UN Security Council
From Hobson's Choice
 Click for larger image |
The most powerful body of the United Nations Organization is the Security Council, whose membership includes five permanent members (the USA, the UK, Russia, China, and France). The UNSC meets in a chamber of the UN building in New York City. There are also ten elected members of the Council, who serve two-year terms; five are replaced each year. The presidency of the UNSC rotates to another member each month. Representatives must be available year-round so that it can meet at short notice.
Context
The UNO was created in 1945 as a successor to the League of Nations; in this respect, it required a powerful strategic focal point to prevent the calamity of the 1930's, during which member states withdrew or flouted the decisions of the League. One advantage of the UN over its unlucky predecessor was the membership of the United States and the USSR; however, by creating a special body that was visibly dominated by these two, plus a few other nations (three other permanent members and a few elected members), the national governments would have a stake in their decisions being honored.
