Security Council

Nota:

• ssa was a member of the council of the league of Nations but because of the racial policies was not selected to serve on the security council during apartheid. SA WAS ELECTED AS A NON-PERMANENT MEMBER OF THE SECURITY COUNCIL FOR 2007&2008 AND AGAIN IN 2011

1. THE 5 PERMANENT MEMBERS ARE : CHINA; FRANCE; RUSSIA ; UK AND USA
   1. THE SECURITY COUNCIL WAS CONSTITUTED IN 1945 AND THE PERM MEMBERS REFLECTED POWER RELATIONS OF THE TIME
      1. TODAY GERMANY AND JAPAN HAVE MORE CLAIM TO BE PERM MEMBERS THAN OTHER COUNTRIES
         1. AT PRESENT THERE ARE SERIOUS EFFORTS TO CHANGE THE COMPISITION
            1. THE INCLUSION WOULD BE BASED ON STATES WHICH CONTRIBUTE THE MOST; MILITARILY AND DIPLOMATICALLY
      2. THE SECURITY COUNCIL IS EMPOWERED TO TAKE DECISIONS BINDING ON ALL MEMEBER STATES
         1. VETO POWER IS VESTED IN THE 5 PERMANENT MEMEBERS
            1. ARTICLE 27(3) WHILE DECESIONS ON PROCEDURAL MATTERS IN THE COUNCIL ARE MADE BY AN AFFIRMATIVE VOTE OF 9 MEMEMBERS
               1. DECISIONS ON ALL MATTERS ARE TO BE MADE BY AN AFFIRMATIVE VOTE OF 9 MEMBERS INCLUDING CONCURRING VOTES OF THE PERMNENT MEMBERS
                  1. THIS VETO HAS BEEN INVOKED BY ALL THE PERM MEMBERS WHENTHEY PERCIEVE THEIR INTERESTS TO BE THREATENED
                     1. THE VETO HAS BEEN AMELIORATED BY THE PRACTISE OF ABSENTION. IT IS NOTVIEWED AS VETO AND HAS ALLOWED MANY RESOLUTIONS
                        1. LAWFULNESS OF ABSENTION HAS BEEN CHALLENGED EXAMPLE THE NAMABIA SA SITUATION
                        2. ABSENTION MAY BE REAGRDED AS A CONCURRING VOTE IF THE MEMBER IS PRESENT AT THE SC
                           1. IT IS MORE DIFFICULT WHEN THE PERM MEMBER IS ABSENT FROM SC