 7 ft (c. 2m) high
Spain closed the border to vehicles in 1969 and again completely later on in the year following heightened tensions with Britain as a result of the disputed status of Gibraltar. The border was not fully reopened until February 1985.
In 2013, due to growing tensions between Gibraltar (backed by Britain) and Spain, the Spanish border control began to search every passing car, creating queues on both sides of the border which were several hours long.
We the Defenders of Gibraltar and working with other Groups have worked hard to show the true picture of Spain reference Gibraltar and its people!
SPAIN is a Bully no more no less and a BULLY has to be stopped before the bully gets worse and let me tell you that Spain's behaviour towards Gibraltar and the people has been getting worse since PP Government came back into power!
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When David Lidington ( He is currently a Minister of State at the Foreign Office, serving as Minister for Europe. This responsibility includes the overseas territories of Gibraltar and Akrotiri and Dhekelia.) visited Gibraltar we raised the concern on Spain trying to get a seat in the UN Council and we asked what will UK Government do - will they veto or will they at least not vote.
Mr Lidington's answer was they do not make public who they will support - so I remind Mr LIdington that in early 2002 Britain’s Blair also assured India that Britain supported India’s quest for a permanent seat.
So in the same way we want our Britain's Cameron to state UK will not support Spain and in this way send a clear and concise message to Spain that they must stop the bullying and if not that there are consequences!
So we urge UK Government, FCO and our Governor Sir James Dutton to make a clear message of no support for Spain to enter the UN Security Council.
Need we remind everyone how Spain is trying to leave out Gibraltar in every way it can currently because it is in the EU and has been and continues to fight to discriminate us - Gibraltar from progressing - even though we were in the Eu well before they were!
Spain the bullying and harassment of a people and a smaller Country has to stop!
We will continue to raise the danger to the world on Spain trying to get a UN Security Council Seat until Spain stops the intimidation against Gibraltar and its people!
“Truth never damages a cause that is just.”
― Mahatma Gandhi
“Never be afraid to raise your voice for honesty and truth and
compassion against injustice and lying and greed. If people all over the
world...would do this, it would change the earth.”
― William Faulkner
― William Faulkner
Anne-Marie Struggles
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