The Security Council Essay Example for Free

The Security Council Essay The Security Council of the United Nations was one of the original bodies of the UN formed with the United Nations charter in 1945. The Security Council was created to put all the superpowers of the world on equal footing, giving each one vote in binding resolutions for the member nations of the UN. The charter members with permanent seats on the council are the United States, France, Great Britain (the United Kingdom), Russia and China. In 1945, these nations were considered the most powerful on Earth and were charged with keeping the peace of the world. In addition to the five permanent seats, the Security Council is comprised of 10 other member nations elected by popular vote of the entire UN and serving two-year terms. Each member nation of the Security Council has equal power in theory, though in practice some deference is given to the permanent members. The Security Council can pass binding resolutions on the other member nations, but each council member can veto any resolution. As such, the Security Council rarely can form a consensus, though it often discusses major issues around the world. Often, the only time a consensus is reached is when the matter is so trivial or involves such a small country that it has no friends on the council. Though the council was set up to have inherent checks and balances, it has often become a staging ground for popularity contests and member nations have neglected the world’s best interests in favor of the more proprietary interests of their nation. This is how programs like the United Nations’ Oil for Food program have become corrupted by individual nationalism and greed. Furthermore, on the rare occasions when the Security Council can agree and pass a binding resolution, it has limited enforcement powers and often the only punishment for breaking a resolution is a verbal slap from the council. Some member nations, particularly the United States, have lead coalition forces on occasion to enforce UN resolutions, but these military actions often are disapproved by many member nations and the Security Council itself rarely votes in favor of military action. The end result is that the United Nations provides an interesting forum for smaller countries to air grievances and for all countries to point out flaws in their neighbors, but as a governing body, the United Nations and the Security Council has no teeth. It becomes like a restrictive parent who tries to tell a child what to do, but fails to enforce its own rules. In the end, no one respects the rule of the United Nations and might still makes right. Smaller countries object to the permanent members of the council and their might, both military and economic, but they also turn to those countries when they are the ones being oppressed. In short, the United Nations and the Security Council format need to be revisited and the UN must be given some enforcement power to assure that its resolutions are kept. Otherwise, it is a useless home of debate that is ignored and laughed at.