Codification Division Publications: Repertory of Practice of United Nations Organs Codification Division Publications: Repertory of Practice of United Nations Organs

Last update: August 23, 2016

Charter of the United Nations

Chapter V — The Security Council

Article 23

1. The Security Council shall consist of eleven Members of the United Nations. 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 shall be permanent members of the Security Council. The General Assembly shall elect six other Members of the United Nations to be non-permanent members of the Security Council, due regard being specially paid, in the first instance to the contribution of Members of the United Nations to the maintenance of international peace and security and to the other purposes of the Organization, and also to equitable geographical distribution.

2. The non-permanent members of the Security Council shall be elected for a term of two years. In the first election of the non-permanent members, however, three shall be chosen for a term of one year. A retiring member shall not be eligible for immediate re-election.

3. Each member of the Security Council shall have one representative.

Extracts PDF
Repertory of Practice (1945–1954), volume 2 View PDF file
  Supplement No 1 (1954–1955), volume 1 View PDF file
  Supplement No 2 (1955–1959), volume 2 View PDF file
  Supplement No 3 (1959–1966), volume 2 View PDF file
  Supplement No 4 (1966–1969), volume 1 View PDF file
  Supplement No 5 (1970–1978), volume 2 View PDF file
  Supplement No 6 (1979–1984), volume 3 View PDF file
  Supplement No 7 (1985–1988), volume 3* View PDF file
  Supplement No 8 (1989–1994), volume 3* View PDF file
  Supplement No 9 (1995–1999), volume 3* View PDF file
  Supplement No 10 (2000–2009), volume 3* View PDF file

* Advance version in English