United Nations Introduction Source: "Security Council, United Nations." Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online School Edition. Encyclopædia Britannica, Web. 30 June

What is the United Nations? An intergovernmental organization established 24 October 1945 to promote international co-operation. The United Nations (UN) is responsible for a wide range of international issues, including the environment, health, refugees and peace and security. There are 193 UN member states, each are a member of the United Nations General Assembly Which countries in the world do you think are NOT a part of the United Nations? Kosovo Taiwan Vatican City

United Nations Security Council The United Nations Security Council is primarily responsible for the maintenance of international peace and security. The Security Council now consists of 15 members— Five permanent members People's Republic of China France, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States 10 non-permanent members. The non- permanent members are generally chosen to achieve equitable representation among geographic regions, with five members coming from Africa or Asia one from eastern Europe two from Latin America two from western Europe or other areas. Five of the 10 non-permanent members are elected each year by the General Assembly for two-year terms, and five retire each year.

United Nations Security Council 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. 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.

United Nations Security Council During the Cold War, continual disagreement between the United States and the Soviet Union made the Security Council an ineffective institution. Since the late 1980s, however, the Council's power and prestige have grown. Beginning in the late 1980s, there was a surge in the number of peacekeeping operations (including observer missions) authorized by the Security Council; between 1948 and 1978, only 13 missions had been authorized, but between 1987 and 2000 some three dozen operations were approved, including those in the Balkans, Angola, Haiti, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Somalia.